The Lakewood Track Team will kick off another season in a couple of weeks on Dec. 2. This unique group provides new members with opportunities to grow, bond, and reach new heights.  The coaches offer support, promote physical fitness, enhance mental health, and foster a strong sense of community.

“The team is very positive and very hard-working. I feel like we have a strong sense of unity on the team,” senior runner Charieon Doxley said.

The coaches encourage new girls to join the indoor team, which will help them improve physically in the long run and provide many benefits, especially for those who participate in spring sports.

“The main benefits are getting in the weight room, consistently being in the weight room, and we will be in the weight room three days a week over winter,” said head track coach Stephanie Toole. Furthermore, participating in track not only provides a sense of accomplishment but also offers mental benefits during the cold season.

“I like that it forces you to do stuff while it’s cold outside, not just sit and rot in your room. It’s also fun to hang out with people,” Fallon Kolos said.

While training during the cold season, the coaches encourage members to wear appropriate clothing and running shoes every day, depending on the weather.

“You’re going to need some layers, depending on the weather, a hat, some gloves, definitely some sweats or some warm tights, and a good jacket,” Coach Toole said. Being prepared for any weather that day will help ensure success at practice and reduce stress about forgetting items.

Like many other sports, the track season can test one’s confidence and present numerous obstacles, especially for first-time runners. It’s important to remember that everyone has faced similar challenges at some point.

“I struggled at first with having confidence in myself, my abilities, and believing in myself or believing that I can do it even when things are hard,” Doxley said. Joining the indoor track team offers the benefit of having supportive teammates who will be there for you throughout the season, providing a stable source of encouragement.

Although the program can be rigorous, the coaches help all team members to achieve their goals. Whether it’s qualifying for state, participating in a varsity meet, or setting a personal record in a specific race, the coaches support you every step of the way, which is what makes this group so unique.

“They’re helpful, informative, and try to teach you how to do what you’re doing. Also just help you improve, but in a very kind way,” Kolos said.

Indoor Track meet competitions are different from outdoor track events because they’re not as fierce or as competitive. If you are hesitant about running competitively, then this may be the right sport for you. Additionally, the indoor track itself is not a full 400 meters, forcing runners to run tighter turns.

“We’re in a league called the Northeast Ohio Indoor Conference League. We’re in the green division, so we will have three meets on a Wednesday night at Spire. We can’t bring everybody; it’s limited…like all sports. We get four per event,” Coach Toole said. It also benefits those who prefer not to have a track meet every other day and are concerned about keeping up with their schoolwork.

Besides competing, the team takes pride in bonding with one another because it’s important to them to get to know each other and make relationships with the coaches. Whether that’s engaging in conversation at team dinners or breakfasts or cheering each other on at meets and spending less time on devices.

“My favorite part about being on the indoor track team would probably be the meets. The meets are a lot of fun, in my opinion. I just think it’s like, really bonding—the bus ride there, sitting together when we’re there, then everybody running, racing, doing all their different events, and everyone just cheering each other on,” Doxley said.

The Lakewood Indoor Team encourages individuals to join, as it provides an opportunity to push themselves and take risks that can lead to unexpected successes while embracing life’s challenges. Don’t miss this chance to grow—start your track journey today!

“You’ll fail 100% of the time if you don’t try, so just get out of your comfort zone, try something new, meet new coaches, and meet new friends. You’ll surprise yourself,” Coach Toole said.