I Guess I Could Try It.
Dylan has joined the cross country team. It is his first non-intramural sports team, and I am very excited.
Best of all, the boy can run.
I learned a lot about Dylan’s new school from the week’s events.
We got an email on Sunday, announcing that the cross country team would be practicing on Mondays and Thursdays – effective immediately. This seemed to be rather short notice. Plus, their first meet was scheduled for Wednesday.
“Dylan,” I said, “your school has a cross country team. I think you would kick butt in cross country. Do you want to do it?”
“Sure,” he said. “I guess I could try it.”
I danced a silent jig.
So, with 7 hours notice, I began making the necessary schedule changes for our family, especially with regard to picking up Shane after school. Every day, I thank God for my parents’ help. I honestly don’t know how I ever imagined that I would do this without them.
We rearranged everything so that Dylan could participate. Dylan went to practice on Monday. I envisioned great bonding between his new classmates and Dylan – the whole slap-on-the-back kind of camaraderie that usually comes with sports teams.
“How was practice?” I asked.
“It was fine,” he said.
“How many people are on your team?” I asked.
“Four,” he said. “And one of them is in high school, so he’s really on the high school team.”
Then, on Wednesday afternoon, two hours before the meet, I got another email that the meet was postponed until Friday. Dylan followed up the email (thank goodness) with a phone call, for those of us who may not have been sitting at the computer getting emails.
We rearranged everything again.
Later, I asked the two coaches why the meet had been postponed. I got two completely and utterly conflicting stories. I have no idea which one was true. Both blamed the other school, so at least we were all clear on that.
I was the only parent who showed up at the meet to watch. Only three kids represented our school. One of them missed practice this week because he had to get a haircut.
At least 20 kids ran from the other school – also private, and about twice our size in overall population.
All the kids from the other school had orange shirts with their school name emblazoned. Our cross country runners wore whatever they wore to school.
“We’re going to get them some shirts!” said one coach enthusiastically.
I am already learning to doubt the promises they make. Ensuring that Dylan is taking all the right classes, for example, has been impossible. So he is simply not taking the right classes. This, after several promises to the contrary.
So the school is basically disorganized, doesn’t deliver much in the way of gifted academia, doesn’t plan more than a day ahead for sports… but they do everything with a huge smile.
And Dylan is happy.
Plus, he ran in his first cross country meet, even without a special shirt, and got first place for his school – and fourth overall.
I am very proud.