Track & Field

Just over a month ago, Bradyn came home on a Thursday night with a Track & Field practice schedule.  She was VERY excited, and told me that she was going to try out for the high jump team.  Cool!  Practices were Monday, Wednesday and Friday at lunch hour, so I was all over that.  On the following Monday, Bradyn enthusiastically told me that she was also going to try out for the long jump team.  I was all over that too...... right up until the point where she told me that practices for long jump were Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:15 am.  Problem.  In the end I decided to suck it up for a month, be late for work and indulge my girl.  After all, this was 'real' sports (not baseball, mind you, but I remember loving Track & Field in school, so I absolutely wanted to encourage her).  

About a week and a half ago, Bradyn decided that she didn't really like high jump (I'm thinking maybe she realized she wasn't very good at it?) but we agreed that she would stick it out until the end of tryouts.  Last week Bradyn gleefully announced that she was going to the Coquitlam Track & Field meet to represent Panorama Heights in the Grade 3 Girls Long Jump event.  Yeah B!!!

This morning at 8 am we headed down to the Stadium at Town Centre Park where kids from 8 different Coquitlam Elementary schools were arriving to compete for the day.  I left Bradyn with her friends and promised to be back for her event at 10:45 am.  The place was electric - yelling and cheering, kids running everywhere, events going on, announcements over the loud speaker.... so much fun.  It was finally time to head to the long jump pits for her big event.

Hanging out with her team mates, waiting their turn.

So serious.

Wee bit nervous at this point.

"Can I go?"

And she's off for attempt #1.

I got a video of jump #2, but it will only play on my camera, not the computer.  Not cool!

Jump #3, and Bradyn is clearly not happy with Mammarazzi.  Can you feel those daggers shooting from her eyes? (click on the photo and get a close-up.... I can't help but giggle)

Go B, Go!

So how did she do?  No idea.  The running events were  happening all day and kids were coming and going from events so by the time Bradyn finished jump #3, there were only 6 of what seemed like 25 girls in her event left.  The others had to go run the 100 m sprint and would be back later to finish their jumps.  I'm pretty confident that Bradyn didn't place in the top 3 but she did awesome.  (there were some VERY good jumpers, with VERY long legs!)  Apparently there is going to be an assembly on Friday at school where they'll let all the kids know the final results.

No matter what, I can't even tell you how proud I was of Bradyn today.  She was nervous but confident, and an amazing team player - she was screaming everybody's names when they ran by in the running events and insisted on staying until the very last event was over (although I'm certain that's because Joshua was in the final relay race.... but that's a story for another day).  Just like the Grinch, my heart grew 3 sizes today.