For most people, track and field mostly brings up images of people sprinting in short-shorts and falling over hurdles. The ‘field’ part usually gets pushed to the wayside, and it can be especially aggravating when you’re a track and field competitor who only partakes in the field part. Whether you’re a thrower, pole-vaulter, jumper, or some combination of any of these, there are a few things we know to be true about our obscure sports.
- Sprinters forget you’re on the team
Let's be real- sprinters are the top shit when it comes to track and field. Props to them, because I did it for a year and it’s incredibly hard, but when you only do field events, sometimes you want to scream at the top of your lungs that you’re apart of this team too!
2. You’re looked over when it comes to choosing captains
No matter how much work and effort you put into when working with your field event teammates, especially when you’ve got to teach the new Freshmen what’s up, you will always be looked over when the time for choosing a new captain comes along. Understandable, because 90 percent of the team are sprinters.
3. You will forever defend your event
Yeah, running really fast in a straight line is pretty cool, but can you spin around in circles and hurl ball of steel 35 feet through the air? It might not be the most popular event, but whatever you do, you chose it for a reason, and you will stand by it forever.
4. Your smaller team becomes your family
The entire track and field team is great, and you like your big family, but your smaller field event family will always be your favorite. There might only be a handful of people that you spend your daily practices with, and you get super close with those few people who share your love for your obscure talents.
5. You’re always practicing way longer than the runners
Running takes technique, but most practices for runners are straightforward and have a clear start and end. Field events are all about nailing the exact technique, and you could be throwing or jumping or vaulting over and over and over again before your coach decides you’ve proved yourself worthy for the day.
6. You have to explain what you do
Most people who aren’t all too familiar with track and field will have no idea what the heck a shot put is, and it’s kind of weird explaining to people that you spend every day hurling balls through the air. For fun.
7. You coach is your idol
Your coach is one of the few people who understand what it is to love a field event, and they can always offer amazing advice. There’s never a technique you don’t need work on, and they can spot what you need to work on in a split second.
8. You have more fun than the runners
Every field event comes with a lot of hard work, but when you’re with the same small group of people every day, everyone is super close and practice is basically just hanging out with your friends for a few hours. Unless you’re doing conditioning, because then it’s complaining about burpees with your friends for a few hours.
9. You get so upset when people don’t take your event seriously
Just because it’s not the most popular event does not mean that you don’t take it seriously. You work on your event for hours every day, so it really pisses you off when someone brushes it off like it doesn’t matter. You care about doing well just as much as the runners, and you pull just as much weight when it comes to earning points for a competition.
10. You could practically jump for joy when you get out of running
There’s a reason you’re doing a field event and you’re not running, apart from just liking your event more. Most field event competitors have developed a strong hatred of running, and you’ll take any chance you can to get out of it.
11. You wouldn’t give up your event for the world
Some of your best memories have been with your field event family, and you’re always looking forward to getting outside and working on your sport. Spring is your favorite time of year, and you’re forever grateful that you decided to choose the less popular sport.
Any field event competitor has known some of these funny, hard and simply unavoidable truths. Even though it can be frustrating, there’s nothing you would change, because your field event is awesome.
