State

The State team, flexing some muscle!

All these boys made state by time, place or as alternates.  Sam made state in the 110 hurdles his first race of the season by time.  He made state by time about 3/4 of the way through in the 300 m hurdles and he was an alternate for the 4x400 team.   He was on the team when they made it by time on the second run of the season, but all the relays had to be run again, because one of their runners had been ineligible almost the entire year.  It really messed up the team.  These guys never treated him badly, however, which is a real credit to them.  They were supposed to win state this year, but without him they couldn't re-qualify one relay and then all the things he was supposed to win or get second in they had no one else to replace him with.  It was super sad and frustrating, but these guys kept a positive attitude the whole way!

 Every year the coach get those who qualified for state a gift.  This year it was black bathrobes.  The kids loved them!  Seriously, though, black, terry cloth robes in New Mexico heat?

Notice the difference from the picture above to the picture below?  Sam grew his hair out all year.  It was a huge afro.  Everyone kept trying to get him to cut it, but he wouldn't.  He waited until State.  He said he was going to surprise everyone and run super fast once it was shaved! 

 These boys (the hurdlers) got taken out several times by various coaches for making the State team.

 The Three Amigos and their coach- Best Coach Ever!- "what are you? Some kind of hurdle expert or something?" (quote from a parent of another team)

Sam got 2nd in the 110's- not his fastest time

 And third in his 300 hurdles- definitely his fastest time and a new school record!  Our fastest 300er was disqualified for a stupid reason.  I'm sure he will take the school record next year.  Then Ethan came out of nowhere and took 4th!  So super psyched for him.  He didn't qualify in anything until Districts and it was his last race to run- and then he goes crazy and gets 4th in State!  Sam was only supposed to get 6th from his qualifying race the day before.  So big win and big surprises for our team!

 Last minute, Sam was put in to the finals of the 4x400.  He was a little nervous and super tired from his two big performances already that day.  

 But they pulled it off with a 4th place finish!  They had won or gotten 2nd every race that year, but with injuries and people being ineligible, they had to grab people from everywhere to make all the relay teams!  Three of these guys were completely exhausted already!

 Way to go Samuel- 2nd, 3rd and 4th in State!

 We went from 7th the first day, to 5th the second day and by the end of the day, we had enough amazing surprises like Sam's 3rd and Ethan's 4th that we actually took home 2nd place in State.  Last year we were 1st the first and second day, all the way to the final race, where we lost it by 2 points.  2nd place was super hard last year.  This year there was nothing but smiles!  With everything these boys had to go through to take that 2nd place, they deserved every bit of happiness they got from it!

Seniors! (which by the way had graduated 2 days before!)

Run, throw, jump, hit!

Spring is a pretty awesome season!  This year it was a little bittersweet.  I was freaking out about being down yet another child!  Samuel's time with us was quickly coming to a close.  All our boys are active in the Spring and I love watching them.  I called my mother-in-law one time and said how sorry I was that she had to sit there and watch a baseball game, because everyone knows how horribly boring baseball games are!  And she said, "sorry for you.  You have to sit there and watch a track meet go on for hours!"  Ha ha, I guess I got told!  I love track.  I love watching every race!  I haven't been a regular attendant at the field part, expect high jump until this year.  Personally I just can't think of better entertainment!  And these guys and their parents and our coaches!  Seriously, they are the best!

 

Unless you are talking Tennis and then these guys and these coaches are amazing!  Seriously, I don't care if Joseph never wants to do tennis again, he's doing it, because of the coaches!

 Run

 Jump

 Run

 Jump

 Hit

 (get massaged by the coaches wife who is a physical therapist!)

 Hit

 hit

 hit

 Jump

 Jump

 RUN!

 Throw!

 Throw

 Throw

Max started club track late, but he loved, loved throwing everything!  Next year we will start on time, and next year he has to run something as well!- 'cause mama said so!

It's all about the sports in 'Murica

Max's football team he signed up for dissolved- not enough players.  I thought there were plenty of players!  He would have gotten to participate constantly!  Instead he was placed on a team that had played together for years and practiced about 25 minutes away.  When you have almost every day practices this really stinks!  Also they did a lot of Friday night lights and tailgating parties and other things to simulate high school football, but since we had a senior playing high school football we ignored all of those things.  I was either at Sam's game or working so I only got to see 2 of his games.  Poor Max.  He understood, he said.  He played a guard this year.

Joseph ran cross country after much harassing and arguments from us. 

Our cross country team is 1st or 2nd in the state depending on the year, so he was never going to make varsity.  Even the people on the JV team were running 18 minute 5K's, so he was on the C-team.  A lot of people are on C-team.  This is the land of the runner!

Samuel did his senior year on Football.  

 The team mom's made these for all the seniors.  There was a hook on the back for hanging balloons on game day!

He started out on kick off and kick off return team

He ran this ball back for almost 60 yards!

and as an alternate receiver, but since his coach never ever ever changes players, he didn't play receiver very often.  The coach kept trying him in various positions in practice.  He told him that he was too athletic to be sitting on the side lines.  He finally decided to put him in as a nose guard.  Yep all  5'8 140 pounds of him pushing against 250 pounders.  

They had specific plays they used him in.  He was supposed to do specific things, which he usually accomplished despite the huge guy in his way, but usually got crushed in the end.  

We eventually learned to sit away from the main crowd who were loud and rude and yelled a lot.  Our team isn't the greatest.  We have an amazing assortment of skill players!  They always review us well, because of this.  We also get 2 or 3 signed to college every year.  Unfortunately, we have very few big guys for our line (hence using Sam.) So in the end, our season isn't very long.  If we make play-off's we are out the first round.  We didn't even make play-offs this year.  We still got people signed to colleges, however.  When we moved we found out where the main players families sit- like the quarterback's family.  I always wondered if the mom could hear all those negative comments!   Nope!  She doesn't sit by the bench people and the B team families!  

I got slightly more involved this year- only slightly.   These women are a little over the top for me.  But I did help with Homecoming.  They did a great job!

This is Sam going to homecoming... by himself! 

It took almost the rest of the year for me to forgive his friends who caused the rift with the girls that ended with no one going except Sam on his own.  He did find friends there that he hung out for a little while.  

So much for Fall sports.  

Sam and I at the end of year banquet

Onward and upward!