I went to support a few of my track friends who competed at the Canadian Youth Track and Field Championships today.
I have to admit ever since I competed at OFSAA back in June I have never given up on the idea of competing in the throwing events (especially the Javelin). When I looked at the Shot Put distances that were thrown today at the National level I realized that I could have qualified for this event. Being the competitive person that I am, I wonder how good I could get with coaching and more practice. I loved the atmosphere at the track. I was shocked to recognize so many people that I competed with at OFSAA and even more surprised when a few people asked me when I was competing 🙂 I’ve never done track other than school track. I really wanted to see the Javelin and Discus throwing as well but they are scheduled for tomorrow and I have a soccer game at the same time.
It was fun to be there as a spectator at a sporting event for a change. I couldn’t help but watch the athletes do their warm up and how they get themselves mentally prepared. It doesn’t seem to matter what the sport, there are always people who you can see that visibly psych themselves out and people who you could tell that they were going to win before they even start. You could see some athletes get mad at themselves if they didn’t like their throws, jumps or times. You could also see the athletes that were able to stay focused, they did their own little rituals and routines, you could see them visualize. They were mentally prepared and were there to do their job. You could also see the competitors that were coached well. It really made a huge difference.
I had a few conversations with different coaches and they were telling me how nervous some of the competitors were since they weren’t used to a crowd. It made me realize how lucky I am that I don’t get nervous since I’ve been competing in front of huge crowds all my life. I actually love that part! The higher the level of competition the more important it is for the mental preparation.
The thing that intrigues me about the track and field events is the fact that people really focus on their ‘Personal Best’. I need to always feel like I’m improving so when there is a sport that the results are measurable you get that satisfaction.
It was a great day. Congratulations to my friends that did so well 🙂