Hook 2

You wait at the park. It's 6 pm and still over 90 degrees out. The truck is parked in a patch of shade. Coolers of water and gatorade (one blue, one gold) are balanced upon the precipice of the tailgate. A column of blue plastic cups rest in a little blue plastic basket. A stack of blue terry cloth (sweat) towels rest beside the basket. A small thin sheet of blue painted plywood with a gold poster board is tucked in the bed of the truck. It is titled "Summer Miles". Right now there is no roster and no miles have been run, all the spaces are blank. Everything you have set out for them is blue or gold. It's the school colors.

One by one they arrive. They are dumped off and often walk up, appearing from thin air. Sometimes in pairs. They are friends, trying this together. They don't want to be alone. When alone, they mosey over, uneasily. they know this is where they are supposed to be but don't know what to say to you or do with themselves. They are lead singers with no instrument to hide behind. In pairs, they come up and hover near but don't speak to you, and instead carry on in conversation that is forced yet humorous in nature.

After years of doing this, you still can't believe how may parents do the "drop and go" thing. These are high school girls. You could be anyone. You'd never dream of allowing your daughter to spend this kind of time with a complete stranger. You hustle over to their cars and introduce yourself when given the opportunity, yet few parents are interested in meeting you. They are busy doing their own thing, or they resent having to shuttle their kids to you, or they are just worn out by 14 plus years of parenting.

You greet each kid by name immediately when they arrive. You hand them each a cup and a black magic marker. "This cooler is water and this cooler is gatorade, write your name on this cup and get a drink, it's hot out and we drink a lot around here"...

You have a loose idea of who should be there and even though have no "team" you wait the as long as possible before you begin.