I’ve written about the people that I love to hate before. Of course, this is all tongue in cheek, but there is a grain of truth to my envy. I kept looking for a softer word than envy, but I really can’t think of one. My hate in these cases is more a desire to be like the person wrapped up in the reality that I’m not going to be able to do it.

It’s funny that when I was thinking about this week’s person to hate, my older son came to mind. But he really is somebody that I admire. He’s a Senior in high school, a great student, a super friend, socially adept, and an outstanding athlete. He doesn’t limit his skills and achievements to just the school, but pretty much to every part of his life. He’s able to attain laser focus, and keep that focus for months on end. He’s worked really hard to improve his physical fitness while keeping his grades up. He’s very efficient in the gym, and that efficiency also extends to his schoolwork. There are lots of times where I want to nag him about studying, but he’s one of those kids who works a little bit everyday and achieves results. He’s somewhat of a contrast to my other kids, and I know that makes me wonder if he’s really doing everything that he needs to

But where I admire him most is in his athletics. He started high school a bit on the scrawny side. He loved to play football, but he was outweighed at every position. He managed to claw his way to a starting or near-starting spot his Freshman year. We was a lighter-weight wrestler his Freshman year, and was further challenged by much more experienced, older wrestlers ahead of him. In track he had his highest degree of success, but couldn’t quite break through before the end of the year.

But starting in his Freshman year, he started to hit the weight room. Or rather, attack the weight room. He learned how to lift properly, and he took it to heart. He went to two-a-day lifting sessions the summer after his Freshman year. He worked on quickness. He worked on speed. He put in the hours to build stamina.

And the results showed off. He was still on the bubble for football starting, but he edged closer to Varsity wrestling, despite having three-year varsity guys at all three weight classes he could have achieved. He even managed to wrestle a match at Varsity after one of our wrestlers got hurt. And he did well. He had an amazing track season, and started his run of qualifying for the State meet.

But through it all, he kept working. And he kept saying that he wanted to be one of those people where everybody knew his name. That’s part of what motivated him.

He’s now a Senior. He was a captain on the Football team. A second year captain on the Wrestling team. He placed 3rd at the State tournament, pinning four of his five opponents and losing a really close match to the fifth. He’s having an amazing track season, and has climbed into not only the State, but the National rankings as a high school hurdler.

We have a pile of medals on my desk that need to be organized into some sort of display. I don’t mean just five or ten, but rather 30-40. He expects to medal at every tournament and meet now. He doesn’t feel entitled, he just believes that his hard work will pay off.

He respects every opponent that he faces. He talks to everybody, and the coaches and athletes that he competes against know who he is. Not just in that superficial “oh, that’s the Hutch kid” kind of knowledge, but rather in the “hey, that’s my friend Jared”. The media folks enjoy talking to him, partly because he has a very low filter, and will tell it like it is. He’s not afraid to say something funny, and his sharp wit really shines in media interviews. As a hurdler, he also photographs well…so he gets some decent exposure in the newspapers and on various sports websites.

While he’s not overbearing, he’s confident about his ability to work harder than anybody else. He lives by the idea that there is always somebody who has more talent out there somewhere, but he’s never going to meet anybody who works harder. And quite honestly, I’ve never met anybody who does work harder. He seeks out successful people, not just athletes, and tries to find out what they are doing that has caused them to succeed. Then he takes something of that work-ethic and adds it to his own. He’s probably watched more motivational videos than just about anybody.

But most of all, he’s a great person inside and out. Sure, he’s just an 18 year-old, and he’s had some less-than-shining-moments, but those are so far outweighed by the continual stream of successful, caring, and amazing things that he’s done.

I know that when I was 18, 25, 35, even 45 I was no where near the complete package that he is. People constantly congratulate me on how well my wife and I have raised our kids. I like to take credit, but frankly I can’t take all that much. They are great people and we’ve been blessed with them as kids.

But it’s funny, everyday I’m presented with this super kid who makes me want to work that much harder. He’s still trying to get me as dedicated to my fitness as I should be. I’m trying to get him more invested in improving his mind through a bit more academic type stuff. But in the end, we’re both better for having the other around.

I’m really looking forward to him nagging me towards a more fit future. While I’m sure I’ll hate him during the workouts and sweat, I know that he’s right.

Every time I see him, I’m reminded that there shouldn’t be anybody out there who works harder at whatever I’m working at. For that, I’m eternally grateful!