One person thought it was a case for an old movie reel. Another guessed it was some kind of track and field apparatus.
They were both wrong. Not even close.
Last Thursday at the Section 3A Track & Field Meet in Redwood Falls, I had my usual with me — my backpack, camera, notebook and digital recorder. I also debuted my newest accessory: my collapsable, stool.
A stool? Yes, a stool. Exciting, right? For the last few years, I’ve been dealing with a bad back. It’s not that my back would “go out,” it just gets worn out after standing around for hours. And there’s no other high school sporting event that tires us newspaper people more than a track and field meet.
Section track usually lasts about 6-7 hours— multiply that by four when you have a bad back. At least it seems like nine or 10 hours.
Covering track means you’re going to be standing around for hours on end as you wait for an event that includes an athlete you’re covering. It’s mostly a waiting game.
For years, I’ve complained about what it does to my back, and I always vowed to do something about it to protect my back, but never did. Until this month when I ordered a collapsable stool (picture an accordion that doesn’t play music. I brought it to Redwood Falls last Thursday to use for the first time.
And thank God I did. Instead of walking from here to there every 10 minutes to grab a seat on the bleachers to rest when needed, all I had to do was give my stool a twist and pull. Voila! I had a seat. It even came with a cushion.
The thing saved my life. At the end of seven hours of track and field action, my back wasn’t even sore, nor did it feel tight like it usually does after a long day of coverage. Every so often between events, I’d head on over to my strategically-placed stool and cop a squat. Sometimes I sat down for just a few minutes, sometimes it was up to 15 minutes. But either way, I quickly ascertained that the $40 I spent on my new stool was some of the best money I’ve ever spent.
After events like this, I always feel old and worn out, mostly because of my back. This time around, I didn’t feel anything of the sort. I didn’t feel tired, either, until the drive home.
There’s nothing fancy about my stool. It doesn’t even have a cup holder, yet, it was all I needed to feel good.
I plan on using it for other sports I cover, as even a two-hour baseball game can make my back sore.
They say as you get older you need to listen to your body. For years, I’ve ignored that voice. I just sucked it up, did some stretching and went from there. No more of that nonsense. Now, when my back starts begging for mercy, I can just sit down and rest it.
Yes, I am getting older and I tire quicker than I used to. But this is my job, my life and choosing not to cover an event is not an option.
If asked, I would gladly provide a testimonial on a late-night TV infomercial, because I believe in this $40 slice of heaven.
Bring on the next event.
