What is the Point of Going for Points?

While in high school, I competed for a team that focused solely on points. Time was not a factor. The attainment of points was the goal. Consequently, the guy who called himself a coach did not have to coach. If the athletes on his team had the natural ability to cross the line first, then he would have achieved his goal of gaining points worthy of winning the meet. At the end of the meet, the coach would not receive a team trophy or medal or ribbon or a bonus check. No material symbolic gesture was awarded to him. He had nothing tangible to show for his winnings and neither did his athletes. We didn't run for time and therefore our times were often not visibly recorded. If we PR'ed, who cared. This environment did not encourage the recognition of self-improvement unless self-improvement led to an elevation in placement across the line (which equaled better points). The coach would parade around every Friday announcing that we were the winners of the meet. The team would hooray and cheer for what they viewed was achievement. Meanwhile the teams we competed against set their sights on something greater. One team in particular, had about 10 to 15 athletes all of whom focused on time. Our team had 100 athletes. The team of 10 determined that winning league meets was a fools endeavor against the team of 100. At league finals, my team won against the 10 and hooped and hollered that they were the League Champions. Only a few among us advanced to CIF Prelims just on their natural ability and our overwhelming presence against the 10. However, due to the lack of training, one by one our athletes failed to advance through the hierarchy of CIF championships. The team of 10 continued to focus on time and advanced to CIF Prelims, Finals, Masters, and finally State. At State they podiumed and were able to represent their school in the relays and individual events. My school was nowhere in sight.

Makes you wonder, why there's so much emphasize on points.

Before high school, I ran for club. My team was massive but focused on time, never points. The point system was present at every invitational but points were not a concern for my team. I do not know how other teams viewed points but my club coach stayed the course and pursued time. Time in this environment meant personal growth and achievement. Everyday we would recite a mantra, a prayer asking God to, "help us run to the best of our ability." When we stepped onto the track, we believed wholeheartedly in the concept of running to the best of our ability. When we walked into a stadium, all teams knew that running to the best of our ability was what we came there to do. On every run, we ran for time, a chance to PR. We trained for time. We competed for time. By pursuing time (developing our best self), we positioned ourselves for an opportunity to attain individual trophies, medals, and ribbons. Each time we crossed the line, we gained points for our team but never ran to get points. We never thought about points. By the end of the meet, our team was often awarded a team trophy based on points. My club coach never paraded around with the trophy. Instead, he would award the athlete with the best time, best performance for that meet. He transformed something that was originally designed for points and made that symbol about time.

As an athlete, my experience was richer pursing time, pursuing self-development than points. Points, to me, were non-existent. Points were not a measurement of success. Yet, in the high school system, points, for most coaches are so important that they will throw tantrums and wreak havoc against all who opposed the point system.

I coach high school now. Last semester, there was an athlete from a competing school who was ranked number 1 in the state in his division. At league prelims, he false started but the official failed to recall the race. Days later was League Finals. Right before the start of the meet, the official gathered the League coaches, admitted his failure, and expressed that the race was not fair. The official admitted he was ill-prepared for the meet and did not have a whistle nor enough blanks to recall the runners so he let them complete the race. He gave the coaches the opportunity to make a decision on the feat of the athlete and all the competitors. We had a choice. The race could stand as is, the athlete could be disqualified, or the race could be rerun. Well, one of the coaches spoke up and vetoed options 1 and 3. She argued on the basis of points. Her athletes did not stand a chance at winning against the phenom...nor did they have the ability or training to advance to State. As far as she was concerned, if the athlete was disqualified then she had a better chance at winning the meet. At any other sporting event, a play stands if an official fails to make a call. If there's a discrepancy, the play is replayed. In this case, if one athlete jumped, then the whole race could be assumed affected. Rerunning the race would have been a fair solution, in my opinion anyways, because that solution favors the experience, the progress, the training, the efforts of all the athletes. One other coach agreed, but sadly, this solution was not acknowledged by the remaining League Coaches who voted to in favor of points and their personal glory. Consequently, that athlete could not advance to CIF. His season, for the 100m, had ended. The effects of that decision cost him the opportunity of gaining visibility for colleges on that city-wide/state-wide stage and a chance at State.

What really is the point of points when points are valued higher than the personal development of the athlete and the sport?

I say if you go for time, you'll get the gold.

If you go for time, you'll get the points.

If you go for time, you'll become a champion in your own right.

Because along the journey of going for time, you'll level up to become your best self.

You'll achieve greatness!!!

And in this sport, greatness (self-fulfillment, self-improvement, self-achievement) is presence far greater than any point.

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"It's not really about the competition. Your biggest challenge in a race is yourself. You're often racing against time. You're frequently running everything through your mind. You're always competing against preconceived ideas. It's not really the person next to you that you worry about." Summer Sanders