Just Jumping?

“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.