A Coach's Impact.

I had never run before in my life (and didn't even realize cross country was a sport) until my older sister started running her seventh grade year. I started running the next year when I was in seventh grade. I was in love with running instantly. I wasn't great, but I was decent considering my lack of experience with running (my parents were never runners either). I got better in eighth grade, then got pretty good my freshman year. My sister and I both ran varsity (her sophomore year) and we had great seasons and a great team. Our track seasons were also successful and positive for the most part. I had run a half marathon at the beginning of the track season, so I had trained for it while playing basketball. I was determined to be tough and jump immediately into track and not let the half marathon throw my training off. I ended up dealing with a foot injury for the whole season (we're fairly certain now that it was a stress fracture), but it didn't stop me from competing in four events at every varsity meet.

Then the summer before my sophomore year (without letting my foot heal), I ran myself into the ground. I was doing lots of two a days, hard workouts, increased mileage, and all while still participating in basketball camps, practices, and games. I trained too hard too quickly, because I was determined and motivated to become our team's number one runner. My coaches wanted me to keep running hard and continue to increase my mileage, and I loved having them be so proud of me and having them push me to get better.

This training was too much for my age and experience level, and I ended up losing my whole season only a few meets into the season. I was on crutches and in a boot. I had run top three for our team in every meet I ran in, but it wasn't good enough. I took off the boot early and jumped back in for our league race when my coach told me that if I ran, he would let me run in post season. I believed him, and ran top five for our team at leagues, and he lied to me. He told me I "just wasn't good enough", and I wasn't going to post season. While I had been in the boot, he wouldn't let me ride the bus with my team or go to practice because I was " an unnecessary distraction", but I overlooked it because I thought it would be better if I was running for him again. Then when he lied to me and wouldn't let me go into post season even when I had remained loyal, determined, and he had promised me a spot if I ran (and I earned a spot running top 7). He sent a couple teammates instead of me that were minutes behind my times, and had been pretty horrible to me during the season. After all of this, he refused to letter me at the end of the season, even though I had met the requirements to earn a varsity letter. What made this even more frustrating and painful, is he lettered a handful of boys that didn't even go to post season and had never once run even top nine.

I no longer respect this coach, and I no longer want to collegiately run. It was ruined for me and it still hurts. But now, I have learned to run for myself and not listen to what negative coaches or teammates have to say to or about me. I built stronger relationships with my teammates that support me and care about me, and whether or not I am able to run due to injury, I know that my life is larger than and has more value than a four year varsity award or the approval of a sexist man.

- Anonymous