Fellow parents and educators, we have rounded the last corner on the 2010 school year and the finish line is in sight. Our runners have run hard, have made progress, and have overcome the many struggles and challenges of the race thus far. Though much has been accomplished, there is still some track left in the 2010 school year.

The question is, “What do we do with the remaining track?” Realistically, having run the first three fourths of the race has been challenging and exhausting, and can cause one to want to shut down. “What will you do with the remaining track?” Experience has shown that having the finish line in sight results in two different responses: 1.) Cruise In 2). Run Harder.

Follow up:

You would be amazed at how many people see the finish line, and ease off the throttle. There surprisingly are a number of runners that finish the race at cruising speed, as opposed to a full sprint. These runners often find themselves reaching hard in the first portion of the race and for fear of over exerting themselves, take the last stretch of the race easy. These runners fear a pain that is perceived because of the first three legs, and determine that a strong finish is just not worth the pain or effort.

The second student that we experience is the “Run Harder” student. This is the student who approaches the final turn with grit and determination. This student desires not to cheapen or waste the effort of the first three legs, by finishing the race without the same effort with which they began. This student wants to see the full results of their hard work and is determined to have the best finish possible, not just to finish.

Which student do you have? Is your student cruising in to the finish, or running just as hard as they did in the first three legs. What I have seen is that the runners often respond to the coach’s demeanor and approach towards the finish. Are you still coaching? Are you still encouraging? Are you still pushing? Or are you cruising and causing the student to cruise as well? I want to encourage all educators and parents to coach and encourage until your runner has finished the race. Don’t let your runner settle for less than they can accomplish. Keep encouraging and pushing them to have a strong finish.

As a kid, our coach used to tell us that we couldn’t play the game with the post-game snack on our minds. Likewise, we must encourage our students to ignore the post-game snack of summer break, and to focus on finishing the last leg of this race. There will be plenty of time to relax and refresh, but the order of today is not just to finish, but to finish strong.