By MIA DELMONICO and CAITLIN MILLER
Track and field provides an opportunity for athletes of a variety of sports to come together and form a versatile group of individuals and eventually a team. Athletes from all sports gather and get the chance to excel individually in specific areas of competition. This characteristic of track and field is one of the main reasons it attracts so many different types of competitors. Being given the choice of what distance to run, what jumps to perform, and what throwing events to complete gives the team members a sense of freedom and individuality that other team sports do not. Track and field is a universal sport that allows both new athletes to aspire and experienced competitors to improve.
One of the most influential things that draws different people to this sport is the fact that several different talents are enhanced and shown. There are opportunities for people to do sprints, long distance, middle distance, relays, and hurdles. This shows different athletes’ abilities to accelerate and collaborate, as well as amplifying their endurance levels. There are also field events that offer others a chance to participate in the sport. These include shot put, discus throw, high jump, triple jump, and long jump. Athletes train daily to improve their skills in each specific event. Another great aspect of track and field is that each and every participant is able to engage in running events as well as field events. This requires extra commitment seeing as though they must attend more than one practice a day. Being in track and field requires having a flexible attitude and a willingness to help the team in any way possible.
Track and field does stand apart from other sports in the sense that they give everyone a chance to participate. The coaches of track and field will not turn anyone away and they will work their hardest to help each athlete excel individually. They also take the polished pieces the athletes use in their first sports and use them to enhance their performances as well as working on the missing pieces to complete the picture in the end. The hope always is that the picture will portray success. This dedication makes each participant feel like they are contributing positively to the team and the results of each meet.
Overall track and field is a very versatile sport that has aspects that could interest almost anyone. It creates a group of athletically inclined individuals and uses their talents to make a team. As each competitor works to the best of their abilities and contributes to the team, it unites athletes from all sport varieties into an elite class. This team works in unison all across the different activities in track and field and continues to make an impact on the future. Meet after meet the Redlands East Valley Track and Field team makes history and raises standards for future wildcats.