Field Day

Otherwise known as "Elementary School Olympics"

Jun 10, 2026

Starting in the fall and through most of the elementary school year, “recess” was just fun playtime. Maybe we just ran around like nuts for a half hour, maybe there was a game of kickball. It didn’t matter, just so long as we got out of the classroom for a little while.

But when we got deeper into the spring . . . recess got serious, because “Field Day” was coming soon.

And believe me, going back to . . . say, third grade . . . you wanted to be out on that field running in the 50-yard dash . . . or 100-yard dash . . . well, I sure did, anyway.

I wasn’t the only one, for sure. Back then, Field Day really was like elementary school Olympics.

And those Olympic trials started by early to mid-April. We had to qualify in the classroom pool first. If you were in the top seven, you made it to the next round. Land in the top 5? On to the next round . . . until two were left.

Those two go on to represent the classroom in whatever event on Field Day. And, I can tell y’all that I . . . most often wasn’t out on the field competing on Field Day 😄.

Nope, wasn’t ever out there on for the 50-yard dash or 440 relay . . . not my speed.

‘Cause their speed was fast and mine was . . .

Well, anyway . . .

Field Day was still exciting. We had no regular class at all that day. We got a bag lunch from the cafeteria, not the stuff on a plastic tray type thing. Nope, we got hot dogs and chips.

Coolers full of ice and sodas. Sometimes we even had lemonade.

Hey, it was sure ‘nuff a lot easier to root for my classmates out there competing when I wasn’t thirsty 😏.

But don’t think I didn’t have my moments on that field, now. Let’s take a look back at some of my Field Day highlights.

Sack race - 1st grade, 1980

Now, I know I’d been hoppin’ around, training for this one for weeks. I’m tellin’ y’all, being out there hip-deep in a burlap sack, hopping to the finish line . . . one of those moments you dream about. I could see that ribbon.

All I had to do was finish in the top three, and . . . well, at least I saw the ribbon.

Hey, it was between me and one other fella for third place. He edged me out. Maybe if I hadn’t had a dentist appointment that morning . . . nah, probably would’a been edged out still.

Three-legged race - 3rd grade, 1982

So me and one of my classmates got paired up for this classic event. You really have to work together on this one. One person’s left leg is tied to their partner’s right leg . . . and you have to run . . . together.

Hence the name “three-legged race”.

I’ve heard it said that “teamwork makes the dream work”. Well, let me put it like this. Despite our teamwork, I don’t think our dream worked.

Oh, doggonit we worked together, now. We set a good pace at the start, moving at the same speed, but it wasn’t so much that other teams blew by us, it was gravity that got us . . . several times. So we fell at the same time, too 😄.

I don’t think we were meant to run on three legs.

And we proved it . . . several times.

In conclusion

Wow, are we at the end of my highlight reel already?! Seriously, I didn’t worry too much about whether or not I was in the whatever dash. I got over that in a hurry. Field Day in elementary school was just a fun time to be outside with classmates and friends. We all had a good time.

So, for all the former elementary school Olympians out there, what do y’all have on your highlight reel?