Personal Narrative: High School Running Track

“Sprinters don’t even do anything,” is what the distance runners say. “You guys hardly even run,” they go on. As a sprinter, I hear this a lot. Every year we get grief from them about how they think we don’t do anything and it’s very agitating. Track and field is supposed to be a team sport, although people do run in their separate events. Having the long distance runners always talk gossip and tell us we never do anything is just adding unnecessary drama. I hope some day they can learn to stop making perceptions of us.

After a short-lived and unimpressive career on the basketball team the previous year, I joined the track team with hopes of fulfilling my dreams of being a varsity athlete. Though determined, I was undersized in both

A significant challenge that I thought I wouldn't have accomplished was during our biggest track-and-field meet against all of the big schools around. It was the Shawnee invitational and one of our girls on the track team ended up messing up her ankle in her first relay race, which meant she couldn't run the 800m dash or the 1800m dash. I was the only one on the team who didn’t have four events because I ran the 4x2 and the 4x1 which was the main events at the invitational. So the coach asks me to fill in for her, my first thought was ‘oh Nooooooo, i can’t”. Not only did I just finish one on my relays and had to rest up for my next one, but also I was not ready to run only distant runs that day. I had only practiced for my events prior to the

I found my love for athletic activity at a young age. When I was 7 years old, I was enrolled in a YMCA summer program in Michigan. That is where it all started. My summer days were filled with various sport activities. Unfortunately, when I moved to California at the age of 10, I stopped playing sports for at least a year. However, during the rest of elementary school, throughout middle school, and in high school, I played different sports to figure out which one I liked best, which is now, Track & Field.

In today’s society the high schools that tend to be more successful in academics and even sports are the wealthier ones not to say they are in a large cities. Now in each school there are specific types of race whether it's white, asian, and even hispanic unless it's a school that is predominate in a particular race. Mcfarland a city just like Orosi the city i'm from has a high percentage of hispanics living in this city. This city might of been small but it impacted a sport that we may not see it as sport but it is and it cross country. For a decade in the 1987-1995 Mcfarland has won state with the men cross country team. This is what Mcfarland USA the movie that was released couple months ago. You have a coach who moved

I turned in my form for Running Club by the end of the week and was ready to start running. When training began, we ran a few laps around the school and I noticed as the runs came to be longer, I would become tired sooner. Miss. Ames noticed and ran alongside me. During the runs, we would discuss other topics which would distract me from thinking about my performance in the run. Later on, the coaches would time the runners to see our performance. Being timed increased my irritation with my performance; however, Miss. Ames reminded me that I was making progress regardless of what my

The fact that I was a black kid playing like a pro was not something whites wanted to see. Over the spanned of my baseball career there have been coaches who made it clear that I wasn’t wanted. I remember going to try out for this team located in the trio area that some of my formal teammates played on. When I arrived to try outs there was already a bad vibe on the field. During the middle of try outs the coach approached me and explained how he felt I wasn’t going to be a good fit for the team. He stated that I should use the time during the off season to improve my skills and try again next year. As I looked this man in the eye I knew skills had nothing to with it, so I simple left and joined a different team. Although I hurt I had to moved, I couldn’t allow it to hold me

I have always been told that I got blessed with my genes. Everything I do athletically just comes natural to me. I have had the opportunity to play multiple sports whom of which I have had success in. In all of the sports I’ve participated in I have loved soccer the most and track is just the most natural sport for me. I’ve played soccer for over half of my young life. Soccer just makes me happy when I play. I have also been blessed by being average at soccer too. I didn’t do well my 9th grade season so coming into being a Sophomore I wanted to change that. I worked hard in the off-season and I became a varsity Captain and I finished the season 3rd in the area for assist and was a 2nd team All-District player. I was proud of myself but i knew I didn’t give it everything I had.

Last year I started a new sport, cross country. I only did it because my lacrosse coach said that it might help me get better for lacrosse. So I went to the first late summer practice last year to see what this was like, so then we did warm-ups and a lap around the track. Then it was the first time I met coach Chase, My first impression of him was going to be very strict, But soon realized that this was false because of one of the first things he said. He said “I know there are a lot of nerves here right now, but cross country isn’t about winning every race, that comes later” then continued with “Cross country is about showing what you can do to yourself.” This struck me very hard because I was not that fast and was near the back. Through that fall the team did very well, I also made some progress myself. After the season was over I made a decision.

