 |
| Back of the Shirt |
 |
| Front of the shirt |
This is the shirt from my High School Track and Field Invitational that was just ran this past Friday. I think this shirt looks much better than the one during the first year they held it in 06, my last year of coaching, when I helped out with the inviational being runned there for the first time.
Now, as many of you people would think I did not come up with this name as you would think. I think it was Dave Lautenschleger the boys head track coach at the time who did. I just volunteered in 2005 and again in 06 right around the time I left my last semester of college until I was able to get a full time job. I was going from an intership and being unemployed around May 05-06 but back to the blog.
In 2005 when I was volunteering coaching at my high school going to duals, invites, and hosting mostly dual meets at our high school and for junior high meets. The coaches and the athletic director wanted the idea of having our high school finally host a track invitational. I thought this would be great. It would give the kids a chance to run something else besides dual meets with Manchester, Fairless, Tuslaw, Triway, Indian Valley, CVCA, or aganist any other school in our area or conference.
Heck, I remember after transfering back to Tusky Valley my junior year in 98-99 that the track at the football stadium still had Limestone/Cinders that if you fell on you had to pick off little tiny rocks for weeks at a time. Yep kids there was a time that we ran on those tracks. Our parents ran on the same thing. I ran during a time back in 97-2000 that some tracks were just cinders and limestone until almost all high schools have all weather on them like they do today, well hopefully most of them do. There are some that don't. Well, after my junior year my high school started construction during the summer to put an all weather track over the cinders in our football stadium. Now it became just 6 lanes but it turned out very great.
 |
| Scoreboard |
 |
| Track!!! |
 |
| Front Entrance |
In fact, but sadly I admit my high school track is much better taken care of then my college's(Muskingum) track. And that Track is 8 lanes. But, the adminstration at Muskingum doesn't care about athletics so that is for another blog to complain about.
Anyway, my senior year we were not only able to run 4 dual meets on that new all weather track but our High school hosted the PAC-7 Championships at the end of the year before the district meet. One of my greatest memories is winning the 3200 meter run at the conference meet. I was undefeated in dual conference meets in the 3200 meters and I wanted to win this event to get first team and put the icing on my senior year. And I did win it in 10:10 beating 2nd place by 15 seconds winning my last race ran on my home track before districts was a great moment. However, we ended up 2nd to East Canton since they better sprints then us but it was great for our school to hold the Conference meet. Yet, I think they held it only one more time until the league went to 8 teams so I don't think conference won't be held there until they decide to expand the lanes which I don't seeing.
Back to 05, the coaches and athletic director were able to get the sponsers, volunteers and help ready to have a track and field invitational held for next season. I was lucky enough not to start my new job in Dayton, before I came to Columbus, to coach again the following season and help out setting up my high school's first track and field inviational. We even had 10 teams be at the first invitational as well.
During the invite I of course followed my kids running their distance events since I was the distance coach. I had both my boys and girls 4 x 800 teams place 2nd with PR's up to that point in the season. I had two really good distance guys run very well but they both lost to a kid who would win the 3200 meters at the State Meet that year but both of my kids went to state one in the 1600 and the other in the 3200. I think boys got a close 2nd in the meet to Indian Valley and the girls got third place overall.
At the end I felt excited for the kids and honored that I was able to help out with my high schools first track and field inviational. Even though it was my last season of coaching before I got into the workforce I felt I helped out with something big. I don;t coach any more but next year I wouldn't mind even coming back to help out and maybe be one of the track officials there since I'm now learning to be a track offical.
A lot has gone by but the invite is still going strong. My mom still helps out with track meets and bless her heart she has to deal with the baumspage computer program just to get the results up for the Invitational. The boys finally won it this year after coming in either 2nd or 3rd the last 5 years it's ran. Click here for results for this year and past results
http://www.baumspage.com/track/tusky/index.htm
I just like to follow my high school track and cross country teams every now and then to look at the results to see how they are doing just to compare!! LOL. I hope they get a few to the State Meet. Congrats to both Boys and Girls this season so far and good luck to the rest of it. And thanks to the coaches and my high school for helping me give back to the kids during my brief time of coaching for what you've been able to help lead me along my way.
The Tusky Valley Track and Field Invitational has definitely become a THRILLA IN ZOARVILLA!!!
I'm D-Money and that's my Two Cents!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment