Everything you need to know about Timber Creek’s track and field
By: Olivia Acevedo
With the end of the winter sports season, comes the spring season. Timber Creek offers a lot of different sports during the spring, such as baseball, tennis, and track. Track tryouts are on the way. Here’s everything you need to know for this upcoming season.
Track is unlike other sports since they only have varsity and the boys and girls are on one team. It provides you with opportunities to improve upon yourself and meet new people to help motivate you. Track is a self-improving sport. When you are running an event, yes you are competing against other people, but your main competitor is yourself. Every time you run, you are trying to beat your previous time. This builds self-discipline and dedication. Head coach for the girls track team, Lyle Lake, has been coaching for 25 years. In this time, he has seen many different kinds of athletes. “There’s so many different areas that you can go into,” Lake said. “You can almost master any of those areas as long as you take the time to do it.”
Tryouts are happening on January 29th. There are many different ways you can prepare yourself. There’s the obvious, run. However, there is more to it than just running. You also need to take care of your body to prepare it for the intense workouts you are going to do. Freshman track athlete Aiden Denis has been running track for 6 years, and has picked up some knowledge on the sport. “Practice and drink water,” Aiden said. “But track is really an individual sport so just try your best.”
Nerves are expected when trying out for something important. Most are worried they won’t make the cut or aren’t as good compared to the others. Trying out is a very different experience for someone who has never been before. Coach Lake helps orchestrate the tryouts every year and picks out the team. “There’s not really a big tryout,” Lake said. “It’s usually if you’re there to work, you can do it.” Most who tryout make the team, just be ready to work.
One of the benefits of making the team is being able to be surrounded by people with one main interest. Being a part of a team is an experience unlike any other. You have constant support and encouragement to do your best. Denis was previously on his middle school team and is trying out for the high school team this year. “I had a lot of people I got to compare myself to so I can get better,” Denis said. “I made friends that I enjoy running with.” Having friends with you pushes you to do better.
It may seem scary or challenging, but track is overall a fun and inspiring environment. You are given the chance to build upon yourself and have a set goal while being surrounded by positive influences and motivations. Nothing beats the satisfaction of crossing the finish line at the end of a race and feeling like you just reached the top of a mountain. There’s an event for everyone, so lace up and head over to the track to find out what you got.
