Sarah Selzer
Senior Reporter
Dedication is something I have struggled with throughout my adolescent life. The term “commitment” always made me feel uneasy because I cherished freedom in the idea that a team wasn’t relying on me.
Commitment stressed me out whether it was deciding on what dish to order in a restaurant to the monumental decision of what high school to attend.
I joined the cross-country team as a freshman not realizing the amount of time and effort that would be invested.
I purposely ran slow during practice, talked back to my coaches and didn’t follow directions.
After weeks of apathetic practices, I placed second in my first league race. My coach, Creighton Helms, came up to me a week later to talk to me about being a part of the prestigious “top seven” girls, also known as the varsity team.
The way he described competing at that level didn’t sound like an exciting experience, but more of a chore. His emphasis on committing to extensive practices over the weekends, and the dreaded post-season training sessions sounded revolting.
Coach Helms then said something that struck me. He talked about how being in the top seven was an honor, one that not many athletes on cross-country get to endure. He explained I would be be a part of team that had the potential to break school records.
After our talk, I committed full-time to the varsity squad.
At first I struggled with giving up so much time to a single activity. I hated getting up for early morning practices, traveling to meets on weekends and the expectation that I had to achieve success as a varsity athlete.
I now realize that by “running the extra mile,” properly stretching after every workout and listening to my coaches advice got me to the point where I am accustomed to working hard. I learned to accept the time I gave up to become a better athlete.
Being on varsity was beneficial to myself and to the team. My race times were improving and helped us surpass Marin Academy in our league rank.
The North Coast Section was the last competitive race of my freshman season. The physical pain of the 3.2 miles couldn’t match the overwhelming joy I experienced sprinting past two competitors at the end of the race, receiving my best time on one of the most difficult courses.
I had earned my record time with all the training I put into my racing throughout the season.
Although I sometimes felt like giving up due to the physical pain and stress, NCS represented a stamp of validation, convincing myself that all the hard work and effort was worth it.
Ultimately, committing to the varsity team was one of the best decisions I ever made. Being in the top seven pushed me to venture outside my comfort zone and taught me the meaning of dedication and success, ethics I carry with me to this day.
