I arrive late for Josh’s athletics carnival. Part of the divorce arrangement is that his mum and I attend school events on alternate years. “Tell Josh I’ll be there,” I’d said when she called to remind me about it. “Don’t let him down again, please,” she’d replied.

This is the opening paragraph from my short story, The Good Sport, which I shared on the Tall And True writers’ website in July 2024.

Please note: The Story Insight below contains spoilers.

Story Insight

I wrote The Good Sport for the July 2024 Furious Fiction writing challenge run by the Australian Writers’ Centre on the first weekend of the month. Their brief was:

• Your story must take place at a sporting/competitive event
• It must include something SHAKING
• And the words GOLD, GREEN and GLOBE. (Longer words containing the original spelling were acceptable.)

Share Your Writing on Tall And True

Paris Olympics vs School Athletics Carnival?

With the Paris Olympics looming, it was tempting to write a story about athletes coming together from around the globe, including the green and gold of Australia, and shaking hands with each other.

Instead, once again, I drew on autofiction, with memories of the school athletics carnivals I’d attended to cheer on my son and one year in particular. The poor boy had a look of pained anguish on his face running the penultimate lap of the 1500 metres, and I called out to him, “Go son, go!”

In my defence as a “positive dad”, I should point out that my now-adult son has a box of trophies for athletics, swimming, basketball, water polo and football in the attic at home, and I have just one for under-thirteen footy!

Furious Fiction Longlist

I enjoyed writing The Good Sport and was proud to see it on the Furious Fiction longlist for July.

I hope you enjoy reading the story on Tall And True, too! Please let me know.

© 2024 Robert Fairhead

Thanks to StockSnap for sharing the 1500-metre track image on Pixabay.

N.B. You might like to read a post about another dad-and-son memory, A Dad and Son Road Trip.