Kite Runner Overview by John Alberts

Kite Runner: I have just finished reading Kite Runner and overall I thought it was great novel full of inspiration and redemption. I loved how the story portrays real life, universal struggles outside my usual mindset. The fact that this story is mainly set in Pakistan and Afghanistan really shows the cultural and social differences that weren't present in the U.S. during the 1970's. Anyway, the most scarring moment of this book was of course chapter 7 when Amir witnesses his best friend get raped. Not to mention the culprit is a neighborhood bully named Assef and the kids are all clustered around 12-13 years old at the time. It was so vivid and grotesque that it angered me that Amir or anyone would let this happen to their best friend, and in Amir's case his only true friend. From the reader's point of view most people think it'd be a stupid choice to let that awful thing happen to your friend in return for a kite and your dad's respect and praise for a month tops. The ironic thing is that this beloved kite didn't even win his father's love permanently so was it really worth it? From Amir's stand point you have to realize he made this bad decision is due to the fact that his dad has not taken any interest in him since birth and continually bad mouths him to his friends about how weak, defenseless, and cowardly he is. However, that one little moment of ecstasy Amir obtained seemed like the best choice, but later on he realized the years of guilt that followed were too much to handle. After growing up and fleeing to America during political unrest, Amir realizes he can't run from his guilt any longer and our theme of redemption starts to surface.
During his childhood Amir is spineless, and shallow in pursuit of his father's affection toward him. Once they move to America after political unrest sets in Amir changes. At first Amir and his father live the typical American life for all immigrants: the poor, rundown life where they need aid from welfare and Amir and his father struggle to find jobs that offer more than minimum wage with benefits. Shortly after the move Amir's father gets cancer and dies. It is this that pulls Amir back to his childhood home so that he "can be good again". Old friends of Amir's father contacts Amir and has him come back to the middle east to talk with him. Upon arriving over seas, Amir discovers Hassan was not his servant, but his half brother. He also discovers that Hassan had a little boy named Sohrab but that he was abandoned due to Hassan's murder by the Taliban. This news is shocking, even angering for Amir to hear but he puts aside all other things and starts hunting for Sohrab in order to cleanse his conscience and redeem himself. Finally he finds himself in the heart of a Taliban camp run by his childhood bully Assef, who sexually violated his brother Hassan, and tries to bargain for Sohrab's return to a safe orphanage. Assef gives Amir an ultimatum: leave now or get what he should've gotten the day Hassan was victimized. Despite his apprehension and anxiety, Amir bites the bullet and gets absolutely beaten down. While losing teeth, breaking ribs, and puncturing lungs Amir starts laughing because he physically feels destroyed and short of life. His spiritual, conscientious self , however, feels renewed and relieved through redemption. This is the huge climax of the story and it really shows you the true power of redemption in the face of fear and abuse. It really gives the sense that anyone is capable of striving for another chance no matter what the obstacles are, and to me that is very inspiring.

Stars at the Collegiate and Professional level ( Female)

Cadillac isn't just home to only male athletes. It has had a lot of female athletes come out as record breakers and Big 10 collegiate athletes in Track and Field/Cross Country. Some stars, however, are still waiting to sign in the spring. Lisa Metzger, Cadillac's top pole vaulter and sprinter, is still determining what college she'll be signing too in the fall! Lisa's main choice ( as of a month ago ) is Aquinas College where previously mentioned pole vaulter, Aaron Hodges attends. While Lisa is a star in the making here at Cadillac many other athletes have passed through these halls and gone on to bigger and better things.
The first athlete is Katie Erdman, who has earned herself a plaque on the hall of fame for many high school honors in track. Katie was an animal in more than just one event. Katie set school records in the 800 meter run, the 1600 meter run, and the 3200 meter run. She also set records in the 4x400 meter relay and the 4x800 meter relay. With these results I'm not even sure how they found a big enough plaque to put all these accomplishments on it! After high school she went on to run at The University of Michigan, a Big 10 school! Since this she has been doing a great job there and tearing up the track just like she used to do at Memorial Stadium.
The more recently graduated student, Kaitlyn Patterson, has also had the opportunity to run at Michigan as well and compete at the collegiate level. Kaitlyn broke both track records and cross country records. She actually ended up beating Katie Erdman's 3200 meter run record and establishing a new one at 10:48. Now that is cooking! Lots of male athletes have trouble getting this time or can't even run it! These ladies are two outstanding examples of what hard work earns you in the long run. Not only to they have records and opportunities to compete at the next level, they also have the opportunity to attended one of the most prestigious schools academically because of their hard work. I also presume that both of them worked hard in the classroom and on the track.
The difficulties one has to go through to get even a walk on at a Big 10 school is great but to actually get a definite place on the team is surreal, especially coming from a small town like Cadillac, Michigan. All these remarkable athletes, female or male, have shown outstanding work ethic in achieving their records and scholarship opportunities.

