Mutual Respect

If you read the old posts closely you might come to think that the only athletes I respect are wrestlers, distance runners, and distance swimmers. It is true that I have great respect for these athletes because I’ve been there and done that, well, some of that, but there are others who have also earned my respect.

In high school track there was John Tepfer in the pole vault and Phil Danowski in the sprints, long jump and discus. In college there was Benson in the sprints, Al Miller in the short hurdles, Mike Wargin in the throwing events, and Fran Rohlman in the 400 hurdles. There were others whose names don’t easily come to mind.

I respected these guys because they worked hard at their events. They stood out because they were serious about what they were doing and enjoyed doing it. They each had a talent, and they did not waste that talent through lack of effort. They developed their talent with all due diligence. These guys were still at practice as late as the distance runners; that’s how I knew they were dedicated and worthy of my respect.

I appreciated the mutual respect these individuals granted to the distance runners. They didn’t arrogantly assume they deserved sole possession of the track by thoughtlessly loitering in lane one, the most used lane on the track. They observed track etiquette, which is to say they made sure you had an opportunity to do your workout. They respected the distance runners’ need to access the track, and knew we would reciprocate.

At track meets I made it my mission to watch these guys compete in their events when I wasn’t competing in my own events. In my mind they had earned an audience through their hard efforts in workouts the previous week. I knew that their attitude in competition would be just as professional as their attitude in workouts. After an exceptional effort I felt honored to look them in the eye, nod my head in acknowledgement, and receive a nod in return.

My old colleagues did it right. They had respect for the sport, respect for their events, respect for their colleagues, and self-respect. For these reasons they have my admiration and respect.