On Wednesday afternoon we attended the Young Relative's first home track meet of the spring season. Naturally we focus on him (thoughtfully, he wears bright sneakers so we can spot him even across the field), but we enjoy seeing all the athletes out there. The kids joke around with each other between races, and stretch and jog and do high-knee runs and (apparently effortless) sky-high tuck jumps to keep themselves loose.
I love the good sportsmanship on display: one girl cried out in delight when realized she had just set a PR (personal record) and all the girls, whether on her team or not, congratulated her.
The PIAA official running the race was quite an amusing character. He was strict about the rules forbidding earrings, necklaces and watches and made the competitors hand over the offending items to their coaches. He had little patience when some athletes were confused about who was running in a certain relay race: "If you don't know who's on your team, I can't help you!"
When the meet started at 3:30 it was a beautiful warm afternoon and I dressed accordingly, forgetting that the UHS stadium can be a treacherous microclimate. By 7 p.m. (of course, the Young Relative ran the very last leg in the very last race!), as the sun was setting, it was cold and very windy. I had unearthed a sweatshirt from the work truck and had a painter's dropcloth wrapped around my bare legs, sarong-style. I was still shivering. I noticed that even the YR, who wears shorts year-round, donned some leggings and a sweatshirt over his shorts and running singlet. A more seasoned mom told me she keeps in her car three weights of jackets for just this reason.
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