Thank You Track And Field By Michael Sutera

After  hearing the news that all spring sports were canceled, I was overtaken with a wave of emotions.  The last ounce of hope I had for maybe getting one last chance to put on my schools jersey and compete in a track meet had vanished right before my eyes. Back when the quarantine started I thought for sure I would at least have some sort of Senior season. As weeks went by I just kept telling myself that we would be back, and that all the hard work and sacrifice we all put in, starting back in August for cross country, would eventually pay off this year. It's hard to put into words the emotions I've felt over the last month and a half. 

Obviously every Senior is incredibly disappointed, but specifically for spring sport athletes, this spring would've marked the culmination of all the hard work, sacrifice and dedication, to their specific sport. My hope this spring was that everything I had worked for would finally come to fruition, but I also just wanted to enjoy the little things. It's the little things we take for granted. For me, some of the best memories in track weren't just when I ran a great race or cleared a certain height, the best memories came from the practices and the team camaraderie. That's why I am so thankful for the sport of track and field. This sport has taught me so many valuable lessons and through this sport I've made friendships that will last a lifetime. 

It's hard to describe to people who aren't in the sport how much fun just being at a track meet really is. I loved getting up on a race day not only because I was excited to compete and race well but because being at the meets was a fun part. For me, the meets were the reward for training so hard at every practice. 

However, obviously not every time you step on the track does it go your way. That's why I am so thankful for track because it taught me that yes, you can work as hard as you possibly can, you can show up everyday and just work harder than anyone, you can keep pushing yourself through the pain of a  strenuous speed workout or keep fighting during that last set of a distance workout, but sometimes it won't be enough, or you'll come up short. Track has taught me that it's how you react from your failures or setbacks that define who you are.

This situation is just another setback in all of our lives. But how we move forward is what really determines our future. I was very distraught after the news that everything was cancelled but it only made me realize how much I truly loved track and field and how thankful I am that I was introduced into the sport. 

This crisis has definitely taught me a lot about my self.

The biggest thing I've learned from this whole situation is that I can only control myself and my emotions, and that getting upset and angry and saying how unfair life is, won't change anything. It's definitely been a tough time but I try to remain positive and my advice for my fellow senior athletes is to just be grateful for all the memories you created and don't dwell on the ones you didn't get to create. To all the underclassmen, I just want to say to never take any moment for granted, you never know which moment might be your last. 

Overall Track and Field helped me develop into the person I am today. Through all the struggles and setbacks I'm disappointed in how it ended but so thankful for the journey. 

I hope everyone reading this can take something positive away from it and I hope everyone remains healthy during this tough time.