Personal Narrative: My Decision To Join The Cross Country Team

A week before I decided to quit gymnastics I was discussing with my family and friends that I wanted to join cross country. It was the beginning of ninth grade and I was not enjoying gymnastics as much as I used to. I didn’t want to quit entirely because I was progressing my skills on beam and vault, but at the same time the sport became too much to handle. I also knew that if I wanted to run cross country that I would not be able to do gymnastics since the sport required me to drive up to Lincoln four to five times a week. Deciding whether to

Although I had only participated in the school Cross Country team for two years, I felt very connected to the team and wish I had participated my sophomore and freshmen year as well. Over the two seasons, I have made many great friends and learned the importance of working hard to achieve my goals. Throughout my life, my parents have pushed me academically, but never really encouraged me to try hard in sports or physical activities. Cross country filled that void for me and helped me become a more well-rounded person.

College was a dream that was made possible by playing more than one sport. College is an easy transition for these athletes because it’s not that much different from their high school lifestyle. The routine is easier for them, they can manage their time with homework, practices and a social life at a stress free cost because of their time management skills. In the early stages of an athlete’s recruitment, many coaches are drawn to them because of their multi-sport abilities. Making friends comes easy to those athletes and they have the ability to become close to all of your new teammates and with the coaching staff. Athletes can go into this season ready to play, healthy body at hand, and fully confident in their success in this year. This was all possible because they played multiple sports. It laid down the path to their dream. And like everyone else they did everything possible to help them achieve

I had heard about the cross country team but I didn’t know anyone who was a part of it. The cross country team was full of girls who were welcoming and shared the same passion for running as me. I was putting in a lot of time into this team, from long practices everyday and meets every Wednesday and Saturday, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I was able to mentor the younger members on the team and share my love for running with them. After being a part of this team for three years, together, we have won three consecutive senate championships and developed a bond like no other.

I am a D1 athlete for track and field so there is little physically that I cannot do. I am in the best shape of my life and can work harder than most for a longer time. I did not start off my freshmen year as D1 athlete material, I did not often run and when I did it was minimal. Now four years later my hard work has paid off I worked until I caught up with those who were better than me, and then passed them. I have worked every day for four years consistently to make myself a better runner. Hard work is my specialty and I enjoy the rewards it

Joining sports at college might not be the best for me, but I have always wanted to try and join. I know I am not the best, but that has never stopped me from trying. Being stuck in my dorm room studying is where I probably will end up but I know that wont be the best. People tell me, go make friends, go see the world and go live life. Truthfully, I feel that education at college is all I am there for, but I know that’s not how I should be while at college. Once my schoolwork is done and studied hard, then its go

Athletics has played an instrumental role promoting success in all branches of life impacting my performance in school, work and other life facets. Involvement in athletics taught me the value of commitment allowing me to play in Division 1 Women’s Soccer while attending the University of Washington. As a former student athlete, I have been winning and losing my entire life developing my own resilience and tremendous work ethic to work with others toward a common goal. My drive spills over into my professional interactions and career aspirations allowing me to connect

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 times get tough, don’t give up. If you want to be the best you can be you don’t have a choice but to push your limits and try. As these words of encouragement have made me become who I am, cross country has shaped me into the person I am today.

Cross country is a sport for the dreamers. This fact becomes abundantly clear once setting foot out on the course. The atmosphere created by this determination and drive is palpable. A defining difference that separates cross country from other team sports is the lack of ill will towards other teams, rivalries are present but they provide for a greater sense of competition between schools. When looking up sportsmanship in the dictionary it says “refer to cross country”. What creates such a friendly environment that many other sports seem to lack? It all goes back to the shared goal, to finish.

I was a late-comer to athletics. So when the distance coach recruited me in tenth grade, it was a pleasant surprise to be half decent. I was deemed the most improved cross country runner in the nation, dropping six minutes for a 4K, landing me in my first state race. I have since been a contributing part of my varsity team. I have been All-Conference and All-Section for the past three years. This past year, my cross country team won state and nationals. I, myself, was runner-up in the team division at nationals. In Track and Field, I also competed at state. Running has become a huge part of my life, teaching me many lessons, especially that there is always room for

Ultimately, a person’s love for the sport has to drive them to conintue playing at a collegiate level despite hours spent at practice, early morning lifts and weekends spent traveling to games. Nonetheless, many of these talented athletes end up quitting the sport they once loved. After talking to two McDaniel students, Cody Dorsey, a former baseball player, and Brittany

As an incoming freshman in high school, I was lucky enough to play on the girls basketball team but, I didn’t enjoy it a whole lot due to the fact that I like to be around people who motivate me and make me feel like family and the girls on the team I was playing with didn’t provide that. I love sports and I wanted to continue to participate in a sport throughout secondary school but, I didn't know what to do because I didn't want to play basketball with girls that make me feel unwelcome. That's when one of my friends brought up running on the cross country team. At first I dreaded the thought of running because it reminded me of middle school when we had to run a mile every Wednesday on the track and I didn't enjoy that one bit but, I decided

Going to a four year college, and getting a degree is a big commitment to have, however I have always been one to continue through with my plans. I have always loved running, as I have been on the varsity cross country and track for three years so far. During the season, we had practice monday through friday, with races on saturdays. Going everyday was a big commitment, but I was prepared to do it for something I loved. During track most meets went on for hours, and I stayed at the event until the end, which was usually around ten at night, supporting the team and helping pack up the bus. Being apart of the team is a huge undertaking, but I was recognized of my work at the end of every season when I was given a varsity letter. Additionally, I’ve been working at Five Guys for almost a year now, even during cross country and track. Working a real job has given me experience you can’t find anywhere else. How to cooperate with others during a rush, and working fast to keep up with demand are just a few things I have been learning. As well as being able to cope with having various