“You’re just jumping.” It’s what
all non-jumpers say about long jump and triple jump. They just don’t get it. It
seems there’s a small breed of people who choose to take on the difficult skill
and an even smaller breed of people who choose to pursue it and be proficient.
When someone decides to become a jumper they know that they’re getting into a
sport that few understand or appreciate but they do it anyway for the love of
the struggle. If there’s one thing I’ve learned during my high school jumping
career it’s that jumping, is just like life.
Life has phases
Jumping is done in what are called
phases. There’s the approach phase, the launch phase, the air phase, and the
landing phase. Each one is vital to the effectiveness and length of the jump.
Each one is important and deserves to be worked diligently on. If one phase is
left weak the athlete’s entire performance could suffer. Life, too, comes in
phases. A person must learn to walk before they can run, they must read small
books before reading memoirs, and they must try new things before they find
what suits them. Life, like jumping, must be done in an order and each phase
must contain hard work and perseverance or the entire life may suffer. One
should never look onto the next phase before completing the one they are in.
Life has few cheerleaders
At track meets it’s typical to have
teammates and spectators surrounding the track yelling and cheering the runners
on. Relay teams are like the celebrities of the track world, but near the jump
pit the world is almost silent. Except for the quiet calls of foul and fair and
fellow jumpers whispering to one another, there is no sound. The runway isn’t
lined with friends and teammates. There are no cheers of encouragement or
victory. At best a teammate might say, “Hey I saw you jumping from across the
track but I didn’t want to come over.” I say all this not to complain but
rather to illustrate that life is a lot like this. Life has very few
cheerleaders and chances are you’re not going to have any. No one is going to
be there cheering for you when you’re studying for that chemistry final or when
you’re practicing the guitar for hours on end. You have to learn to be your own
cheerleader and encourage yourself to do better even when no one else is
around. And always remember that just because no one is there cheering for you,
doesn’t mean what you’re doing isn’t important. Sometimes the most important
events go unnoticed. Which leads me to my final point:
Life isn’t about recognition
From very early on a jumper learns
they will never be the star of the show. It’s just not meant to be.
Unfortunately everyone else on the team seems to come before the freaks with
sand in their shoes. No one else really understands jumping and how much work
goes into it so often jumpers are left out of the celebration or don’t reap the
same rewards as runners. But in the end we know that makes us stronger. It’s
not about the recognition. Sure, it’s great to move onto state and be the one
everyone is cheering on, but the reality is life isn’t really like that. Some
of the hardest working people on this earth don’t ever get told “great job” or receive
a round of applause. They simply do their job and let the others receive the
accolades. These people don’t do this because they aren’t proud of their work
but rather the opposite. They understand that what they do is valuable but they
also understand that humility is valuable as well. In life sometimes the most
important people go unnoticed and never receive the recognition they deserve.
So the next time you’re a track
meet and you want to see a different breed of athlete, walk over to the jump
pit and they’re you’ll find some of the most incredible young people on the
planet. Being a jumper has truly changed my life and I believe it’s done so for
the better. I’ve become the person I am today because of the endless workouts,
hours on drills, and tons of sand in my shoes. I’ve realized it’s a lot more
than just jumping.
