Spring is a tough season for sports. It’s cold, then it’s raining, then it’s windy enough to make you think humanity is being punished for something, then it’s snowing somehow-- and track and field is right in the middle of it.
Golf and soccer are in the same boat. You can almost feel it in the air if your meet that night is going to be canceled. You’re a little torn because you don’t want to run in the bad weather, but do you really want to have practice instead?
Naturally, this was the predicament the Nodaway Valley track team had on the day of our would-be home meet April 1. It was canceled, of course, and we did our 200m repeats workout. Since then, I haven’t heard a whisper about rescheduling it. For nearly any other sport this wouldn’t be much of an issue. Football, volleyball, wrestling, basketball, soccer, tennis and even golf usually have more than one home event. However, for track and cross country, we have a singluar opportunity to host our home meet and senior night.
Track is far from my main sport, but I think it’s safe to say I speak for each of the other seniors on my team we want to be recognized at our own senior night. Most of us have contributed four years of commitment to this program. It’s quite disappointing to have that just brushed off. We’ve worked out to have our senior gifts presented at one of our team meals, but our team already knows our history with the program. The community can’t be there.
In my experience, it’s never been too much of an issue to postpone and reschedule other sporting events. If basketball needs to play on a different weekday than usual, the coaches and athletic director make it happen. After the baffling amounts of snow this past January, basketball was able to make up most, if not all, of their games. Boys wrestling held their senior night while school was still on winter break because of the possible conflict with regional duels. After all, it couldn’t just not happen, right? Why can’t track and field get the same custom?
I believe all high schools are doing a disservice to both track and cross country by not acknowledging them at a community senior night meet. This isn’t simply a Nodaway Valley issue, surrounding schools, have the same faults. I and my fellow seniors have put loads of effort into our program only to be denied our very last home meet of our careers. This would never happen to volleyball or wrestling seniors. A game or meet would get pulled together for them.
For several years, girls track has been very successful at Nodaway Valley. The very least we could do is give the program and its seniors the recognition and effort they deserve.
Grace Britten is a Nodaway Valley High senior in a work-study program with the Creston News Advertiser.