My Track Kids

I adopted a dozen teenagers this spring.  I got to coach the distance runners on our high school track team, and it was a great job. I'd forgotten how fun to is to be part of a team.  But what surprised me was how much the runners became like my own kids and their success was my success.  

Though only acquaintances when the season started, little by little over the course of the season we came to know and respect each other, and by the end I felt like this group of teenagers were my own kids (not that I'm old enough, but you get the point). It's amazing how the shared experience of training and racing can bring you together.  

And it wasnt just about running.  I found myself not only interested in what their times were, but worried about who they were dating, concerned about getting into college and on missions, interested in what their grades were, and frustrated when their decisions weren't ones I wanted them to make.  They made me laugh and I was reminded of the excitement and possibilities life holds for you as a teenager, while being secretly glad that I don't have to go through that again.  I hoped for them to recognize their potential both as runners and as people, and tried to get them to believe in themselves as well.  I was thrilled with their sucess and disappointed when they underachieved.  

I think the secret joy in coaching, and maybe even parenting, comes from seeing kids achieve great things.  It is exciting to see kids do things they didn't know they could do, especially when they have worked really hard to be there.  At a time when my PRs are distant memories, it is thrilling so see others achieve their best. So to my runners, thanks for letting me share your lives for a few months. I can't wait to see you again next spring, but don't think you can take the winter off...coaches (like parents) are always watching.