55.0°,
A Few Clouds ‘Run strong, Rocks’
East Rockaway has high-energy, motivated students running track
“Wait. What? You don’t have a track? “
“Nope. No track. “
“So how do you practice? “
“We run around the field or the halls. Sometimes we go to Malverne to share their track. We do the best we can with what we have.”
This is a conversation that is all too familiar to the East Rockaway Varsity Track team — how the heck do you have a track team with no track? But like we say, we do the best we can.
Conditions are tough, even hazardous at times, but the people that run track are a special kind of people. They are the ones that “run for fun,” so really, they’re going to do what they have to in order to participate. It takes creativity and a go-with-the-flow kind of attitude, all while using intense discipline to work on the skills that are important for success.
The 2015 team boasts some of the highest numbers in school history, so morale is up and competition is fierce. Every runner on the squad has shown marked improvement over the course of the season, and there are still many meets left to run.
Now that the springtime sun has finally appeared, the possibilities are endless. With 17 freshmen on the squad, it has been a learning experience for everyone as the upperclassmen are working to set the best example possible and the freshmen are seeing what it takes to compete in an individual-based team sport.
Everybody has their responsibility to the team, and success comes with fulfilling those roles. Trying new events, holding teammates accountable for their actions, work ethic — these all play a critical role in how we support each other and the team, and what essentially leads to the success of any track program.
The Varsity squad has also paired up with the Junior High team for the second time this year in a mentor program, to teach the younger athletes different track and field events and try to keep interest in the sport at a high level.