Stars at the Collegiate and Professional Level (Male)

From 7th and 8th grade beginners all the way to signing day. For some Cadillac track stars going to the nest level is no surprise. In the last few years Cadillac has had many athletes go on to participate at the collegiate level and even a few have gone even farther, achieving the professional athlete status. I have even had the privilege of competing alongside several athletes who are now competing in college and doing great.
 The most recent athletes are Trevor Thiebaut, and Cody Stillwell. Trevor has been cleared to run at Saginaw Valley State University for both cross country and track and field. In cross season Trevor did very well in his 8000 meter run with a time of 26:18. Trevor's cross team was very good in their conference this year and are on the rise now that indoor has started. In indoor track, Trevor has ran very good times in the 3000 meter run and the 800 meter run and also the 1600 meter run. Trevor's most recent times in the 800 are 2:04, in the 3000 meter 9:04, and 4:27 in the 1600 meter run. Trevor has done a fantastic job in representing the 49601 club back home. Cody Stillwell has been accepted to throw at Ferris State University. Cody has been training all Fall and Winter to finally get ready for the indoor season. He has, however, not been in a meet yet but his hard work has still reached home. Cody has been bulking up for this season and has achieved a new squat max of 610 pounds which will definitely help out his performance later on this winter!
Another great athlete I was able to compete with was Aaron Hodges. Aaron was a great sprinter for Cadillac but was more famous for his pole vault abilities. At the 2014 Cadillac News Meet, Aaron placed a new school record at 14 feet 9 inches! With this outstanding performance he was quickly signed to Aquinas College to pole vault. In recent years, Aaron has done superb in the pole vault and has even gone to nationals. As of a few days ago Aaron placed second in the indoor championship meet and cleared his old record by almost a foot! His indoor championship qualifying height was 15 feet 7 inches! That is amazing! I am truly honored to have been apart of the same team with all these great athletes.
While all of these men are still in college (for now I should say) there is one man who graduated before my time and his name is Paul McMullen. Paul was born in Cadillac in 1972 and was in the 1996 Olympic Games in Georgia for the 1500 meter run where he placed 19th! Before that though Paul conquered several championships and even set the indoor mile record at 3:55! Now that is some true athleticism from our own little town. Paul McMullen has also been inducted into several Hall of Fame appearances including Cadillac High School's, Eastern Michigan University's, and Drake Relay's Hall of Fame.

Discus

Discus: If you liked shot put chances are you'll probably like discus too. Discus is the second throwing event in high school track and field. Like the shot put it involves lots of spinning around and throwing things, except discus has a slight curve ball added in. Instead of throwing a big, iron ball you get to throw a big, iron disc! 

The rules for shot are essentially the same for discus. They are done in the same arena and you must not break the barrier while throwing. The only thing about discus that differs from shot is timing your throw. With throwing shot most people who spin for momentum are fairly under control, but for discus sometimes the athletes get spinning so fast that they lose control of their grip and end up throwing out of bounds or hurdling themselves over the barrier. For a non thrower like myself the mechanics for throwing shot and disc seem to fairly similar but if you really want to know how to be a super star at throwing discus just the one, the only, Todd John Allen Baker Junior the 3rd!! Todd John, normally known as T.J., is known for being a tremendous athlete in all his sports! He is also a huge asset to the track team by being our number one discus discus thrower and even a state meet qualifier in the discus. T.J. is a symbol for practice and placement over power. Although this statement goes against Evan Ferritto's volleyball theory of "power over placement!" it proves otherwise in the world of discus. T.J. weighing in at around 180 pounds and being around 6 feet tall out throws many throwers who are way bigger, stronger, and taller than him. This is because T.J. has the discipline to practice his form over and over until it is near perfection. And this perfection is what sent him to the 2014 Division 2 State Meet.