When “I would just run” says Jesse when very people thought less of me. Hitler was promoting his race and on the first day of competition Jesse won gold in the 100 meter dash. He broke the world record in the 100 meter dash but when he woke up they did not count it because he was black. Hitler thought that his race was the superior and was hoping to show that was right but he was utterly disappointed when the USA track and field team won gold in many events. Hitler laughed at the sheet when he saw that had black members on the sheet “I almost fell down laughing” -Adolf Hitler this expression would later change because the African Americans from the team would win many competitions. Jesse Owens said that whenever someone is being prejudice “I would Just run” - Jesse Owens. Jesse later on in his life he joined the civil right movement to make an impact. He was a very motivated person when it came to track and field. “When people ask my why I run I tell them because I like to prove myself” - Jesse Owens. Jesse want to do his best and compete against the other best people. “I did it because I had to and I wanted to.” Jesse was not only mentally motivated but other pushed him to do his best. But sometimes he would have very hard decisions in his

“Jovanie, I’m going to have to let you go,” my coach said to me in a nonchalant voice. My stomach started twisting in a million knots and I felt my eyes watering, but I was not going to let them fall… yet. “Not here, not now” I reassured myself. I slowly walked off the bus trying to act unbothered, but I was. Everybody that knew me understood what track was to me. However, starting off in a different school as a freshman, where nobody knew me was hard. I had to prove to them that I was a good runner, but I have failed.

I approached that year’s conditioning with a pessimistic attitude and wondered why was I doing this when I’m not going to run in meets. Just like the year before, I assumed that conditioning and practicing would be obsolete. I braced myself for another disappointing year. Every winter day after school, I braced myself against the cold with a hope that this season would be different. I went into the first day of practice feeling in shape and optimistic. But just like freshman year, there was no preparing for the ache and suffering of the first practice. With the season approaching, our coach timed us to determine who would run in meets. Our coach divided us into groups based on how fast she thought we were. When a senior saw that I was in the first, slower group, he said that I belonged in the faster group with them. Hearing that compliment from a senior changed my outlook on the season might go. As the first track meet approached, we split off into groups so we could perfect our technique based on the event we were running. As I was jogging around the track wondering whether this year was going to be the same as last year, our coach summoned me over to perfect baton handoffs for the 4x100 meter relay. As the realization hit me that I was going to compete, I thought, “I’m not going to relinquish this spot because I labored profusely to attain

“6:28,” the clock read as I was pulling into the parking lot, “6:29”. I exited the truck, grabbing my track bag as fast as possible. My phone fell out of my pocket. I paid no attention out of haste. I bent down with my track bag in my hand. I felt the glass lightly cutting my hand as I picked up my phone. I felt like Usain Bolt as I sped walk to the bus at what felt like at least thirty miles per hour. Sweaty and Tired I entered the bus. Why must we wake up so early? The meet starts at 9:00 and it’s only an hour drive away. Regardless, I strolled onto the buss. Horrified, I received the soul-penetrating stares of every single member of the Trojan Track team, athlete and student alike. Earlier that morning, having assumed that at least a few

I was born to run. I adore the feeling of aching legs, winded breath, and the absolute joy of knowing I have accomplished something so utterly momentous: winning a race. When I run, I feel strong and vivacious both on the inside and on the outside. Last year, I decided to join the high school cross-country team. I was extremely excited and could not wait for practice to begin, but I was also somewhat nervous. What if I was not talented enough? What if my skills were not competent enough? What if the coaches thought I was just… mediocre? I was so nervous, I began to doubt and feel dubious about my running potentiality.

Run your own  race was said in chapter 3 by Alicia Rollins. To me that is really telling you to stay in your lane trust god. In life you have to stay in your own lane because worrying about other people you will do nothing but get behind. In this situation talking about run your own race i would like to put that in a real life situation like football and school. The reason i said football and school because they're different things you think about while doing  your job. People may talk down on you like they are better than you in sports and they can joke or whatever  they want. But you as a strong person you ignore it and don't let it throw you off track because you  know at the end of the day you are really at the school for education and