As a commonly known “secret to success,” preseason programs are a potential advantage to hard-working athletes who are interested in pursuing a future within the sport. Certain sports such as volleyball, basketball and baseball have the upper hand when it comes to prior season activities and training. However, one sport, in particular, utilizes preseason programs yearly. 

Sage Creek’s Track and Field team has offered the preseason program to runners since its opening in 2013, in order to prepare and acclimate student-athletes to the rigorous training they will later experience. 

However, an ongoing question persists: What is track preseason and how does it differ from the track and field season itself?

Coach Danny Kung offered information regarding what track preseason is, and its role within the track team. 

“Track preseason is different from the track season in the fact that we’re just prepping to get ready for the season, meaning that you’re getting your base training in and your strength training in before you get to tryouts, that way you’re in better shape for tryouts and you have a better possibility of making the team with extra work being put in prior to the season.”

Kung notes that although Track and Field is technically an individual sport, the most important thing to a successful preseason team is the community within the setting.

 “People always say that track is an individual sport, and it is, but the fact of the matter is, you have teammates you rely on day in and day out, you rely on them to push you and you push them,” he beams pridefully. “We treat it as a family here […] And without that community, it doesn’t feel right.”

Coach Kung is not the only member of the program who takes gratification in the connectedness of the team. Catherine “Cat” Laube, a senior on the team, recommends preseason to both beginners and those returning to the sport.

 After elaborating on how the training mainly focuses on “breaking down your muscles and building them back up again,” she notes the social benefits of the preseason as well. 

“I mean, I’ve been doing this for a while now, and this is one of the best communities I’ve ever been in,” Laube said. “Especially in preseason, where it’s harder than you think it would be during the season, it’s a lot harder to make connections even though it is technically an individual sport. So during the preseason, you get to talk with people and get one-on-one and get to know people for who they are, and you create the community before even getting into the season.”

Considering the significant benefits that a preseason program may hold, the only thing stopping most runners from joining may be the apprehension they feel about starting a new sport or joining a new team. Freshman Kiran Musson noted his reasoning for joining the new sport despite his hesitation was the community built within his team that helped him to move forward. 

“It seemed like one of the easier ones to get into and get started in as a first-timer,” Musson said. 

Overall, the team’s connectedness, support system and health benefits make it one of the most successful programs at Sage Creek. Many seniors leave legacies and move forward in life to pursue scholarships at reputable schools throughout the country. 

As a senior and captain of the track team, Laube notes that working hard for her team is not necessarily a requirement for her but instead a motivator to work harder.

 “I feel like it’s something not so much that I have to do, but it’s something that I want to do. Because all of that effort and time that I spend, say, cleaning up the weight room, it’s worth it because I love my team, and that’s the thing that I want to do with and for them no matter what.”