While T.J. is killing the competition for the boy's team, a true Freshman named Liz Pyles came aboard the girl's team and started her throwing career off stupendously! Liz not only became the best girl thrower her first year doing high school track but she did it with a broken foot too. Even with a boot on her foot, Liz was still able to throw really well for the girls and qualify for the state meet in shot but fell short in the discus, but this year, hopefully without injury, both her and T.J will be able to qualify for both shot and disc! 

When it comes down to the basics of any throwing event, technique must always come first. It never matters how strong or tall you are, if your form is terrible your place at that meet will be terrible also. So if you ever think about trying out throwing in case running isn't your thing just ask Liz or T.J. about it so they can give you a good perspective on it. Also if you just want an autograph from either Liz or T.J they'll be signing in the spring so make sure you have your paper and pens kids!

Shot Put

Shot Put: For everyone who still hates running, you're probably a shot put kind of person. Shot put is for the kids in track who are focused on bicep curls and pec-deck rather than going for an easy 3 miles. Shot put, however, is more based on technique than strength. The strength doesn't hurt to have but it's definitely less important than faulting every time you go to throw. 

First let's talk about shot put technique since everybody's probably wondering. Well the first thing you should know is that there's two forms, but for beginner's sake we'll stick to the basics. The first thing is that you should prop the shot (the thing you throw) on your neck with it placed in your dominant hand. If you're a guy the shot will weigh 12 pounds or 8.8 pounds for girls. Once you have the shot positioned step into the ring on the ground. The ring will have a guard standing about a 6 inches to 1 foot off the ground on the side of the ring facing the the grass. This grassy area is marked with white lines spreading from the ring outward in a cone like fashion (see Figure 3.16). Now this is where you starting leaning and gain some momentum. And once you feel ready you shuffle forward sink your hips, shoulders, and arms and fire the shot as far as you can, without leaving the ring or having the shot exit the painted lines. If you do step over the wall of the ring or throw outside the lines the attempt is not counted. Also, don't be worried if your first throw is bad, you have 3 attempts total to throw it as far as you can! Then your best throw is the one they keep. 

For throwing events this area is truly blessed. We are coached under Mr. O, who has an outstanding track record( Literally!). Mr. O has sent countless numbers of athletes to Individual States and even has trained up a State Champion! You may know him as Riley Norman, AKA the huge guy who used to go to Cadillac who had blonde hair and was Tanner's cousin. Riley won State Championship's in his 4 year career at Cadillac, and a lot of that is due to Mr. O and his stellar tips and exercises. Besides the fact that Mr. O has formed a Champion he also has turned many people into good shot put throwers who have never lifted or even heard of shot put. The fact that were able to work with someone who makes the activity fun and knows how to help in every way possible is truly amazing! 

So if you're ever not in the mood for running try picking up a huge spherical ball of steel that ways anywhere from 8 to 12 pounds and try giving it a toss! Who knows, maybe you'll even turn out to be a State Champion in the end, but you won't know unless you try! 

Figure 3.16 

RILEY NORMAN!!! 

(Tanner Christensen's cousin)

Pole Vault

Pole Vault: Undoubtedly the most dangerous field event offered in high school and also one of the most iconic events in track. That's why most medals for track have a person running on them and a person pole vaulting next to it. It's probably the most iconic event due how fun it looks. Just imagine it. You're standing in front of a bunch of people with a long pole in your hands. You're bouncing back and forth from the front of your foot to the back of your foot just waiting for the right time to take off. Once you take off you sprint toward a bar positioned 11 feet in the air and ram your pole into the ground and find yourself trying to bend and wiggle over that bar (reminding you that you're 11+ feet in the air) and free falling down to the soft, plush mats below.

