The Aim To Finish

By Leilani Hoofnagle

Athletes know how nerve wracking it is to try out for a sport.  Two freshmen, Gabriela Diaz Escobar and Brooke Shell, are two outstanding athletes who are trying out for Timber Creek High School Track and Field.  Both have been on one of the sports teams for Timber Creek High School. Diaz Escobar was on the school soccer team and Shell was on the school swim team.  They are now both trying out for Timber Creek High School track. When asked “why did you try out for track?” Diaz Escobar said, “My parents convinced me to try out because they knew how fast I was and how much I run.  Trying out for track also shows how well-rounded I am and it will look good on my resume.”  When Shell was asked the same question, she stated, “I want to push myself to see what my abilities are!”  These two freshmen have both been practicing in order to prepare for the track tryouts. But, they are used to preparing to try out for track because they have been doing track since 5th (Shell) and 6th grades (Diaz Escobar).

One might wonder how athletes who make the school team for one of the sports, manage to get all their homework done and on top of that also balance having a social life. Diaz Escobar said, “Managing my schoolwork will be a lot harder and my social life won’t be affected too much because I also have friends on the team so it should be fine.” All school sports require students to maintain good grades.  Student athletes need to have at least a 2.0 grade point average or above in order to stay on the team.  The tricky part to that is keeping your grades up while having less time to study and do your homework.  

Many people don’t know the difference between track and cross country.  There is actually a major difference between the two. “Cross country is a much longer distance you have to run and it requires endurance whereas track you have to run a much shorter distance and it requires speed,” Shell explained.  There are also events that are involved in track.  They are the 100, 200, 400 meter dashes, shot put,  long jump, pole vault, and many other events.  Track athletes should also make sure they are eating healthy and staying hydrated before their meets. “I normally eat a lot of fruits and vegetables.  I also drink plenty of water in order to stay hydrated,” said Diaz Escobar.  Proper diet is important to help prepare for an upcoming meet.  

The way to get faster is to train hard!  In order for you to become a better runner, you have to practice.  This isn’t just for track, you also have to practice for several other sports in order to become a better player.  You want to make sure you are training properly to help build up endurance and strength.  Shell feels that the proper way to train for track is just what you are probably thinking right now-to run!  “I run around my neighborhood in order to prepare and that is really all there is to it,” stated Shell.  Like for any sport, there are specific stretches you have to do for track to prevent injuries and loosen your muscles up.  Some of the stretches that Diaz Escobar does are, “..stadiums, calf stretches, and lunges.”  Running and sprinting does put a lot of stress on your body especially on your joints and muscles.  Stretching is essential to prevent aches and pains and helps you keep working at full potential.  
Both Shell and Diaz Escobar have been preparing physically and mentally for the track tryouts.  There is more to track than just running.  One must prepare and have the drive to compete and not give up.  Shell’s favorite track star athlete, Usain Bolt, says “There are better starters than me but I’m a strong finisher.”  It doesn’t always matter how you start the race, what matters is how you finish it.