Girls Track Hurdles Covid, Forms Outside Youth Club
The now deserted practice sprint section on the second floor of the 168th street Armory. Photo: Darnailia Holmes
By DARNAILIA HOLMES
Silence... Yes, that’s right: no starter guns, thumping footsteps, or chatter this time around. The indoor armories are now eerily quiet, as all PSAL sporting events have been canceled for the fall season.
Going back in time to March, when schools had just closed and quarantine had begun, the girls’ track team was at a standstill.
“I stopped running for a while,” said senior Estela Villacis. “I saw no point in it since the season was canceled and back then cross country was indeterminate.”
There were no events to look forward to, no more structured routines, and there was no more exercising with teammates. Not being able to socialize took a toll on the team’s motivation.
“Even though the workouts were hard at times, it was fun being around everyone,” said junior Kaleah Thompson.
Progress for the team took off in June when Mr. Randall Joseph, Midwood’s girl track coach, started sending out a weekly schedule of exercises for those on the team who still wanted to stay fit. It helped bring back some of the organization and normalcy the team once had.
“That’s when my motivation truly started to pick up,” said Villacis. “I set weekly goals of what I wanted to accomplish and when I met those goals, I was thrilled.”
Estela Villacis performs dynamic warmups before running in Prospect Park. Photos: Estela Villacis
The weekly exercises continued throughout the summer. However, when school started in September, another change needed to be made because PSAL was showing no signs of starting events.
“I registered as a club under the USA Track & Field administration,” said Mr. Joseph. “Anyone on the team who was interested could begin training when I started back.”
This means that instead of running for Midwood, the girls’ track team would be practicing without connection to the school or PSAL. However, because the team could no longer use the equipment from Midwood, Mr. Joseph was faced with the challenge of obtaining the necessary items.
He set up a fundraiser with DonorsChoose, which is a non-profit organization that partners with companies. When you donate money through DonorsChoose, the company that you are trying to get products from sees the amount you donate. In turn, the company matches and sometimes multiplies the donations.
“We started small with a drive seeking a total of $287 for wicket hurdles, an Overspeed bungee cord, and a massage gun,” said Mr. Joseph. “I’m happy to say we reached that goal already.”
He’s currently working on the next fundraiser and deciding what equipment the team should try to get next.
“I think the fundraiser is a good idea,” said junior Miera Blakney. “I hope it excels so that we can have a great experience when we get back into the swing of things.”
The team will most likely practice outside, but Mr. Joseph is still uncertain what the process for running an indoor event would be like in these conditions.
Currently, the New York State Public High School Athletic Association has pushed the start of high school winter sports season back from November 16 to November 30. As with all things in 2020, the track team’s path this year is currently TBD.