Mine is 14 and I haven't missed an athletic event or activity his entire life (my job is crazy flexible about that stuff), but I did tell him, "Son, I'm not going to your track meets." He's only going out because our football coach requires it and he doesn't give a shit.
Side note, and this has probably already been thought about......
I think a guy could make a pile of money developing a mobile app that would stream track meets (most every school has camera setups on the press box and around the field for football), but also send you alerts when a certain competitor is about to start. Like, you could be home, at work, or out and about (anything is better than actually going to a track meet in person), and your phone would beep telling you, "Little Timmy is starting the 100m hurdles in 3:00" or whatever. Then you could watch the race, and when it's over go back about your business till his or her next event starts. Sell that shit to schools, charge them $.50 per viewer or $100 per event or something. I'd pay a buck or two for that so I didn't have to sit through a whole meet waiting for one event.
All they'd have to do is have someone enter participants which they have to do anyway, and enter into the app when events are finished and starting. There are always 40 old retired dudes working those things anyway, give one of 'em an iPad to run.