Last evening was the final meeting for those who participated in the Tuesday/Thursday Strength and Conditioning sessions. I have enjoyed the meetings and hope to continue them in the summers to come. But now we turn our attention to practice sessions with the entire team and doing what it is we do best . . . running and racing! Six days! On Sunday evening "Athletic First Night" will take place at 5:30 (5:00 for Freshmen) at WHRHS. Everybody is expected to attend. What I would really like to see is attendance by those who are not expected!!
Our teams are small. Extremely talented, but small. And while I am very positive, a "glass half-full" type, and hopeful for the future of XC and Track & Field at Whitman-Hanson, I am realistic and see the need to increase the numbers if we are to remain competitive in the years to come. I don't know how many students will not be participating in team sports this Fall, but I feel confident there a quite a few. There are of course many reason for not participating, many beyond the control of those students. But there are students who if encouraged and offered the opportunity to join a team might do so. What better sport is there for them than Cross Country? I often tell the story of my youngest daughter's experience with high school sports. When she was a Freshman entering Notre Dame Academy, my wife and I informed her we would not pick her up immediately following classes and she was expected to participate in either athletics or extra-curricular activities We didn't think of this as cruelty, we simply hoped she would take advantage of every opportunity offered by her school. She had played organized soccer for several years, but was not that talented and knew it was not a realistic option looking forward for four years at NDA. She was aware of academic clubs and wanted to join several but participation did not require much of the time she had available Monday through Friday. So, she took a chance at Cross Country. During the summer leading up to her Freshman year she ran regularly, very slowly building up her mileage to allow her to tryout for the team with the hope of meeting the time trial standard established by the coach (I was not yet the coach!) Time Trial day came and she was very disappointed when she finished next to last and did not meet the standard. But like WHRHS, the coach never had any intention of cutting kids from the team, he only established the standard to motivate the athletes. My daughter was officially on the team! Now to make a very long story short . . . she held the position of next to last runner on the team for two years (grateful for the older girl who held the last runner position during that time.) Between her Sophomore and Junior years, something just clicked. Perhaps she became tired of her XC performances as well as being the designated two-miler in Track & Field and she put together her own training plan to improve. At her Time Trial as a Junior she finished second overall (NDA ran against Hingham in its Time Trial) and became a valuable contributor to the success of the NDA team which never lost a meet during her time there. Her success continued and she was elected Captain as a Senior and went on to run four years of XC and Track & Field in college. She continues to run and has even run several half-marathons with her proud father. WHRHS has dozens of kids who if encouraged can achieve enormous success, not to mention self-esteem, health and lifelong friendships. Our sport is challenging, but meeting those challenges, overcoming those challenges, are what this is all about. You know how much it has meant to you. Don't you think this is something to share with others? Your "homework" assignment is recruit anybody and everybody for our team. They will be welcome, regardless of current ability. They too can slowly build strength and confidence and learn what you have . . . this is a wondrous sport!
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