I never was very athletic and I always had trouble running even a couple of feet but thanks to me being a total push over and my friend being very “persuasive” I decided to sign up for track. This for me was a very scary thing but here is why I came to love it.
On my first day of practice I was terrified that people would make fun of me because of how I run. The first day we all sat and just learned a little about how middle school track works. We met our coaches (if we did not really know them before, like me), our coaches were the school’s officer, an 8th grade science teacher, an 8th grade social studies teacher and later a 6th grade language arts (I think that is what she teaches) teacher joined them. I thought my coaches were really nice and for the first time I was actually excited. The next day we went over all the expectations and that was an ok day.
After that the real practice began, I was having trouble running but I kept pushing myself and listening to my coaches, I always tried to give 110%. After about a week my coaches knew who I was and always tried to help me. They pushed me to my limits and helped me build up my endurance, and before I knew it I could jog a for 15 minutes straight, this was a great accomplishment for me and I was so proud of myself.
Before I knew it was the day before the first meet , I was terrified already but then I got home and learned that neither of my parents would be able to come to the meet. I was really upset because the only people who would be watching me would be my coaches and my best friend’s mom (who was giving me a ride home after). The whole day I was scared, I could not think strait and my mind was just full of fear. By 6th period I could barely do anything. 7th hour seemed to be flying by before I knew it the final bell rang, time to go up and get my stuff then come back down and change into my uniform, I was so scared. I went and sat with my group, I was beginning to freak out. Then the P.E teacher (who is not one of my coaches) called me over and told me I could not run because there was a paper I need to have my mom sign saying that I can compete in sports (I had to have this signed because I transferred and I was home schooled until the middle of this year). So I got luck, I went and got out of my uniform and went to call my mom from the offices.
The next day we had practice again and I was actually excited (again but I was still glad I had not competed the day before because I was till sore). All that week I kept giving 110% and I was making my coaches proud. We had about 3 school days left until the next meet so I kept working really hard. Then Monday (the day before the next meet) we were supposed to be a light workout but it ended up being my hardest workout yet, I was so proud of myself. All the next day I was really scared about the meet. After the final bell rang I went upstairs and got my stuff, I mt up with my best friend we got changed and went to into the gym. We sat in our groups and waited to get on the busses. Our coaches lectured us for and started to pump us up. After that we all got on the busses and we left, I was really scared at the time. Then one of our coaches was reading off all the girls events and he said I was on an event that I really did not want to do but I was’nt about to drop out so I said I would do it, at that point I was reall really scared. My event was not toward the end so I just sat and cheered on my teamates with my bff. Before I knew it they were doing the final call for my relay, but then my coach says he messed up the who thing so we had to figure who was running what (it was a medly relay) then my coach finally put me on a much easier one but then they already had one to run that distance and I was stuck running my original one I did not want to run and I said that. I got very lucky though one of my teammates who was really nice switched with me and. I did not have the really easy one the coach said I could run but I did have and easier one then the distance I was about to have to run.
I stood there waiting for the one before me on my relay team to get tome, she was the last one to get there so I just stood. Finally she got to me and past the baton and off I was I kept running, I could hear my coaches, teammates, friends, my mom, and other people’s parents cheering me on, it wsa the only thing keeping me going, it gave me strength and ecouragement, and when I was running I just rembered before I started running that one of my favorite teachers, my technology teach had given me a thumbs up before I started running. I just kept going thinking of all the encourage ment people were giving me I kept going and finally I was close to my temmate, I was the last one in though. I told her to start running but then I relised I told her to soon, the gut who was running the race stopped her before she went out of the passing zone, I finally made it up to her and passed the baton, and I was done with my race. I stood there for a minute then I walked off the track, I felt very light headed and like I might throw up. I finally walked over to the water jugs and got a cup of water and drank it all down, then I got another cup. I still felt light headed so I sat down and took a bag of pretzels I had in my lunchbox and started eating them and I felt fine. After that I felt soooooo proud of myself and I am very glad I ran in the race.
Now the coaches have decided that they can push us harder and we can handle it. I am not as sore as I used to be when I started but I still get sore but it is not nearly as bad. I am very glad I signed up for track and I am very very glad I am sticking with I because I have never ever even been close to being and athlete but now, I am an athlete.