This is why I like High School Sports, in particular the Bluewater Track & Field Championship.
Far removed from big money, major spotlights and the LeBron James departure scenario, were several hundred amateur high school athletes last week competing in Kincardine.
Some of these athletes are very accomplished and compete at the highest level in their age category.
Many others will never compete beyond Bluewater, but the appeal to me is always found in the energy and the effort.
Dallas Hewitt of the Kincardine District Knights ran the anchor leg in the Midget Boys 4 X 100 relay.
When he took the baton, his team trailed and he did everything possible over his leg to try and catch up.
When he hit the line he was at top speed, full force, and stumbled, his body skidding along the asphalt.
No question that hurt, and while it knocked him out of the competition for the next day, you couldn’t help but admire the effort.
Or how about Rob Gomez of the OSCVI Falcons ?
Midway through the Senior Boys 3,000 metres, running headlong into a driving rain, Gomez got tripped up, fell to the ground, rolled through a puddle and popped right back up, completing the race and finishing 2nd.
I like big money sports and big money events, but there’s something very appealing about events in our own backyard like the Bluewater Track & Field Championship.
I’m Fred Wallace