Entry 2: Why athletics?
As I sit here on my beanbag watching Saturday night AFL, I am particularly interested in two players featuring in today’s action; Jack Riewoldt and Taylor Hunt. You may wonder... why these two? Granted, Jack is having a great season, but that is not the root of my intrigue. The reason is that I once competed with both of these boys as a junior in athletics. Whilst they are now enjoying the spoils of primetime TV, Coleman Medal races, generous sponsorship endorsements and comfortable contracts, I recall my competition today at Ringwood Athletics Track where total attendance was about 30 people (including athletes!) and ponder...
What reason is there for young athletes to choose our sport?
I can’t speak for others, but I do know the reasons that kept me in the sport through the formative years.
1. PURITY
Break down the fundamentals of any sport and you will inevitably derive the same set of commonalities; endurance, coordination, speed, power, strength, focus, balance etc. All of these characteristics are, predictably, the foundations of our sport. The beauty of athletics is that we can honestly say that we are the best exponents of these aspects of any sport in Australia, or indeed the world. There is one stringent set of rules, which have not changed much since the days of ancient Olympia. This pure and simple nature appeals to me greatly.
2. FRIENDS
Yes, this seems paradoxical, but the reality is that humans are social creatures. Our sport is an individual sport; results and medals are not awarded to coaches or training partners, but we wouldn’t achieve the former without the latter. Friendships I have already forged in the sport are what gets me to the gym when I’m sick and sore, or what helps me push on when I can’t feel my extremities whilst throwing in the freezing rain. The dualism of individual and social components that shape our experiences in athletics are an integral part of my attraction to the sport.
3. CHALLENGE
As a younger athlete, I often wondered what kept people in our sport when they were ‘past their prime’. Why would you compete if you had no chance of beating your PB? With time, I have grown to understand and appreciate that the challenges facing a true athlete go beyond one’s maximum performance. If I measure my success only by my PB, then all of my other throws are essentially failures. Something I learned from my former coach John Eden, my current coach Gus Puopolo and training partner Scott Martin, is that challenges are a process for an intelligent athlete, not a result. Every throw, lift, jump, run, session, week, month, period, season and year has a purpose and accordingly; a challenge.
As aforementioned, these are the major factors which keep me in our wonderful sport. Chances are that if you are reading this, you will have your own investment in athletics and your own set of reasons.
For young athletes; if you are in sport for money or notoriety, please don’t choose athletics. I’m certainly not insinuating that Jack or Taylor chose AFL because of superficial reasons, but rather encouraging you to think pragmatically about the options available to you.
I suppose that I probably haven’t answered my earlier question; it requires investigation beyond the scope of this diary entry. The best way I can summate this is to put it plainly - stay true to the reasons which initially drew you to the sport. If, like me, you enjoy the purity, friendships and challenges of athletics then you might find yourself a very content and happy 22-year-old sitting on his beanbag watching the footy.
'Carn the Pies,
Dale
