Nathan's 3rd Sports Day

I signed up as a volunteer for this year's Sports Day so the boys and I arrived at Nathan's school bright and early to help cut up fruit for the children's morning tea. Just as I was starting to help with coffee, someone else came along and took over, giving me enough time to make it out to the green to see all the classes lined up and ready to go.

Somehow, Nathan got to hold his class flag again this year! Look at that proud face.

Nathan's events were spread over two days this year. The first day, they ran their long-distance races. I remember back in elementary school, we ran 400m and 800m as our long-distance races. Nathan and his cohorts were given a choice of three distances: 1km, 2km, or 3km. I was in shock. My legs and lungs instantly began aching on their behalf.

To my amazement, though, all the children did well. They each chose a distance that was comfortable for their own body and abilities and went for it. Nathan had told me on the morning of the race that he was going to run the 1km. I thought that was reasonable as I've always seen him more as a sprinter, but he surprised me that afternoon when he lined up for the 2km instead. He ran for a majority of it, walked a little bit but finished off in a sprint! I was so impressed.

I asked him what changed his mind, and he told me he just realized he was able to do it. Self-confidence.

The second day was a long day. Caleb did exceptionally well as we followed Nathan around for his first two events. The little guy didn't complain at all, and even found himself a spot with the big kids at lunch time. Then, I was asked to help out with the 100m dash so Caleb found himself a spot under this giant tree and watched Dr. Seuss. I love how easy-going Caleb is!

From where I stood at the end of the 100m track, I was able to watch Nathan as he crossed the finish line over and over again as he raced each of his friends. It was also the perfect spot for me to watch his long jumps. 

The students had a great day of friendly competition against their friends and classmates, and challenging themselves to beat their own personal bests. I'm so proud of how well Nathan did, not because he was the best in each event, but because he tried his hardest.