This year I lowered the qualifications a bit and reached out to the coaches and athletes more than before. In one respect it paid off in that I received 15 applications from 10 different StanCo schools...in another respect that meant I had to choose between 15 solid applications.
As a teacher I grade/assess work every day, but this is nothing like that. There is no scale or rubric to quantify someone's personal experience/journey as it relates to running. Many of the 15 candidates had similar stories. Through running they gained confidence and family. As a former runner I could wholly relate to all 15 stories. Again that didn't make the final selection any easier.
As I did last year I wanted to share excerpts was each submission (they are in alphabetical order) and are typed (mostly) the way they were presented to me. Additionally I tried to find both and old and a recent photo (to show growth) and a track and XC photo.
"Running makes me happy...I am totally free when I run. I know it will always be with me. I love it. I need it...I deeply care about running, and my motivation to run is not so much about (others). When racing I always have an individual goal, a time I want to beat. I do not seek much validation from others when I run. In my schoolwork, however, I have to be outwardly visible to achieve. Running allows me to be fully honest and achieve my own goals. I elevate myself as a person through my own goals. Although I am not the fastest runner in our league, it feels good to run freely and quickly; more important to me is if I have improved over yesterday. I am my own opponent. Running feels so good psychologically, physically, socially, and spiritually, and I want to know where running will take me."
"Distance running has also changed my mind set completely. I used to doubt myself a lot during the first 2 years of cross country. It wasn't until the summer before junior year that I truly fell in love with the sport. I ran every day and did core every night just to better myself as a runner. And to be completely honest I wanted to prove to myself that I could run just like my role models that happen to be my peers. Needless to say that running taught me how to be confident in myself."
"It has not been easy having siblings that are very talented in the same sport you are. My older sister and younger brother are both super gifted in the sport of running, and at times it can be very discouraging when I am not having the same rapid growth they are. I have learned that it is so easy to compare yourself to others in this sport. In reality the best way to get better and to grow in it is to compete against yourself, but to also always be encouraging and congratulating to your competitors and teammates. I love my siblings and am very proud of the success they have had and are going to have. It took me a long time to learn that running is much bigger than just myself."
"The only year I did not run was my freshman year and this was mainly due to injury and I would say this was my worst year. Without running I often just felt sad and I was disappointed in myself sometimes. I would say that distance running is what probably saved me. Whenever there were any problems such as those with my family and home I could always go and run. Ironically distance running didn't teach me to run from my problems but to run towards them and face them with every ounce of strength I had."
"...why I love such a taxing activity is simple: I don't feel the pain. The burning lungs and tight muscles are, nonetheless, still present, but when I run, my heart and my mind take over. Running is my escape from everyday realities and the hardships of life. If I am having a rough day, a good run can completely change that fact. There is an absence of feeling in my body when I become lost in my own thought while I am pushing myself to the limit."
"Running has become a huge piece of who I am as a person and when I cannot run my soul yearns to be able to. Recently I experienced an injury that took me out of my running routine longer than I ever had before and I felt so incomplete in many different areas of my life because that piece of me was gone. Running is part of who I am now, many of my characteristics I have developed while participating in the sport, my most precious memories, priceless relationships, and the joy I feel I credit to running. Running has changed my outlook and perspective on the world and has helped me to achieve more and become a stronger person than I ever thought I was capable of becoming."
"One of the most prominent ways distance running changed me was it gave me the opportunity to debrief anything that needed critical thinking, I fully believe for me that my deepest thoughts and reasonings are all based out of my runs. These runs boosted my confidence in my decision making and had really helped me when I was in a difficult situation from family issues to deciding which college of career I wish to pursue. This process had not only allowed me to look at situations unbiasedly but to also narrow down to the perfect solution."
"Through being a team leader my senior year I have also learned many important life lessons. Instead of becoming upset when the girls do not listen to my instruction, I have learned to listen and see their point of view. Something that I took from being a team leader is that there are always circumstances that I am not aware of in each person's life. I have realized not everyone can put in extra time for the team because of their lives outside of school. Being a team leader has taught me that it is very important to have a relationship with each and every runner. This relationship with each runner has helped me to be more understanding and empathetic."
