The truth hurts.
This Saturday my 6 year old daughter raced in her 2nd-ever ski race. As we drove to the hill, she talked about how she was going to win one of those medals. I told her that as long as she did her best, I would be proud of her. I decided before she ever started racing that I wasn't going to push her to be competitive, but rather encourage her to be a good participant. I'm hoping she doesn't burn out on the sport by the time she's 15, and I'm left with a daughter with bum knees that doesn't want to ski anymore. I've seen it before.
The night before I had set the slalom course at the hill, so the snow would have plenty of time to set up before the race. The firmer the snow, the less chance of ruts forming after over 100 kids plow their way through it. I set a fairly mild course, since there were going to be a variety of ages represented.
As she made her way down the the course for the first run, I skied down behind her and slipped the course, knocking down berms and smoothing the track for the next racer. She was going pretty fast, and I was having a little trouble staying with her while still doing my course maintenance duties. In other words, she was ripping it. Then it happened- she missed the last gate, which is an automatic disqualification. When I went in the timing shack, the timing official asked if she had missed the gate, and I confessed that, yes, she had... on the course that her Daddy set.
She was still talking about the medal when we were riding up the chairlift for her 2nd run, and I had to explain that she had missed the last gate, so she wasn't eligible for a medal. I'm not sure she understood, but she was determined to go faster on her next try. When it was her turn to go, I noticed she was skiing a more conservative line, as if she was making sure that she got every gate. Sure enough, she did.
Just before the awards ceremony I tracked down the Chief of Race and looked at the results. There she was, in line for the medal (bronze) she talked about all day. As much as it killed me to do it, I had him DQ her and promote the 4th place skier. I'd hate to cheat another little girl out of her medal, even if it would have thrilled my own.
I explained to my daughter that she wasn't getting a medal and asked if she wanted to go out and ski. She made me a proud papa when she said she would rather watch her teammates (or friends, as she calls them) get their medals. She sat up front and cheered the other kids as they climbed up on the podium and got their medals.
When we got home, I dug out one of my old skiing medals and gave it to her for being a good sport. I'm not sure she knows what that means, because I'm not sure she knows of any other way to play.
... and that's just fine with me.
The night before I had set the slalom course at the hill, so the snow would have plenty of time to set up before the race. The firmer the snow, the less chance of ruts forming after over 100 kids plow their way through it. I set a fairly mild course, since there were going to be a variety of ages represented.
As she made her way down the the course for the first run, I skied down behind her and slipped the course, knocking down berms and smoothing the track for the next racer. She was going pretty fast, and I was having a little trouble staying with her while still doing my course maintenance duties. In other words, she was ripping it. Then it happened- she missed the last gate, which is an automatic disqualification. When I went in the timing shack, the timing official asked if she had missed the gate, and I confessed that, yes, she had... on the course that her Daddy set.
She was still talking about the medal when we were riding up the chairlift for her 2nd run, and I had to explain that she had missed the last gate, so she wasn't eligible for a medal. I'm not sure she understood, but she was determined to go faster on her next try. When it was her turn to go, I noticed she was skiing a more conservative line, as if she was making sure that she got every gate. Sure enough, she did.
Just before the awards ceremony I tracked down the Chief of Race and looked at the results. There she was, in line for the medal (bronze) she talked about all day. As much as it killed me to do it, I had him DQ her and promote the 4th place skier. I'd hate to cheat another little girl out of her medal, even if it would have thrilled my own.
I explained to my daughter that she wasn't getting a medal and asked if she wanted to go out and ski. She made me a proud papa when she said she would rather watch her teammates (or friends, as she calls them) get their medals. She sat up front and cheered the other kids as they climbed up on the podium and got their medals.
When we got home, I dug out one of my old skiing medals and gave it to her for being a good sport. I'm not sure she knows what that means, because I'm not sure she knows of any other way to play.
... and that's just fine with me.
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