On Friday we hosted the annual Primary Campus Sports Day. As the race starter for the longer sprints
and distance runs on the soccer oval, I was part of the team that coordinated
the several heats for each age group and gender. We would pull the fastest runners aside to
run the ribbon race – the race that counted for all the beans - after all the
heats were finished.
I was impressed time and again.
We have a lot of fast children in our school - that is for
sure. I am convinced there is some sort
of genetic relationship between melanin and swiftness of foot that transcends cultures
and continents. And as always it was
fascinating to watch the children fly.
But it was the ones who soared who impressed me the most.
The ones who watched the backs of their friends getting
smaller in the distance. The ones who
persevered despite the fact that short of a drastic injury 100 metres ahead of
them, they would most certainly be crossing the finish line well after all the
others. The ones who would never even get to participate in the ribbon races.
The ones in the place called “last.”
A couple weeks ago my son was dissing the “team” events,
saying, “If you don’t win, you get a second place ribbon, but it’s not really second place. It’s last.
Your team lost the event.”
We had a heart-to-heart about sportsmanship, participating
for the fun of it, and for the love of competition, and phrases ending in “it’s
how you play the game that counts.”
He got it. In his age
group of boys, the teams split the events evenly … two blue ribbons to the red
team, two blue ribbons to the yellow team.
That meant two red ribbons to each team as well. But, you know what? I truly believe that my son was not irritated
about the red ribbons. He did not come
in “last” in his mind.
He had fun. He played
hard, he played for the fun of it and for the love of competition.
He got it, and I was impressed and grateful.
And those kids who came across the finish line “last?”
It was obvious that they got it too.
They persevered.
They ran it out.
They ran it hard.
They ran the last 50, 80, 120 metres as the only participants
still on the track, and yet they finished with smiles on their faces.
They got it.
And so should we.
Written in conjunction with Lisa Jo Baker's Five Minute Friday community. Click the Five Minute Friday button for more information or to join the fun.
So true, the kids that come in first may have got the prize, bu those who came in last, learned and know so much more. They know how to keep going and be proud that they were there and were able to finish, even if they didn't get to break that blue ribbon. They were there til the end. Their happiness is something that we should cherish and learn and pass on to others, that its not the position that matters but rather the perseverance and endurance that you carry, when others would have given up. So smile, and share your story of being in that last spot, it displays more and tells a bigger story then those who came in 1st. Great story! Thanks for sharing!
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