"I am not a very social person and usually only go out with my parents to other family functions or to visit my father to spend time with my siblings at my dad's house. As I would come in from running, people always talked to me and would say, 'I saw you running the other day.' That got me out of my comfort zone and slowly I made friends just from talking to them about running and made a lot of close friends in cross country and then a lot of us also did track. This just made my circle of people I talked to even bigger and made me open up and be more social."
"...ultimately taught me the importance of perseverance, mental toughness, and hard work: I knew that I would have to run more and keep pushing myself to limits that were extremely uncomfortable in order to uncover my potential and get better. Soon I was rapidly improving my times and my mind was becoming opened. Not only has cross country and track taught me about important virtues, it has brought me so much closer to my fellow teammates that I am now proud to call my best friends."
"...distance running has positively influenced my life because it shows me that no matter how hard an obstacle is in life or anywhere in the world, I'll be able to do it. An example of this, is the time I had a long distance race by the beach. There was a super tall hill in the middle of the race to exhaust the runners and when the moment came, I took one look at the hill and immediately had a feeling (of) giving up. But when I remembered about all the practices I trained for, my team mates, and my coach. At that very moment, I decided to conquer that feeling of giving up and changed it into trying my best and giving my all. Just like that, I had adrenaline in my body and before I knew it, I was running on the hill!"
"I discovered that the biggest impact I could have on the younger runners was through my example. The attitude I carried at practice, at races, and even in the classroom, would set the tone for the entire team. therefore, positivity became my mantra. During the heavy mileage months of September and October, my fellow runners and I were deeply fatigued and worn down. I tried to motivate them with sincere encouragement--reminding them that we would see the fruits of our labor come November at Sections. No matter how tired or sore I was, I had to give one hundred percent effort in every workout with a smile on my face."
"It's been my outlet of happiness, and has shown me many fundamentally important life lessons. It's taught me to be patient with family, friends, and even myself. It's taught me to slow down and breathe even when I felt like I couldn't. It's taught me that no matter what life has to throw at me, through happy and difficult times, there will always be a path for me to follow. I know every run won't be perfect, however i know that every run will make me stronger."
"Moreover, distance running also taught me how to be selfish in a good way. Initially when I started distance running, I compared myself to others, thinking that they were fast and incredibly mentally strong and so when I ran, I tried to be like them, thinking that I was mentally strong. However, this changed because eventually I figured out something that would not only change my times, but also my life in the long run. I figured out that it was terrible to compare yourself to others, because doing so you only settle for less, you settle up to their limits and because of distance running, I learned to go beyond them, to be greater than the ones that I wanted to be and although I'm not that fast yet, I know that I can be with dedication and consistency. I learned to run for myself and no one else, I learned how to be selfish."
" I learned that cross country was not just a sport, it was a family. Every single runner in there supported each other and cheered for each other even when they were not the best at running. I wanted to be part of that. It was unlike anything I had seen before and I loved it. The first time I ran, I wanted to give up. It was hot, I was just a tiny freshman with no running experience. I remember everyone cheering as I came in as the last Hughson girl. It was alright though, because since that day on, I realized that I wanted to become better. To become better I had to have determination. Determination to finish my race, to complete the work out in the heat, and push myself to my limits. Even now, I apply this determination to everything I do..."
I think that most of you would agree that a case could be made for any of these 15 runners to receive the scholarship. But after reading through the applications multiple times it was four simple words that I couldn't get out of my head..."Running makes me happy." Turlock's Sofia Andres ran track and cross-country all four years of high school; earned excellent grades; wrote an essay truly from her heart; and well, running simply stated makes her happy. For all of these reason I name Sofia Andres as the 2019 StanCo Distance scholarship recipient.
LINK TO SOFIA VIDEO
So proud of you, Scott. You impact these young people's lives as much as they do yours. Congratulations to Sofia for being chosen. Congratulations tall the others for making the effort.
ReplyDeleteWhile I think that the chosen quote about running making people happy is very picturesque and 'inspiring,' I think no one person necessarily runs for the hell of it either. I think that first quote reminds me of some Target wall decor and while it is very true for many, considering the audience being advocates of the sport, it is also very detached, general, and impersonal. Running is something that means something different for each unique individual who runs and pushes their bodies to the extreme. After reading all of the entries, I felt moved by each impactful story. And while the many others were not awarded for scholarship money, they were definitely more memorable, resonating, and inspiring than the simple fact the running makes someone happy. Obviously this is so, and if something as 2-dimensional as that can be awarded $500 I definitely believe the 14 others deserve something of that stature if not more. I understand only one can be awarded, but I find it shocking to see what the winning entry was in comparison to the others. The prompt was about how running changes someone's life, however, happiness is a temporary emotion. Running might be one of the things to curate that, but others have shown multi-faceted experiences that they have taken and applied to their holistic life approach to achieve that more positive and "happy" lifestyle.
