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Sun and Mud and a Spring Day and Just Having Fun

by dickmoss

At last! After long winter months of running in school hallways
after endless hurdle drills on linoleum and cement after dreary,
dark training runs on icy roads - Spring had finally sprung. We
were finally the recipients of a beautiful, sunny Spring day. And
although it was partly snow-covered, 200 meters of our track had
melted.

With that familiar spring smell of fresh air and melting dog-doo
in our nostrils, we were finally ready to do some serious damage
in track practice. To begin the deadly serious business of
winning city, regional and provincial championships. And who
knows - maybe even qualifying for the Olympic trials later in the
summer.

It was a Saturday sprinter practice and our racehorses were
ready to tear up the track, unfettered by the threat of looming
hallway walls and locker-door collisions.

But surprisingly, it was not just our sprinters who showed up
for practice. Two distance runners appeared as well  -
surprising, because their Saturday workout was just an optional,
easy distance run.

"We'll just go for an easy run," the two girls - both 15 years
old - said as they left the track at a slow jog. I assumed they
would head down a paved road where the footing was safe.

Our stadium is in a beautiful setting: surrounded by rocky hills
that are crossed with skiing and jogging trails. Although the
trails are popular in mid-winter and summer, in the Spring they
are a no-man's land of mud, ice, partially melted snow and
leafless trees. It was part way through our workout that I
realized the girls had headed onto these trails. My first clue
came 20 minutes before they actually jogged back into view. I
could hear a fanfare of giggles, screams and laughter echoing
sharp and clear off the hills.

One of my sprinters looked at me and asked, "Where in the heck
are they - out on the trails? They've got to be nuts!"

Another fast 200m for our sprinters, then another. I kept
peeking up into the hills, waiting for the source of the laughter
to appear. And then I saw them. Both girls, wearing only
T-shirts, shorts and shoes, sliding down a snowy slope on their
butts. And laughing like crazy. Landing at the bottom, they ran
back up the hill and slid down while standing up - downhill
skiing without skis.

Their run completed, they jogged back to the track, climbed our
timers' stand and lay on their backs, their muddy feet flopped
onto a handrail. Contented, they just lay there, soaking up the
sun and the warmth and the fresh air.

For the girls, it had been a great afternoon. No video games, no
high-tech toys, no television, no organized team competitions -
just a muddy trail, a pair of shoes, a sunny day and a friend to
enjoy them with.

One of my older athletes remarked, "Teenagers really are
annoying at that age. All they do is giggle." I didn't say
anything, but I had to disagree. I left that practice feeling
happy, and care-free, and very young.

It had occurred to me as I watched them sliding down that hill -
and I can still hear their laughter as I write this article -
that this is what sports, and fitness, and the professions of
coaching and physical education are really all about.

Winning and excellence and personal improvement are admirable
goals. But in its essence, sport is really just play. Necessary
play. And the joy that comes with movement, and being fit and
interacting with nature in a physical way. And being young...and
(for us older folks) realizing that being able to play allows us
to experience the joy and innocence of youth all of our lives.

I hope the girls always remember that day. And I hope I will
too. Especially on those frequent occasions when I take the
achievement aspect of sport too seriously. I hope the memory of
their laughter ringing off those hills will give me a subtle slap
on the face and the reminder that, "Hey, it's only play after
all. This is supposed to be fun!"

Dick Moss (<a href="
mailto:dm@peupdate.com">editor@peupdate.com</a>)  is the
publisher of <b>PE Update.com</b> - a website that keeps physical
educators and coaches up-to-date on over 40 sports, fitness and
coaching topics. The website also provides a free newsletter,
blog and sample articles. Check it out at: <a
href="http://www.peUpdate.com"><b>www.peUpdate.com</b></a>

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