Family outside of family
As a high school athlete, a person who plays a sport long enough naturally bonds with their teammates. For the cross country team, this statement could not be anymore true.
The team spends every day of the week at early morning and after school practices, along with after school events such as pasta dinners and even a yearly trip to Colorado.
“Being able to eat pasta meals is a great experience. We’re able to hang out and talk outside of practice in a more casual sense. You get to know your brother’s true personality and see how they act in different areas,” senior captain Keaton Wasson said.
While all sports teams bond, some believe that this kind of bonding is unique to the cross country team.
“I feel like every time you run with someone, you’re both exhausting your body. Sharing that kind of experience with someone else creates a really strong relationship with that person,” senior Melissa Becker said.
The cross country team doesn’t just use this bonding to help benefit them outside of school. Many of the runners use this relationship to help push them across the finish line.
“When you think of your teammates as brothers, you are much more willing and likely to endure the pain of a race. If you’re doing it for yourself, it is much easier to just slow down and not push as hard,” Assistant coach Alan Shields said.
Whether the sport is football, soccer or basketball, most can agree that the bonding seen in the cross country team is a sight to behold, and unique to all runners.
