Looking Ahead, Planning for the Future

It's been interesting to note these past few days as the school counselors have been leading you athletes through the registration process for next school year, that many of you are beginning to look ahead, and I mean waaay ahead.

A number of you sophomores are thinking about what classes to take your junior year that will affect your college choices, college admission, and even the opportunity to compete in college. Good for you!!

School can be work and lets face it, it can be boring at times. But like any challenge in life, it becomes much more doable if there is a purpose behind it, a goal to achieve through it. I encourage you to not let school be "something you have to do" but "something to achieve." Dare yourself to dream about what could be rather than dwell on what is.

I was talking with Rebecca Asplund the other day about her class choices, and it dawned on me that she (like the rest of you sophs) is basically already a junior! Where does the time go?

It goes fast, that's where. So don't waste your time at King. Take challenging courses, classes that will prepare you to enter college and succeed. Don't get caught thinking high school's gonna take forever. It'll be gone before you know it and the choice you are making today, such as the choices of taking honors or AP courses, will positively affect you when you go to fill out those college applications or when your race performances catch the eye of some college coach.

Looking for FAT athletes!

I was talking with Kelsi and Kasey Tippets' dad yesterday, as we waited for the two girls to get back from their workout. He commented about how well the team seemed to be doing, excitement for the upcoming competitive season colored his words. I couldn't help but agree!

As we talked, I realized again something that I've been thinking a lot about regarding you all over the last few months. We will have a great season because you are great kids.

By "great" I mean talented, yes, but even more important than that. What makes this team of guys and girls great is your character! You have integrity, you are willing to work, you listen to your coaches, you try to do what we suggest in order to improve. It is these things that make you great, and collectively they make us a great team of distance runners.

I was given an acronym a few days back that describes the great athlete: FAT. I know what you're thinking, fat athletes are pretty much NFL linemen and sumo wrestlers. SKINNY would define us. But no! FAT is the perfect term to describe great runners!

Flexible

Available

Teachable

I have come to realize that great runners are "FAT" runners. These kinds of athletes have realized that the only way to improve is to adapt to better workouts, faster paces, longer miles. They are available -- they show up to practice without excuse, they are teammates in every sense of the word. They are hungry for the knowledge they need to improve. They don't walk around thinking they know it all, they seek the advice of coaches and other runners to find ways to get better.

So, so many of you are FAT. Thank you! It was fun bragging to Mr. Tippets about not just his two daughters, but all of you.

"But this is so hard!!!"

Coach Corona informed me the other day of a pretty decent athlete in another track event that just up and quit, three days into the season. When he asked why, the student responded, “this is just so hard!”

Well, it is! Duh. But I would say in response, “so what if it is?” Does everything in life have to be easy? Is our time on the planet best spent in pursuit of things that are easy, activities that don’t require work? Is that all there is?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying we ought be weirdoes deliberately looking for pain and suffering. That’s not the point. What I am saying though is a truth I’ve learned in my life. Here it is: So often, the most challenging pursuits in life, the efforts that really take a truck load of concentration, discipline, and flat out work, bring the greatest rewards. Those who can withstand it, are those who reap a payday that is simply indescribable.

I feel sorry for that kid. There was talent there, enough talent that given time and effort, that athlete could have walked off the track just glowing in the light of accomplishment. But the pursuit of what’s easy, what’s comfortable, derailed that potential and complacency took over. Too bad.

It’s interesting … the very day that Coach Corona gave me the word, I was watching you all busting your butts on the track, working hard, suffering, straining, trying wring from your bodies every ounce of improvement you could. Good for you! I’m continually impressed by every teenager, decent athlete or not, who has figured out that the path to success is not a smooth one, easily tread, but it’s a mountain to climb, it takes daily effort and a continual view of the incredible rewards that will come to those who keep on keeping on.