A Cross Country Tale
Cross country has been an important part of my life since I was about 12 years old. I began in 6th grade, and just this past month my cross country career has officially come to an end. Over my six years of running, I have made some great friends along the way, and I am here to advocate for joining the cross country team at Central Catholic. Joining cross country as a freshman is one of the best decisions a student can make. For starters, the team practices over the summer, so a freshman can already make friends before school starts. Making friends can be a challenge for some people, so for those students who struggle in this aspect of socialization, cross country is at the very least a great outlet for interaction with others. On top of the friends you can make, you will also encounter some great role models in the upperclassmen. The cross country team during my four years of running was a great group of students.
Cross country also teaches extreme discipline. Just like most sports, we practiced five days a week and had races on Saturday’s. However, cross country is unlike other sports, where the coach is constantly on the field with you giving advice or extra motivation. Since cross country practice consists of running through the trails of Schenley Park, our coach cannot be there monitoring each runner and accompanying us on our run. Because of this, runners must be disciplined and determined in order to push himself throughout the practice. If you can convince yourself to run eight miles in 90° weather, you can easily convince yourself to study for a test, or do homework on time. If you put in the proper amount of work during practice, the results will be clear. The amount of work you put in will be apparent in the results of your race. Hard work during the season should yield faster times as the season progresses. Cross country is the one sport that you can see a steady increase in skill from week to week.
Cross country is also a great method for staying in shape. The reason I joined cross country as a sixth grader was to condition for soccer and basketball. Getting yourself into the habit of running five to six days a week is extremely beneficial for your health, and it is a hobby you can continue for the majority of your adult life. Running can also be a great way for relieving stress. I know that when I am feeling angry or overwhelmed, I can go for a long run and clear my head of all the problems that I am facing. Because of all of these factors, I highly recommend cross country to anyone in search of a fall sport to participate in. In m experience cross country yielded nothing but positive results, and was totally worth all of the hours of hard work I put in over the years. Realizing that my career is over is a sad feeling, but I am able to look back on the fond memories with the close friends I made through the sport.
