This is me, a running coach and lifelong runner (23 years strong!), sharing a fresh little something in case any of you runners out there need a burst of something something to fuel your own “why”.
A fresh new school year also means a fresh new high school Cross Country Running year in my world. I am the volunteer Head Coach of the boys’ and girls’ high school Cross Country Running Team at the high school where I work.
Today I held a brief intro to the season meeting at lunchtime. I treat this meeting as important. It sets the tone for the season for young athletes. Here’s an excerpt of what I shared with my young team:
“Our school’s leader is encouraging all of us to think more deeply about ‘why’ we do things this year. And so, I spent some time thinking about ‘why’ is it important to me to coach this running team.
I love to run fast and I love competition and I love to win. But those aren’t the most important reasons why I coach either Cross Country or Track and Field.
My why is that I love running myself. I love the feeling of being free on the roads and on the trails. I love that I feel like I am my true self when I am running. I coach because I want you to love running, too. I want you to love your true self and I want you to love your body just the way it is and for what it can do for you. I want for you to still be running when you are old like Mr. Murphy and me (*Smiles* We are in Murphy’s room with him). I want you to experience belonging to a team in high school and to love this. We are going to work really hard on Tuesday and Thursdays and you’ll see that it’s easier to work hard together.
So bring a positive attitude to our first practice tomorrow and let’s get this season started!”
Wish us luck as we run in pursuit of love for the sport!
