Why Track?
Last year was one of Comp Sci High's best years of track. It was a year of celebration and passion, where people learned what it feels like to run on the rubber and let their spirits go wild while hitting that last stretch and sprinting till they can't run anymore.
The poster for the track teams pasted in the hallways of Comp Sci High reads “3RD PLACE CSAA.” Those words are on a gold medal, as an athlete with a green tank top prepares to run. Last year was one of Comp Sci High's best years of track. It was a year of celebration and passion, where people learned what it feels like to run on the rubber and let their spirits go wild while hitting that last stretch and sprinting till they can't run anymore.
What motivates our fellow track athletes to run and make memories that will be passed from track team to team as they exit the door? It starts with the struggle to make it to the top; only the ones who want to be the best will do whatever it takes.
I think of the shivers that track runners go through when they all line up at the start line, waiting for the gun to go off. What better way to know how it feels than asking the track runners who went through it, such as Dante Thomas, an alumni. He told me: “For me personally, I don’t think about anything during the race. My mind goes blank, which unintentionally helps me not get distracted.”
Moh, an alumni, told me: “Lord, the first ever race I was beyond nervous! I had to conceal my anxieties by shouting at my teammates and chanting. Then, that sort of carried onto every other meet. I knew I wasn’t the fastest, but the best I could do was encourage the others so that we could run our best race.”
What made people want to pursue the ambitious sport of track again and again? David Raji, an alumni, says that he “wanted to come back to see how much I could push myself when I was solely focused on running and improving.” He went on: “If you want to run track, forget teamwork, be the best you see and if there is someone better, be better than better, and if there’s a best be better than the best. Aim for beyond the top; be so high up so that, when another reaches for you to try to catch you, all they can hope to grasp is your dust”
But what made people want to backtrack, what made people want to go through the burning workouts and be left on the ground after practice? Moh believes: “Your body may hurt while running right now, but the pain of quitting prematurely will sting more. So run until you can’t run anymore.”
But when the track meet ends, the only things you take home other than the soreness of your feet and the weakness of being able to walk another step are memories, or as Moh states, medals. He told me: “My favorite memory would be the 4x8 team walking up to our first-place medals. It truly felt like the fruit and results of our hard work and dedication put in throughout the season.”
Mentally and physically the sport challenges you, which Moh believes. He said: “As you know, I wasn’t really a runner and started on it back in January of that year. At that time I could barely run for a minute, stopping at the other side of Coach Shawn’s block. But now I can push through for prolonged periods and participate in Cross Country. So what I learned was that dedication and mentality are a crucial part of one’s journey. Not only in track but in multiple facets of life.”
From the first step you take and the first breath you take, it takes practice to achieve better success in life. Even if you are not good at what you do, taking the extra step to try and be better shows that you won’t be truly dissatisfied or disappointed. Staying uncomfortable in a situation can be for the better
Now that we have heard from our alumni track athletes, we need to consider those who still compete for us. What lies ahead for CSH track and field? Who are the future stars? I hope to see a future of Comp Sci High athletes pushing and striving for even better times in their races, because dedication is what carries you to the finish.