Not first but also not last - that's progress.

After more than 2 years on the school sponsored track team, my son finally figured out what it means to 'run fast'. Though he didn't win the 6th grade open 75 yard dash, he crossed the finish line not long after the runner in front of him and he kept a pretty fast clip for the duration.

If this doesn't sound impressive to you, consider that my son has autism and has significant issues with motor planning. Motor planning is what the rest of us do automatically and it tells us where our bodies are and helps us coordinate movement, keep our balance and plan the steps that are necessary for those movements. For example, running and moving your arms to propel our bodies forward and increase thrust comes natural to most people, but is a task that is very difficult for my son. After over 2 years on the school track team you will see that he is beginning to move his arms and legs in concert for faster movement. My son is on the far right of the screen in the second to last lane.

He performed equally as well in the 4 x 75 yard relay team making a near perfect transfer of the baton resulting in his open relay team coming in second to last. My son is running the second leg of the relay in the second row from the left.

Once again, this demonstrates the progress he has made since his first season in the 4th. grade. I am so proud of my son and he continually amazes me with how hard he works at things that he doesn't have a natural interest in.