There you are, at the starting line, you place your feet into the blocks, you’ve been training the last 5 weeks, you don’t feel fear, you don’t have second thoughts. The only thing on your mind is the firing of the gun, that is track.
Track has always been one of Lodi’s strong suits and in this article we will go over the starting, motivations, and some of the accomplishments of some of our coaches, and track-stars.
Every track event starts
with your first step, whether it would be the 400, 1600, or a sprinting event like 100 or 200, starting track is the same way, with many of our athletes starting as soon as 7-8 grade. Like Owen, Owen joined track during 7th grade and is still attending to this day, his reasoning for this is because “I wanted to have a spring sport and get ready for other sports in the off season.” Because track has many events, it was easy for him to find events that fitted him, which were the 800 and the 1600. These events increased his stamina and endurance so when he gets on the football field, he’s ready for any amount of running a wide receiver might need. Another athlete that joined track for the same reason was Bryce. Bryce, after his wrestling season was over in 8th grade, knew that if he wanted to get better at wrestling, he would have to train in the off season which is why he chose track. “I knew what I needed to improve on as a wrestler, my stamina and my strength, which is why I joined events like the 400 and discus.” The 400, being a combination of distance and sprinting, and discus being a strength based event, challenged Bryce. Starting this track season, his personal records in the 400 and discus were as to be expected, not exactly the best, but overtime his records grew more and more to the point he is at today. But athletes are only a part of the sports, most of the work is done by coaches and staff, acknowledging their start only seems right, and the beginning of coach Skelengers, is like many of the athletes from lodi high school, “ I did track and field in high school, I did track and field in college, and then after I graduated from college, I trained myself basically for longer distances.” “When a position became open for middle school back in 2021, I applied for it. I got the middle school position for spring 2022” Coach Skelengers began the same way as most athletes, this allows him to truly connect with his athletes. After becoming a middle school coach, he quickly became became the head coach of the high school program, and through shadowing, he was able to understand how to coach at that level, “At the time, the head high school coach was going to be leaving the school district for another job, so he immediately asked if I would like to take on the high school program the following year. And so I coached the middle school in 2022 and shadowed the high school program in 2022 as well and in 2023 I ended up taking the head coach position at the high school.” Through the use of shadowing and circumstances, coach Skelenger was able to climb the ranks to the position he is today.
Your first step into track and field is very important, but without motivation this drive can die out quickly causing many athletes to quickly leave their respective sports. But drive is plentiful in Track and Field, drive is shown by both coaches and athletes and
one of our athletes drives is failure, seeming counterintuitive but makes since, with Bryce saying, “Failing is apart of the processes of becoming great, sure I love to win as much as the next guy, but losing devastates me, I hate losing more than I love winning, that’s my motivation” Athletes alike would rather win then lose, but athletes that get motivation from losing are something else. Another athlete that is driven by losing in Owen, getting his motivation from “Not getting last, and spending time with friends.” Owens’ motivation is both the same and different from Bryce’s, getting motivation from loss, but also through friendships built during track and field that could last a lifetime. Coach Skelengers’ motivation compared to these two athletes, is much different due to his status as a coach his motivation to continue to teach this sport consists of multiple different reasons, “In general, I work with and manage adults all day, and for me to be able to work with high school kids, athletes who also have an interest in the sport. I’m a teacher at heart, coaching and teaching I think are very similar that way.” In the end, whether it’s the sting of losing, the bonds built with teammates, or the passion for teaching the next generation, motivation in track and field takes many forms, but it’s that shared drive that keeps athletes and coaches stepping back onto the track, again and again.
Achievements are the result of motivation, hard
work, and talent. Without achievements, what would be the point of sports, tests, or anything else, and these track athletes having many achievements under their belt. Most of these achievements may see small, but in the grand scheme of track and field mean a lot more than you may think, with one of Bryce’s achievements being many of his personal achievements, “Many people believe that all achievements have to be massive and have to be local, state or even national level, but for me, it’s just getting 1 percent better every day.” Bryce isn’t the best athlete in his division whether it would be the 400, discus or any other event, but his analogy of becoming only a little better every single day can help him further in life. Not expecting results immediately but overtime. The same can be said for Owen Olson with his achievements being, “Getting multiple personal records throughout the season.” This system of personal records versus examining himself to others can help in morality, many people may be faster than him due to circumstances, but basing his success off of how he is doing compared to previously is a real motivator.
Lodi has had some amazing athletes and coaches, whether it be through other sports, Lodi’s athletics has been a staple to its community and will continue to be throughout the years. Whether it would be from the firing of the gun, or looking at the finish line and crossing it, Track and Field will as well continue others within the school district to join these sports and impress our community.
