Bingham Academy Field Days – our first experience

We have never been able to make it to Addis for the annual field days held at the end of January. This year we made a special trip for the event and then added a few days to get some needed business done like renewing Rolf's 3 month expired driver's license and car inspection.

It was well worth the 11 hour drive to participate in a 2 day event where the children could try different field events and spend time with friends. The highlight for me was seeing my children not only succeed in their events but to really put their heart into it. They were so thrilled with just a couple of ribbons which seemed to be unusual in a setting where many kids are aiming for 1^stplace in as many events as possible.

Hearing children who are disappointed with 2^nd place somehow dampens the whole experience. In general though, I would say the attitudes that I saw were unusually positive.My 4 hopes for my children were that they would have fun, gain confidence, do their very best and not get injured. All those things happened even for Ariana, who didn't participate in the events, as she independently ran off to play both days with her best friend.

What was the best part of field days?

Kalia: I enjoyed running the 100 metre race and the 50 metre hurdles. There were 4 hurdles 10 metres apart. I also had fun doing the ball throw and the 3 legged race with my friend Hadassah. It was so nice to run on grassy fields in barefeet. In Gesses the ground is very rocky.

Besides races, there was lots of food at field days. We brought some picnic food along but we could also buy popcorn, frozen drinks, injera and hamburgers. I also liked spending time with some of my friends. I only get to see them every 2-3 months.

Joel: I enjoyed my races. I liked doing the 50 m sack race, the 200 metre sprint, ball throw, and hurdles. It was my first time to be at field days. I didn't like the loud music but I liked the snacks.

Ariana: I liked watching my friends race and also Kalia and Joel. I just wanted to cheer this year. I spent lots of time on the playground with my best friend.

Nadia: I liked doing the race with daddy. I had to hold onto his back really tight and we raced. We were fast!

Rolf: I liked watching my children do their best. I kind of enjoyed the 400 metre sprint. I love racing but it was kind of painful and hurt my chest. The altitude in Gesses is 1500 feet and Addis about 8,000 feet so it is not easy to make the transition quickly. I also enjoyed seeing friends some whom we only see once a year.