Wayne Fisher: Masters Track & Field Athlete
“Push the ones you care about and thank the ones who care enough to push you”. That thought is one that I shared with my students when I taught physics at Myers park high school in Charlotte, North Carolina.
My students understood that statement when i used the analogy of sports. Whether it’s football, baseball, track or another sport, coaches will push their athletes to give their best in practices and games. The players readily accept the coaches’ instruction and may even thank the coaches for being pushed.
However, students do not understand the statement if the examples are parents pushing their children to do the right thing or a teacher pushing students to do their best in school. Never mind about thanking someone.
In any case, coaches, parents, and teachers care about their athletes, children, and students. All will push the ones they care about to be better players, people, and scholars.
In life we must also learn to push ourselves. This assumes we care about ourselves and want to be the best person, athlete, and student we can be.
Life is about caring, sharing and daring. When we push ourselves to give our best, in sports and in life, we show that we care, we learn to share, and we dare to learn new things.
A famous coach once said “those who give their best have no regrets”. Giving one’s best starts with caring about one’s self and others. It also involves setting high expectations for one’s performance.
A poem that summarizes an approach to life that captures the spirit of this blog is as follows.
Reach for the highest
Strive for the best
Live day by day
To god leave the rest.
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