05/19/2026
There is an old box of medals my kids found today in our house. We had a good laugh looking back and reminiscing about old teams and teammates.
Our kids put them all around their necks and ran through the house saying they were champions.
The funny thing is we didn’t even care if they kept them in their rooms, or lost them which they probably will.
What they are now is memories. Not of the races or games..but the people we shared them with.
Kids. Listen.
If you are at the state track meet you are elite. Period.
Whether you finish first or seventh, or dead last, you are an elite athlete who has earned the right to compete at the highest level in your classification.
The medals and podium are nice, but the journey is the reward.
The send off, the road trip, the meals with your coaches, friends, and teammates.
The experience is what you will remember. The friendships, coaches, family members in the stands is what you will look back on fondly.
Don’t let success define you, or failure discourage you.
You showed up, you battled, and you gave your kids some great stories in the next 20 years.
After all, they won’t care what place you finished in, they will just want to wear them to be just like you were.
Champions.
Culture Wins.
