"Victory isn't defined by wins or losses. It is defined by effort. If you can truthfully say, 'I did the best I could, I gave everything I had,' then you're a winner."

Wolfgang Schadler

 

The above quote sums up what we hope you will take away from this season:  Do your best in whatever you do.  Steve Prefontaine, America’s greatest distance runner, once said:  “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”  He understood that athletics has much more to do with character and personal accomplishment than it does with winning and losing.  In any given race, there can be only one official winner.  However, everyone is capable of giving their best.  And, everyone who does, wins.  If you committed yourself to giving nothing less than your best effort this season, you should be proud of what you have accomplished!

 

“Adversity is part of life.  How you deal with it determines how far you go.”

 

Coach Bill Yost – Remember the Titans

 

We lost five of our top eight runners from the 2011 Sectional Championship Team to graduation and none of the three returners were coming out of the spring season 100% healthy.  As the season began, it was clear that we would face some adversity.  While we struggled at times, we kept trying . . . and, in doing so, we came away with something positive.  This is our hope of what you will take away from the season . . . the realization that adversity is, indeed, a part of life and that you have to meet it head on and not let it defeat you.  As you reflect on the 2012 cross country season, remember the words of legendary football coach, Vince Lombardi:  “It’s not whether you get knocked down; it’s whether you get back up.” 

 

 “There is more in us than we know.  If we can be made to see it, perhaps, for the rest of ourlives, we will be unwilling to settle for less.”

 

                                                                                                Kurt Hahn

                                                                                                Founder, Outward Bound

 

As your coaches, we can assure you that the above quote rings true.  If you believe and are willing to work, there are no limits to what you can achieve.  Let that be your motto for the future.  Commit yourself to always giving your best effort and you will become the athlete you can be.  There is more in you.  Always remember that . . . and never settle for less. 

 

Seniors:  Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication!  As you move on, please remember that whatever we accomplish in the coming years, you are, and will always be, a part of it.

 

Underclassmen:  Dream your dreams, set your goals and work hard.  Let’s get ready for Cherokee Cross Country 2013!

 

Coaches Shak, Cal, Cuneo & Pelerin