As the long, lazy days of summer approach, with no school and no homework and all kinds of fun at your fingertips, there is something athletes of all ages should remember: Sticking with something you enjoy and have put a lot of hard work into is important, especially in sports. The only way to really get better at a sport, and gain a step on your opponents is to keep working and practicing, even when they’re not.
I started doing this for my cross country running team in the summer after my freshman year of high school. I grew up in a town where the summers are very, very hot. I wanted to make the varsity cross country squad for the next school year. My training secret: I ran when no one else would. In weeks where the sun blazed down on the town, I worked through long runs and hills because I knew that the only way I could make the team would be if I knew that I had worked harder than anyone else who was there.
You know what the best part was?
The best part was that my plan worked. I was able to get through the team organized workouts with no problems and ended up winning several races between me and my teammates. My coach was really proud and happy that I hard worked so hard. He made me part of the varsity team. By the end of the year, my hard work helped me run a three-mile race in 17 minutes, 30 seconds. It felt awesome! I guess hard work, even when it the lazy summer makes it hard to talk yourself into it, is a pretty good idea.
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