I had a great time last Friday at the
Annual Windsor 5K, an event started 13 years ago by Georgie D. Tyler Middle
School PE teacher Jeff Hampton. Students from Westside Elementary, Smithfield
Middle, Georgie Tyler, and even a small group from Windsor High participated in the event. This event has evolved quite a bit from the
first year when only 40 runners from then Windsor Middle ran the race on the
school grounds. Six or seven years ago,
other schools began participating as the race moved to the roads around Windsor
High and Middle. The students spend at least six weeks training during their
Physical Education class or through before and after school running clubs.
My wife and I have been runners for many
years, so I was extremely excited to see a teacher inspire young people to set
goals, keep their focus, and compete in a sport in which everyone can be
successful and get healthy at the same time.
Most every parent would be thrilled if their child was a superstar
athlete or high school valedictorian.
Encouraging students to be competitive can help them develop discipline
and commitment. However, there can be
negative consequences if the only benefit the student or adult sees with
competing is to always win. Many of the successful people I’ve met have
several things in common. They have a pure love for the activities they are
involved in, and have unconditional supporters, such as coaches, parents,
siblings, peers and other positive role models. It was clear on Friday that Coach
Hampton is one of these unconditional supporters.
I had the privilege of observing one of his
classes a few weeks before the 5K. I witnessed young people at all levels
pushing themselves and training for the event. Coach Hampton encouraged each student
to work hard in order to reach the goal they set for themselves. I saw all children, regardless of their
athletic ability, excited about participating with their peers. I also saw students supporting each other
with words of motivation or even by running together in a buddy system. It is
obvious that Mr. Hampton has created an inclusive, positive, learning
environment in which all students can reach their potential.
All of this work definitely paid off on
Friday. The smiling faces, the
encouraging cheers, and the relationships built during this special event will
not soon be forgotten. To some, it may
have been just a race. To me, it was the
culminating event to a great learning experience that, for some, will inspire a
love for running that will last a lifetime.
Thank you to all of the people who assisted with this great event. A special thank you to the PE teachers in the
participating schools who also served as unconditional supporters for their
students: Westside—Mrs. Bradshaw, Mr.
Britt; Smithfield Middle—Mrs. Felts, Mrs. Roggie, Mr. Dockery; Georgie Tyler—Ms. Tina Shaul. Please enjoy a video of the race by clicking
on the link below.
