For the first time since 2010, MBA's varsity cross country team is running in the NXR Southeast Regional Championship Meet in Cary, North Caroline. The boys will fly into Raleigh, NC, this evening, check into the hotel and have dinner. Tomorrow, they plan to get a run in on the course to familiarize themself with the terrain and layout before Sunday's race.
Earlier this week, Coach Russ learned that the boys are seeded and running in the championship round on Sunday. That in an of itself is an accomplishment to be proud of, as only the teams with best aggregate times run in the championship round. As I've said, this is an unusually deep cross country team, with the top five runners all capable of running 3.1 miles in under 16:00. I would love - and I mean love - for each of the five boys to run his best race of the season on Sunday.
Initially, I had a five day trial set to conclude this week, so Jude and I decided she would accompany JP to North Carolina and I would stay in town with Joe. I'm a little jealous, I must admit, to miss the race since my case settled. It will be a good getaway for Jude and JP, though, and I'll enjoy my time with Joe this weekend. Joe's Armada team plays in its last tournament of the fall Saturday and Sunday, in Murfreesboro, so between soccer and basketball, he and I will be busy.
Tonight, Joe and I are going to USN to see our next door neighbor, Erin, star in the high school's production of the Wizard of Oz. This morning before school, when Joe began grousing about watching play tonight, I reminded him that perhaps the most important thing to me is raise well rounded boys. I want them to know that the most important thing in life is not who won the Ravens - Bengals game last last night (that would be the Ravens, by the way, who are having a helluva year).
I told him I wanted him to grow up and read The New Yorker, like I do, and to have an interest in a wide variety of subjects. I also told him that yesterday, I listened to a fascinating podcast - Plain English with Derek Thompson - about Chat GPT and AI - so fascinating that I'm going to listen to it a second time. This morning, I listened to a podcast - The Daily (New York Times) about U.S./China interactional relations. I shared this not to pat myself on the bag but to impress upon him the importance of being a lifelong learner with an insatiable curiosity about the world.
Yes, I'm glad my boys love sports, like I do. It's a currency we trade in, for sure. I love that I can and do send JP articles from the Athletic or ESPN.com and that, afterwards, it starts a conversation between us. Just this morning, we talked about an article I sent him on the cross country dynasty at Northern Arizona University. It reminds me of the way my mom and I would read the same article in Sports Illustrated then talk about it on the telephone, long after I was grown and living on my own. It was our currency, too.
But what I really want is for my boys to have opinions - informed, educated opinions - about politics, culture, and world events. I want them to know that the world is so much larger and richer than which teams are in line to get three wild card playoff spots in the NFC this season. I can't wait for the time when I can send JP and later, Joe, article or columns from the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic, or Substack. That's coming and soon, too.
What a gift it is, indeed, to have the opportunity to expose my boys to the world and all it has to offer.
As for North Carolina and the Regional Championship, go get it, JP. It's a great day to run!
Back in the day.
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