Sports Day 2009

One of my lasting memories of being a kid and a yearly right of passage was field day. That day each June when we kids could compete against each other in various competitions and basically have a blast and celebrate the end of the school year. As Catholic School kids field day held even more importance. For the most part we did not have P.E. And if we did we were shipped off to the local public school to have it taught to us there. Yep that worked out great. A bunch of pre-pubescent kids in blue shirts and plaid ties dropped into the halls of the local public school for shop, art and P.E. class. There were a few of us who experienced the weekly beat down.

Of course one of my lasting memories comes from my 8th grade field day. Me and my super fly hip hop brothers decided on a half day of school in early June to go into the school building and "break in" to the teachers lunch room. Once we were in we had a blast. There was a large container of Morton's Salt on the table (I guess nuns liked salt). We thought we were pretty good break dancers. Let's face it, it was 1984 and break dancing and parachute pants were at the height of their popularity. We dumped the salt all over the floor because it would help us slide across the floor. As all thirteen year olds do...we got busted. A week before field day. So come field day it was our time for a punishment. Father Kletzle locked us all in the big maintenance cage for the morning. NO FIELD DAY. And our last one before moving on to high school. Basically the priest was putting us on display for the whole school to see as an example of what might happen if they stepped out of line. A modern day Crucifixion if you will. What he did not count on was Cath, and her back up: Ruth. My mother - what can I say. She came, she saw, she conquered. First of all Kletzle was a little man. It was easy to push him around - if my memory serves me well. Between my mom and mom sidekick Ruth it was a lost cause before he ever even got started. The Two Hip Crew was sprung for their last field day!! We had a blast and then spent the afternoon digging a ditch that would hold a box for a chain to go across the church driveway entrance. For twenty years that box remained. Twenty years!! I will go back this summer and see if it is still there!
As usual I digress. As the elementary PE guy I got to run the field day this year. We call it Sports Day here but it is the same thing. I had to do three different days as our school is growing. The kids loved it. I stressed. But in the end it was cool. If you look real close you can see Father Kletzle in the background.