I want to share a little story with you about my dad...the one who jump started my running career...
Picture this: I was a freshman in high school and all I wanted to do was be a cheerleader. I tried and tried, but I had to face it...it wasn't meant to be. Once the fall try-outs were over, I was devastated that I didn't make the football JV squad, and I only made the cut for the JV basketball squad. Not good.
Fast forward about a month and a half: One October night, the phone rang and it was the assistant cross-country coach asking for me. He was calling to find out if I would like to join the team since he had heard I was a freshman and was eligible to run. I could hardly believe what I was hearing! A coach...actually calling ME to ask me to join a team! Unbelievable! I thought about it for a whole two seconds, said yes, and quickly ran downstairs to tell my dad.
To give you a little background, my dad was already an accomplished runner himself, so this tidbit of news was music to his ears. All he said was, "Are you gonna do it?" I told him "yes" and the next night we were off to Aardvark Running Shop to get my first pair of shoes. I still remember them to this day...they were grey and silver with red accents. Oh, the little things we can recall!
I ran for about a week with the team until my first meet. At that point, I could barely cover 3 miles, yet alone 3 miles in a race situation. That particular meet was held on a course that had a monster "trail-like" hill that we had to run up a few times. After about the second time up that hill, I looked at my dad as if to say, "What the hell am I doing here?" He just kept on encouraging me and I made it through.
That year, fall turned into winter and then into spring and by track season, I wasn't too shabby. I actually made it to districts in the mile...even though I came in dead last. After all of that, it was the training I did with my dad the summer between my freshman and sophomore year that made all of the difference. By cross-country, I was ready to go. I even individually qualified for the Pennsylvania state meet as a sophomore!
From there on, the rest is history. I continued to have a very successful high school career and followed it through college, and there after.
The day I graduated from college, my dad told me the REAL story behind my running. You see, my dad was friends with that assistant coach who called me that one October evening back in 1989 and I never knew it. They had a little conversation and it was decided that Coach Kolosky would call to invite me to join the team. At that point, I wanted nothing to do with running...and my dad knew it...so he tricked me.
Even though I was seriously had by my dad and the coach, I still wouldn't trade it for the world, and even more...I wouldn't trade my dad for the world either! He has been my coach and supporter for over twenty years in this sport, and I am sure glad he joined me {and continues to join me} on the journey. He still never misses a race. Ever.
With that, I would like to wish him a very Happy Father's Day!
Love,
Tracy
Love this! That's awesome, even though I bet you would have been mad at him at the time and he knew it - hehe :)
ReplyDeleteHaha...he told me after almost 8 years of running so I couldn't be mad at him!!
ReplyDeleteAs i was reading your story I thought you were going to say the cross country coach called to say they had an open spot for varsity cheerleader for the cross country team :) Fortunately things didn't turn out too shabby for you as a runner, eh?
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