By: Greg Seevers
This past weekend I stood at the fence at the Kenny Beard Invitational track meet and had the opportunity to talk with one of the visiting team coaches. During our conversation this coach expressed her frustration by saying that she didn’t understand why some of her athletes refuse to push themselves to realize their full potential, yet they got easily frustrated when they would struggle. She went on to say she felt that many nowadays feel entitled to certain rewards and should not have to try. Difficult, I could image, for a coach to be proud of their athletes under these circumstances.
Timing sometimes can be truly ironic. As we continued talking the girls 100m hurdles event was just getting started and getting ready to run for Milton was freshman Kinsey Douglas. Standing at the finish line I wanted to catch a few shots of her so I positioned myself and the camera and waited. When the starters gun fired I saw Kinsey start and make the first hurdle or so and then I saw her miss the next and go down hard. Rather than quit the race she got back up and continued on. As she got to the last few hurdles I snapped a few pictures but didn’t look at them too closely.
Later in the day I ran into Kinsey and asked how her day was going. With a proud smile she told me about getting her PR in high jump at 4’ 8”. She then went on to talk about her 100m hurdles and how she missed the one early in the race and banged up a knee pretty good. Then she went on to tell about losing one of her shoes, getting back up, passing two of her competitors, and finishing the race. Again, all with a smile. I have to think this coach I was talking to would definitely would be proud to have a competitor like Kinsey on her team. For me, I’m proud to know she is a ‘Bulldog’.
Attached is a copy of the pic that I caught of Kinsey clearing her last hurdle…. banged up knee and one shoe missing!!!
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