Scenes from a youth league track and field meet last Thursday at the University of Maine in Orono …

It’s amazing to watch these youngsters display their competitive zeal throughout the meet. Since the age range of the competitors is 6 to 14, it didn’t seem unreasonable to expect some of the children – especially the younger ones – to be a bit on the easygoing side, but that wasn’t true in most cases.

The summer track programs, run through many of the recreational departments in the area and some are associated with USA Track & Field, offering youngsters the opportunity to learn the fundamentals and skills necessary to compete. Many take the lessons quite seriously and are quite intense while doing their events at the meets.

While the children are serious, many also keep the events in perspective and genuinely seem to enjoy the meets. Along with learning track and field, and the value of competition, the program is also an opportunity to get together with friends they don’t see often when school is out.

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The competitors at the meet also benefited from the professionalism of its director, Mary Cady of Orono.

For some competitors, it may have been the first time they experienced a meet with Cady at the helm. It can be educational, as she is quick to point out what the competitors should and shouldn’t be doing and where they should be. Results are also announced quickly, which is pleasing for parents who always love to hear their children’s names booming over the public address system.

Cady’s meets are always smoothly run, as high school competitors can attest during her years of diligent work as meet director for the Eastern Maine Indoor Track League and Penobscot Valley Conference.

Cady could actually become a very rich woman some day if she could somehow patent her organizational skills and have them instituted on all levels of government: town, state and federal.

Until then, young track and field competitors will be the ones who will continue to benefit from attending a Cady-run meet.

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All of the track teams at the meet have a plentiful supply of water coolers on hand. Those are supplemented by parents bringing their own coolers with supplies of more water and many different kinds of sports drinks, which seem to cover all colors of the rainbow.

While I’ll have to agree that it’s great to have so much water and sports drinks available, and also admit that I’m one of those parents with a cooler for my kids, I often wonder how we managed – all those years ago – to get through our summers without being replenished in the same fashion.

After all, our idea of water breaks was walking from the basketball court to the nearest friendly neighbor’s garden hose.

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The young track teams will get together for another meet Thursday in Brewer where they’ll have another chance to hone their skills before competing in the Northern Qualifying Meet in Brewer the following week.

Some of the children will meet qualifying standards that will put them in a state championship meet. Best of luck to all of the competitors. Whether you qualify for the state meet or not, you can be proud of your commitment and dedication to learning track and field.