Fun

So, here we are, back at school for the start of Term 2 in some Australian states. Others have another week. The beginning of the winter term in Australia marks athletics season. In every school where I taught, running, jumping and throwing activities led to an Athletics Carnival towards the end of the term.

You might call them ‘Meets’ in your part of the world. For the athletic-minded, the carnivals were a time to shine. Others found them a chore and might skip the day or busy themselves hanging lines of team colour bunting.

I tried to keep the latter group involved. As students move through school, athletics becomes a personal growth journey. I use ‘journey’ here in the sense that the experience is challenging. The fast runners are always quick. The winner of an event continues to win the same event year after year, but personal improvement matters most. The slower runners never seem to catch up.

The jumpers who go higher or longer each year keep bettering their past performance. Of course, their bodies are maturing, and their coordination is better. The students who find athletics challenging experience the same body changes. We attempt to catch them up through coaching and training.

Participation became the buzzword for athletics. We get that it’s not for everyone. Students shine in their own ways. We teachers, of course, polish those shines.

Have fun in Term 2. Try not to end up like the dude above.