In my senior year of high school I did shot put on the track and field team. I attended practices, ran the warmup run with the runners, and participated in meets, but I was never particularly good, and I’m fairly certain the coach didn’t take my participation very seriously (since I didn’t fit in the regular tack uniforms, I did meets in the extremely short running shorts, and a team windbreaker which was longer than the shorts).
Forward to my mid-30s. While we were dating I at one point mentioned to my ex girlfriend that I had been on the “track team” in high school, and then explained that I did shot put. She insisted that this was a deceptive phrasing because saying “track team” implied running.
I contended that “track in field team” while technically correct was awkward phrasing, and that while I wasn’t very good I was at least proud of having participated in a sport outside my comfort zone, and wasn’t being intentionally deceptive. I did later in life take running up and do a half-marathon at least.
This somehow became a longstanding disagreement in that relationship.
Why I might be TA: Said I was on the “track team” which might imply that I was a runner.
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In my senior year of high school I did shot put on the track and field team. I attended practices, ran the warmup run with the runners, and participated in meets, but I was never particularly good, and I’m fairly certain the coach didn’t take my participation very seriously (since I didn’t fit in the regular tack uniforms, I did meets in the extremely short running shorts, and a team windbreaker which was longer than the shorts).
Forward to my mid-30s. While we were dating I at one point mentioned to my ex girlfriend that I had been on the “track team” in high school, and then explained that I did shot put. She insisted that this was a deceptive phrasing because saying “track team” implied running.
I contended that “track in field team” while technically correct was awkward phrasing, and that while I wasn’t very good I was at least proud of having participated in a sport outside my comfort zone, and wasn’t being intentionally deceptive. I did later in life take running up and do a half-marathon at least.
This somehow became a longstanding disagreement in that relationship.
Why I might be TA: Said I was on the “track team” which might imply that I was a runner.
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> I might be the asshole because I described myself as having “been on the track team” in high school, despite having been on the field part of the track and field team.
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Contest mode is 1.5 hours long on this post.
NTA. You were on the team, you practiced, you competed that counts. Most people use “track team” as shorthand for “track and field” anyway.
NTA If you did shot put on the track and field team then you were on the track and field team which is doing track.
ESH. Just a tiny bit, though, because this is such a minor thing. You should be clearer in cases like this because it’s rife for misunderstanding. But she seems to have made a ridiculous fuss out of something that’s not a big deal. You did athletics, which is great, I just don’t get why the particulars would have been that important to her.
shot put is track, idk what the heck she is going on about.
NTA. You didn’t lie and you were not trying to convince her that you were doing something you didn’t do, you were on the track and field team. Shot put is part of the “field” part. Its her problem that she only associated track with running sports.
NTA.
“Track AND field” You were on the track team. You just didn’t participate in running events.
I can’t decide on a judgement, because I want to say NTA for saying you were on the track team, which is true. And I also want to vote ‘everyone sucks’ for people in their thirties arguing about this AND making it a long term thing.
NTA. She is just ignorant of what all a “track team” encompasses.
NTA – I was also only a shot putter and say I did track in high school if it ever comes up. You were part of that team! It’s called track AND field!
Nta. Especially since you explain your event and don’t try to fool people (not that there’s a lot of running stolen valor out there that I’m aware of. Shot put is more interesting to me tbh!)
NTA and my experience is that there are very very few even mediocre shot put or discus or javelin folks in high school.
I was a mid-distance runner, but they made everybody try everything at least once to see if you had some other skill. The shot put was a good example of one that they had multiple spotters to make sure you didn’t beam the crowd with a giant iron ball. When they finish the tryouts and found they had no good person on whatever sport the coaches would often just kind of not worry about that whole sport. So if the coach didn’t give lots of attention to another shot put kid, then it’s the sport, not you.
ESH
You were not on the track team. You were on the track and field team, the shot put team, the athletics team maybe, but you were not on the track team because you did not compete in track. I see where you’re coming from, but she’s right, the way you’re putting it is a way most people would probably find deceptive, although you’re quick to explain it, so it’s not really deceptive. The issue, however, is that you’re arguing about high school in your 30’s though. Ouch.
Aaaannnd… so is she. While I’d argue she is technically correct, she’s arguing about high school in her 30’s. Ouch.
It’s really such a minor thing overall. Do either of you really care that much about it?
NTA. Your use of “track team” DOES imply that you ran track. However I believe that is still a correct way of saying it. “Track & Field” team would be MORE correct and honestly I find it kind of weird that you left out the field when you didn’t actually run track. Makes me think you were ashamed of competing in shotput and not being a runner, but you said you were proud of yourself. So it’s just funny to me, almost like you were trying to hide the fact you didn’t actually run “track”
NTA. You were, in fact, on the track team.
Throwers are also part of the track team, they just treated us more like special teams
NTA. I did the hurdles all through college and I consider the shot putters as part of the track team. Your ex seems like a nit picker so be glad that it’s over
NTA. You explained very quickly, so any misconception was shortlived, and you certainly weren’t intending to deceive. That she fixated on this technicality for so long seems ridiculous on her part. Did she ever explain why she cared so much about this?
Oh good, she’s your ex-girlfriend. That’s perfect. Don’t dwell on what she had to say. She was being obnoxiously pedantic. NTA
NTA. She is being silly. Track and field is often shortened to just track.
NTA but yes it’s a bit deceptive. You know it would be simpler and more accurate to just say “I used to do shot put”.
NTA. Even “running” isn’t the same between different athletes. I ran the 100 and 200. Anything above that killed me.
The field events (shot put, discus, high jump, long jump) are very much a part of the track team. I’m a big dude. I played football in college but I was also a track guy.
She is wrong, track team is implied track and field which includes all tracks and field sports.
Minor argument though that should be no big deal
NAH I can see her confusion as depending on your school “track team” may be just running. When I was in school the Shot Put team was big enough to have its own distraction. Cross Country could also be included in track or its own thing depending on how big the teams are.
It was highschool and you’re 30, so crazy anyone would care Lol no you’re NTA. You weren’t wrong she was trying to play semantics and I’m pretty sure she knew that.
NTA – ex was just surprised a perhaps non-athletic guy was in a team usually thought of for the most athletic.
You’ve got your own journey and can be proud of your own unique circumstance.
Its not serious enough to make you the AH! It’s a common mistake but you could have said I was on the track team but only did field events.
NTA. As someone who ran track from ages 9 to 18 and then coached for 10years from age 27, your phrasing was correct. No matter what event you did, whether the 100, steeplechase, shot put or high jump, you were on the track team. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
NAH, as it’s not that serious, but she’s right in that being on the track and field team doesn’t have the same connotations as “I was on the track team”.
I also don’t think you were malicious or deceptive, thus the NAH.
NTA, OP participated in track and field competitions in the shot put event and disappointed a coach in the process. Definitely can claim being on the team.
The GF is being a huge ass in her argument, “track team” is an acceptable shorting of the full name for track and field team.