Now that sounds like a lot of fun but it's easier to imagine it than to actually do it. To be a good pole vaulter you need lots of upper body and core strength. Flexibility never hurt anyone, but getting up to the bar is your first task. To start off pole vaulting you need to get down your steps just like high jump or long jump. The only exception is that at the end of your steps you plant your pole and jump instead of only jumping. Once you get a good plant all you have to do is ride that pole to the top and try to dance your way over the bar. More advanced pole vaulters like Lisa Metzger, collegiate athletes, and professionals try to bend the pole on their way up to the bar so that way they get "sling-shoted" up and over the bar, rather than trying to wiggle over it. 

Cadillac Track's best pole vaulter, Lisa Metzger,  was on of the best pole vaulters in our region for track and field. She made an appearance at the MHSSA Track and Field state meet last year which is phenomenal considering you have to place within the top two at regionals or meet the state standard. The state standard is a set height or time for each event that if beaten qualifies an individual for the state meet. So that way if the winner of pole vault jumps 12 ft. and second and third place both jump 11 ft. 6 inches (but second place beats third place by attempts) all three girls go to states! Lisa's tips on how to be a good pole vaulter include lots of all around strength in the core, legs and upper body. Her next tip is practice, practice, practice. Lisa's takes a lot of her time to pole vault, no matter what season it is! 

On the funny side of pole vaulting seeing kids wipe out is hilarious. It's also pretty scary to watch but depending on how severe the wipe out is determines whether it's comical or frightful. If you've ever watched YouTube or TV before you've probably seen somebody wipe out while pole vaulting. An example of a funny video I saw was when a girl tried to plant her pole an ended up missing the plant and hitting the official on accident. It was more of an embarrassing moment than a wipe out but anything more intense than that just makes me cringe. So if you're ever pole vaulting remember the wise words of R.L. Stine, "Jumper beware! You're in for a scare!" 

Long Jump

Long Jump: This event is just high jump on the X-axis. This event is like the "800 meter run" of the field events meaning that everyone ends up doing this field event. This event requires a lot of speed and a good broad jump. The goal is pretty obvious, to see who can jump the longest. The event is usually in the infield or in a separate area away from the track. The long jump area consists of a runway and at the end a worn, withered board that the long jumper has to jump off of, and after that board you have a long patch of uneven sand that you land in. Now if you step a tad bit over this board it's called a fault and your jump is not counted. You get 3 jumps so make sure your steps are down. Now maybe you're thinking why don't they rake the sand so its even? Well I don't know, maybe everyone working long jump is already preoccupied with other things like measuring the jump or spotting the person measuring or maybe even supervising the whole thing. I don't I guess someone will have to investigate one of these days. For the withered board, however, it just gets withered due to exposure to the elements and over time it obtains its gnarly look. I just wish we'd replace it like every two years so it isn't so slippery and dangerous. Also you never know how wide the board is going to be. Some meets the board is like 5 inches wide and at another it's like 2 ft. A good thing remember is the board width changes from place to place so be wary.
Now that I'm done talking about the board let's talk about the technique and approach of long jump. Like high jump, long jump also requires a set of steps that you guess and check on. Once you've found your steps you mark them out with chalk and do a few run-throughs. These are running your steps as fast as you can but instead of jumping you just run into the sand. It's very important once you hit the board to really exaggerate your running movements by maybe making a grunting sound and by stepping aggressively and flailing your arms. All the best athletes do this. I seriously don't know why but it apparently works really well for getting warmed up.
Once you've gotten your steps down and you've ran-through a few times you're ready. When you get to the actual jump at the end it's not all about powering forward. I've heard Laura Dahlquist yell many a time at how you got to get up and out at the same time. I mean saying you need to do both is way easier than actually doing it. When the competition is going on and the pressure is mounting down on you it gets hard to do both. If you're William Spence, Cadillac's best long jumper/sprinter for the 2013-2014 season, this is easy as 1 2 3. When it comes down to it just make sure you relax, say a little prayer and envision Todd Baker yelling these relaxing and soothing words, "Just Jump!"