My oldest son will get his first taste of a running race, complete with a starter's gun/whistle and a finish line. In 1997, I ran the Smith Barney one mile run on Front Street in Harrisburg (6:08 mile). They used a starter gun with a blank bullet for that race. The shot was so loud I was stunned for a second as my ear drums recoiled in acute pain. I would not imagine a starter gun being used for the kids race - especially since we are in the Philly area here. A gang related gunfight could ensue.
I imagine in first grade he will have some sort of athletic competition - we used to call it 'field day' back when I was in school. Ribbons were awarded for the events.
His race is at 9:00am followed by my five mile race. From what I have heard I will be able to run with him for his 1/2 mile race. He is supposed to get a T-Shirt, a goodie bag and a medal for the race. I hope he enjoys the experience.
I am not a parent who lives vicariously through their children's activities. When my son's are ready to play sports, they will play. As it stands now, I feel at age 9 or 10 they should have developed their motor skills, reflexes , etc. to the degree where sports are fun to learn. If you introduce a child to a sport before he or she is ready, you risk your child enduring adverse early experiences which will render long term commitments to the sport extremely difficult.
Unfortunately for this race, my oldest son will be running with a cold and coughing.
Addendum: I would like to finish the five mile race with a time under 50 minutes tomorrow. We'll see.
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