THUNDER BAY – With so much happening during the course of the school year, it can be hard to get different schools and grades involved in one activity.
The exception is happening at the Fort William Stadium this week as the Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association puts on its annual Catholic elementary track and field meet.
“It’s the very best event where we can have every school here all at once with everyone from grades four to eight competing,” co-convenor Franco Donato said on Tuesday.
“It’s a pretty wonderful event to be a part of. Everyone’s here showing what they can do and the overall spirit is something that you can’t really capture in a lot of the other sports that we do.”
The overall energy that the students brought to the event was felt during the 800-metre races on Tuesday morning as those in the stands yelled as loud as they could to urge the runners on as they made their way around the track.
“The camaraderie and that overall enjoyment is what it’s all about,” co-convenor Grant Lilley said.
“We get a ton of positive feedback about the meet from all over the place, but especially the kids who are just happy to compete.”
In addition to the sprint, long distance and team relay races, the meet also featured a variety of field competitions, such as the long jump, shot put and high jump.
Lilley said most of the students compete in multiple events during the meet.
“Having those multi-sport athletes is very important, not just from an athletic standpoint, but from an overall health and mental well-being standpoint also,” Lilley added. “It all goes hand-in-hand.”
Weather permitting, the second and final day of the catholic meet starts at 9 a.m. Wednesday and wraps up around 2 p.m.
The SSSAA’s public elementary school meet takes place on June 18 and 19.