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DeleteThank you for your comments and input. As I said I could have easily made a case for anyone of the 15 entries. I and heartened that you took the time to read all of the excerpts. But please understand that they were in fact just that...a small piece of the puzzle. I considered grades, number of seasons competing, coach's letter of recommendation, whether or not the application was completed correctly. You are judging me, the process, and the athletes on a small portion of the application. Your comments are well thought out. Perhaps I was overly simple in how I worded the post. There were easily 5 or 6 candidates who had exceptional grades, ran a full 4 years, had an excellent LOR, completed the packet correctly, and wrote inspiring essays. After I read through them all I was leaning toward Sofia. I had another person look through the packets and that person chose Sofia. I reread them all two more times. Since I am the one awarding the money I get to choose. I would love to see this process grow into having a committee or group look them over...but we aren't there yet. If you would like to award money to the one you feel the most inspired by I would be happy to put you in touch with the coach for that team. Thank you again. I you would like to discuss ways this process could be improved I would be happy to listen to your ideas. Please feel free to email me at screaminscott64@yahoo.com
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ReplyDeleteI am rarely impressed by anyone who refuses to identify him or herself. Putting that aside, however, I respect the difficult decision that Scott has made here. As he writes, all of the candidates were worthy of an award, but only one could receive it. I think that given all the criteria he considered -- grades, essay, athletic experience-- he was right in being impressed by Sofia's comment that running makes her happy. At some level, I think, the pure joy of athletic participation is the highest standard. Of course, the athletes run to win, they may run to get into college, they may run to win awards such as this, but the reason so many are drawn to sports is that there is something beautiful about a person dedicating herself to an activity like this purely for its own sake. We watch people in all sports, I think, because of the joy embodied in athletic excellence. For Sofia to say that she runs because it makes her happy, because it is who she is, is far from trivial -- quite the contrary, it indicates a deep understanding of human values. All other things being equal, like Scott, I would have chosen Sofia.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I respect what you are doing for these young adults, I have to agree with the unknown commenter. When initially entering the page and reading everything, it did seem as if the candidate's personal stories were the deciding factor in who would be awarded the money. If that were the case, then I agree with the unknown commenter. Running isnt something that is done for the soul purpose for fun. Running for so many consecutive years develops as something spiritual. Many people that have ran for years can agree that running has brought them some sort of life long clarification as to whom they are, or provided some sort of channel for one's circumstantial difficulties. Sure, running for fun is important, but running with a deeler purpose is something more noble. This is not to say that Sofia didn't have a noble cause for running or to invalidate her in any way. What I'm getting at is that there were plenty of other personal stories that embodied what it truly means to run. Excluding the candidates personal stories, I'm sure you did choose the best candidate. I understand that this is all a one man job, but when you take on such a difficult task that involves some sort of support for soon to be broke college students, it's important to clarify why the winner won without a reasonable doubt. A simple clarifying statement of how a winner was chosen and what factors were looked at in the intro of the website would gone long way to deter any misunderstandings people may have. Once again I highly respect what you do and the work you do to make this scholarship happen, but a little more clarification would go a long way. (:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your input/comments. Yes there were multiple factors that I took into consideration. Yes I understand that a different person may have come to a different conclusion. I think the confusion lies more in the small snippets that I posted. You are not seeing the whole essays. Or their grades. Or the fact that many did not complete the application correctly which eliminated them regardless of how great their essay may have been). Or their letters of recommendation from their coaches (some were just form letters that didn't meet the criteria)....I could have easily posted nothing and just said who won. However I wanted to honor all those who applied and a bit of what running meant to them. With that said I think you are under-valuing happiness too. I work all day with HS students and it is only the rare one of them that would say that they were "happy." I have taken all of the input I have been given here and I will attempt to improve and quantify this process more for next year. Again thank you for following the blog and supporting the athletes.
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