EDWARDSVILLE — When most people think of Friday Night Lights, the first thing that comes to mind is high school football, and maybe the famous book written by Buzz Bissinger.
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This Friday night, the shining lights belonged to the young runners of Edwardsville, as they took to the Winston Brown Track and Field Complex for the first of two Friday Night Lights track meets.
And as is the case in many of these events, the emphasis is on the kids and their families having fun.
Tiger head boys track and field coach Chad Lakatos started the summer track series and it is one of many components that have led to Edwardsville's enormous success in the sport. Lakatos realizes that youngsters have to be inspired at a young age to choose a track and field career and this program is just another way he does that.
“It’s a great opportunity for the kids to come out and experience something they don’t get a chance to do at the grade school level,” said Lakatos. “So, it’s a lot of fun for the families and the kids.”
The meet served a dual purpose as well, as it introduces the sport to the kids, who otherwise may not have had the opportunity to be exposed to track and field.
“Just to introduce the sport of track and field to the kiddos that, again, don’t have that opportunity,” Lakatos said. “At the younger age, there’s a whole lot of ball sports going on, with soccer, baseball, and so forth. But track and field isn’t exposed at the younger age, so that’s our angle.
“We just want to promote it, and hopefully, down the road, they’ll want to do it,” Lakatos also said.
The meet was divided into two sections; a division for athletes eight and younger, and one for those nine and older. One division participated in field events, such as the high jump, javelin throw and softball throw, while the other participated in three running events: the 40-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 800-meter run. There was also a 4x100-meter family relay in the eight-and-under division, which featured kids and parents forming a relay team. The two divisions switched events after the relay race.
Throughout the evening, the young runners were encouraged and cheered on by their parents and members of the Tigers’ boys’ and girls’ teams, who served as volunteer times for the meet. In some of the races, the Tiger runners ran alongside the kids, giving them encouragement and support. Their efforts weren’t lost on Lakatos.
“I want to thank the high school kids for coming out and volunteering,” he said, “and being cheerers for this group of kids. It’s all about the kids and having a good time.”
The kids indeed did have a good time, as indicated in the smiles on their faces when crossing the finish line, and their proud parents being just as happy.
This was the first of two scheduled meets this summer, with each having a different theme.
“Usually, we have two (meets),” Lakatos said. “We try to have one at the beginning of June, and then one towards the end. Each week has a little bit different theme. So this week, we had the 40, the 200 and the 800, and the high jump and the throws, and then, the 4x100 family. And then we come back, and the following week, we have the 100, the 400, the mile, and then the 4x25 family relay. And then we have long jump, and the softball and shot-put throw.”
And given that the Tigers boys’ team won their second IHSA Class 3A track championship in the last three years two weeks ago in Charleston, there could be the potential for a future Tiger state champion athlete who might emerge from the introductory meets.
“Well, we hope so,” Lakatos said with a laugh. “You never know what kids will develop into. It’s all about work ethic, and if they believe and buy into the system, who knows what will happen?”
But in the end, it’s all about the kids and their families having fun with the sport.
“It’s all about fun,” Lakatos said. “It’s all about the families having fun, and getting to see their kids compete. We dropped it all the way down to two-year-olds. We did have three three-year-olds run, so that’s just awesome to see those little kids running.”
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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