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And I think to myself what a wonderful club
It’s 6:45 pm last Thursday. I’m standing in the middle of the infield at the track, helping to coach a group of U11s. I look around me and see four groups of young athletes, some 70 in total, plus a dozen coaches. All of the athletes’ doing what their coaches ask of them, maximum effort. In the younger groups friendships are being forged, in the older groups existing friendships strengthened, both mental and physical health is being improved, no phones, no obesity, no social media and, most of all, they are really enjoying themselves. Throw in a lovely sunset and a glorious red sky and I think to myself, life doesn’t get much better than this.
Tuesday night and it’s something similar only the weather is awful but this hasn’t affected the number of attendees, indeed there are well over 70 young athletes, predominantly T&Fers but with a group of super quick, slightly older endurance athletes and, as was the case on Thursday, friendships being forged, friendships being strengthened and much enjoyment all round.
I wasn’t able to make the Senior’s track session on Monday, but I am guessing that the picture was something similar, with 40-50 senior members taking full advantage of what the track has to offer and being expertly led by a couple of volunteer coaches and yes, you guessed it, friendships being forged, friendships being strengthened and much enjoyment all round.
On the other side of the track, as was the case on Thursday, a group of our committed masters/vets athletes doing what they do, training hard and enjoying themselves. On one side of the track you have sprint specialists, on the other side several who are training for 26.2 milers this Spring. I’m guessing there might even have been a couple of hardy racewalkers
Wednesday night’s social runs for Senior members are something similar, a group of like minded people enjoying themselves while keeping fit, both mentally and physically.
According to Spond we are a club of some 660+ members. A staggering figure, with an age range of, stop me if you’ve heard this one before, of 8-80+.
This past week tells me, as have many weeks and years before, that I’m a member of a pretty special club, one that is totally reliant on the positivity and participation of it’s membership and the immense support of it’s many volunteer coaches, officials, helpers and parents, without who we just would not be able to function.
I think it’s sometimes worth reflecting on the fact that our club really does give so much pleasure to so many people, young and not so young and, in doing so, improves immeasurably both the mental and physical wellbeing of all of those involved.
You can’t really ask for more than that can you ?
David Jones
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