Decathlon

Tonight I was in charge of my church youth group activity (with the help of a lovely assistant, 13 year old Deborah.) What to do with 10 of our regular youth, plus 10 foreign exchange students? (1 from France, the rest rom Italy.) We planned out a fabulous Goofy Decathlon.*  Amazingly, I was terribly exhausted after about the 6th event, which makes me wonder what it would be like to participate in a real decathlon. I only got hit in the head, hard, twice (high jump and hurdles).  I'm expecting a nice bruise on my cheek tomorrow. Basically, it was a successful night.

the line up:

1             100 meter Race - skipping

2.            Pole vault - limbo

3.            400 meter Race - 3 legged race

4.             Long jump - standing long jump

           

5.             High jump - stand on a high platform (stage/chair) and 

jump (really fall) backwards into the groups waiting arms.

6.             Shot put - cotton ball toss

7             1500 meter Race - wheel barrel            

8             Discus - throwing paper plates

           

9            Hurdles - leapfrog across the gym

10          Javelin - throwing straws

Ashton Eaton: winner of the Decathlon at the London 2012 Olympics.

* Every church activity should have an actual purpose.  Here was tonight's.  The decathlon requires participation in all 10 events. Some events you will be better at than others.  You don't have to win each event to technically win a decathlon, you just have to try your best.  This is like life, but we are in a decathlon against ourselves.  In the end (as in the final end, as in when you meet God and talk about your "life decathlon"), your personal effort in each event (both the ones that were easy and the ones that were hard) is what will really matter.  True that... Cookies, not quite frozen ice lollies, and candy for dessert.