Why LMS should have a track

Did you know that in the fall, every Wednesday, runners must trek all the way to the Upper School for cross country training? The same happens in the spring when track and field takes place. Why? Because there is no running track around the Middle School field, cross country or track and field practices need to be moved off-campus. Given all the valuable time wasted walking to and from, it would be much more practical to have a track around our field.

For every practice, runners must assemble at 3:45 sharp to make sure everyone is ready to go. With the extra time it takes to go to the Upper School, practices generally start at 4:00, which takes valuable time that could be used to warm up. However, with a shiny new track in place, runners could start doing practice laps and stretches until everyone arrives so they’re ready when the real exercises start without wasting as much time.

Another reason for a track would be the benefits for runners’ parents. Cross country and track are less popular sports, and parents may not know what they’re really like. Many middle-school parents watch their kids playing soccer or other sports on the MS field. With this new addition, parents could discover how practices are organized and what they’re like as well as other crucial details for their child’s well-being.

The benefits wouldn’t be just for Lakeside’s runners as this would also be convenient for physical education classes. For record setters and record breakers every year, the soccer field lap is mandatory. Wouldn’t it be more convenient if we knew just how far we were running? If we had a track, we would be able to accurately track specific distances and times. 

You may be asking, why is this necessary? Everyone still runs the same distance, even if it’s not exactly 400m, right? However, variables like cutting corners and obstacles such as goalposts make it impossible to ensure everyone runs the same amount. Additionally, running in one straight line, it would make it hard for them to cut in front of one another. A track’s organized lanes would make everything much more fair and simple.

Furthermore, students at Lakeside would very much enjoy using it for recreational purposes. After all, taking a walk would be much easier with a designated space not in the way of a soccer goal, right?

To back up this proposal, I talked with some beloved members of the running team. 

“A track at the MS would allow us to extend practice by almost 30 minutes, which would be huge!” comments Ms. VanOs, one of the cross country coaches as well as a sixth-grade social studies teacher. “I assume there would be an issue with space and needing to dig up the current field we have, which would be both time-consuming and costly. However, I think this is an interesting question and need [that] the MS can address and investigate. I know I selfishly would love it for XC!”

Another member of the cross country team, sixth-grader Yoona P., remarked, “I think we should have a track in the middle school because it takes so much time having to walk up to the Upper School. Also, a track would look cool.”

To summarize, having a track at the middle school would be extremely beneficial for a variety of purposes. It would create a much more convenient option for the after-school running sports in fall and spring. It could also be very useful in P.E. as there are multiple activities and/or units that require running. All in all, having a track at the middle school would be an addition that everyone would be sure to love!