Why Its Awesome to do Track and Field for Live Oak

This may be giving away my age, but back in the day when Coach Mike had the board, there used to be a topic about why people run track and field and why its better to be a Nut than anything else. Since those boards have since been retired and now there is the blog. I wanted to bring it back.

So here's my list of reasons why I think its awesome to do track and field for live oak.. and sorry if there's a lot of stories.. feel free to add on =D

1. 6 years later, I'm still here - eating In N Out after CCS

its crazy how some sports graduate people and you never hear from them ever again. track and field is THE only sport where I've felt comfortable enough to come back to spend time with athletes and coaches. That in itself means something.

And the In N Out is the official place for track. if i hear another athlete from another school claim in n out as their place, no. its been the official track place for 5 years!!

2. Crazy track stories and track people

Track people are crazy everywhere. not just in high school, recall rory's hollister observations, alisal, and the meet in the rain.. but in college, and everywhere else. you have to be in order to push yourself mentally in a sport that is a team sport, but is also an indivudal sport.

and this one kills me - apparently, track and field is the sport that is other team's punishment. i've heard that with a bunch of coaches of other sports, and i have nothing to them. if my sport is a punishment, why would i do it?

3. Athlete of the week

because everyone loves random gifts and the stories behind them. michelle danner got a stool. i have no idea why. the 4*400 team my year got sick socks, which I still have. i whip them out on important test days.. old habits die hard... and my aow award, a kinesio textbook is in my dorm room and is often referenced =D

4. everyone gets recognized

nothing is worse than an organization where only the "talented" or only the "seniors" are recognized. what does it mean when others get recognized and you don't. the motivation dies and you don't get people who come back year after year. alum before me told me that was an issue. why come back if the only reason that you were there in the first place was for some artificual achievement? no, get recognizied for the work you do. every athlete deserves a place in the sun.


5. plyo boxes, mini hurds, sand bags, and sleds

when you're a d1 school and you can afford big bucks on every athlete, you can buy whatever you want, but when you're underbudgeted public school. well you can't. seeing coach mike's homemade mini hurds, plyo boxes and bars for squats (they are slowly getting lighter each year - when they were first made, the paint cans were actually super difficult =D), puts a smile on my face everytime.

6. Saturday jump crew

only tcal kids will remember this because it was before the rule change, but saturday jump crew has the fondest memories in my mind because it showed me what it means to be a "real athlete," the kind who get up on days that they don't want to because they want to be come stronger, higher, and faster. it also showed me what a 6 day workout schedule will be. and it make me a much better athlete form wise. i still remember one of the first days when michelle, sarah, and me came to practice and coach mike was cleaning out the pit.. it made me sad because i realized if we wouldn't have come. an awesome thing would never have existed.

7. track bonding

from sky high to kerby's cone to super taq to in n out to track parties, and inside jokes - track is truly a family. in fact when rory was here for his first year, i recall the ongoing joke of track actually as a family with mother mike and father rory, and somehow rookie was related, darn you distance people, but i feel that the people that i ran with know me better than anyone else. i feel that track people always got my back.

8. king of the hill

because everyone still wants to believe that coach mike would do something illegal and steal the diana sign.. would make a great movie. plus, it gives you chance to live in infamy.

9. arnold work out tapes

because everyone needs a good laugh during plyos. especially after just running the hill. or just because its a bad day.. they're also great for conversation starters and are a mini-tribute satire to the current governor.

10. 8 minute abs

i don't know why but this workout become inter-sport-inal. it was the crossover workout that showed how hardcore track athletes were. plus it gave hard core abs that you could use to wash your laundry.. except now coach mike knows better and we do something else, but they were cool when we still did them

11. how track and field athletes kick butt in all other sports

there is no cross over sport for track and field. they come from all over - volleyball, field hockey, soccer, water polo, football, tennis even! and whats even better is when track and field athletes show their heart, spirit, and leadership in their other sports. not only are track and field athletes great on the field, they're great in the classroom and great leaders.

just one eg. field hockey captains my senior year - both track and field athletes =D

12. track is the only sport where its okay for a guy with a gun to take your clothes off

stole it from stephanie. but i found it awkwardly true.

13. lime green warm-ups

old school - but when your school and every other school is green, it helps when your warm-ups are lime green. lame when it rains ie. the meet where huge puddles were in the track and we didn't cancel the meet. yeah running a 400 is great - try running it when theres puddles every step of the way.. and your warm ups dont keep you warm - instead they suck up the rain like a sponge.. also they were really comfy when they're dry and you're just chilling post-meet

14. running on the high jump pit

its exhausting and you think it might be cool. its not. =D

15. meeting new athletes every year

one of the reasons i come back every spring.. besides waiting for the second annual midnight madness. but i love meeting new athletes.. i love seeing how the team grows, how it improves, even if it means smashing on old records of people i knew and basically make me look like the lamest student athlete ever.. but its still awesome all the same to meet the newest member of LO Track and field.

and i guess i'll call it quits for that list.. getting sleepy and i'm sure your brain is sick of scrolling through all this. more at a later date, when i think of a good story or some fun facts. =D