The 2019 track season began with the start of spring. Members participated in their first event at Rock Bridge High School, getting a running start on the season, anticipating a busy month of events and competitions. Students practice every evening after school, and on the weekends to get ready for competitions. A big part of their preparations is taking part in track workouts, an event that occurred during the pre-season on Tuesdays and Thursdays since the middle of September until the start of the season at the beginning of March.

During the off season the team gathers in the weight room for their workouts and sometimes might go somewhere from there such as to go running. At these workouts, they perform various exercises such as Olympic lifting, plyometrics (jumping exercises), running workouts, stationary bikes, etc. According to head coach Brian Hancock, attending these track workouts is important because it provides an opportunity for athletes to stay fit in the off season and it lays foundations for the track season.

According to Coach Hancock, there are no requirements to be a part of the track team. The coaches don’t do cuts, so there are usually between one-hundred and forty to one-hundred and fifty athletes on the team each year.

“Any athletes that want to come out and put in the work, they’re going to get a uniform and they’ll get opportunities to compete,” Coach Hancock said.

Track allows for any person to participate no matter their shape or size. You don’t have to be a specific weight or height in order to be a part of the team.

“It’s a sport that caters to all different body types,” Coach Hancock said.

Hancock also described the team as a very diverse group. The team is made up of different athletes with different personalities. At competition, athletes cheer each other on in their different events, making it a family atmosphere. Everyone wants to see each other improve.

With the track season right around the corner, some athletes have decided to set some goals for themselves.

“I want to break my shot put throw. I want to hit thirty-five this year,” sophomore Kenneth Miller said.

Another athlete that has set a goal for herself is freshman Aysia Parker. She wishes to gain more mental and physical strength.

“Usually when things get hard on me, I stop everything I’m doing and completely start over. This season I would like to push through whatever it is I’m going through,” Parker said.

Not only have the athletes made goals for this season, but so has Coach Hancock. His goal is to make it to district and sectional championships for both the guys and girls teams.

“I think those are both realistic goals that we can achieve,” Coach Hancock said.

The track team was expected to set goals for the season so that they could achieve more, and have realistic ideas of what the season was going to look like. The off season workouts get students in shape for the competitions during the spring, where members may be expected to do as many as four events at one competition.