thanks

i've been coaching track & field for about eleven years now. each team is different, and every year offers different opportunities, benefits, rewards and whatnot.

this year was a pretty awesome year. i was able to travel to indoor nationals, and also get to go to outdoor nationals as well. these are fun, special trips. but even without these trips this was still one of the best years that i've coached. why?

well, it's about the kids. this year we had a group of throwers that really did work hard. most of them went above and beyond to really do the best they could, to perform at the highest level at competitions. they cared. that doesn't mean that all of them always did everything right, but you could see that it mattered. they cared about their performances, and about their teammates.

another thing about this group, they were thankful. right now, i'm looking at a picture of my throwers. they took a group picture after our conference meet, and had it framed and gave it to all the throw coaches. i was blown away by this. seriously, i feel like a proud papa right now. heather even joked that it looks like our family picture because it's one of the biggest things in our living room, propped up on our mantle.

so, i'm thankful. and, i texted them all today to let them know that i'm thankful for this year and the experience. and, most of them are returning, so i'm excited for next year already.