Prior to college, I was not part of any athletic team and I was not athletic. The idea of joining the cross country team seemed daunting. However, I did not let my fears prevent me from participating in the cross country team. I joined the team with no running experience. Serendipitously, my coaches and teammates were understanding of my beginnings. I practiced every day until I was ready to run at a race. My first race was exhilarating and difficult. The satisfaction of completing a race was fulfilling.

My motivation for joining the team was to meet new friends and to become better at running. Joining the cross country team has benefits such as meeting new friends and staying in shape, and teaches you to work as a team. The life lessons that are learned from a team are useful throughout life. These aspects are a few of the many advantages of joining a team. The team is nice and fun. I have had fun in every meet.

You can meet different people in cross country from various majors. I have met other students from unique majors such as mechanical engineering, bioscience, sports management, and aviation. It’s fascinating learning about their backgrounds and aspirations. All of my teammates come from different disciplines but they are able to come together.

The cross country team is a phenomenal way to stay in shape. The majority of the practice times is in the afternoon. Practice is every day, yet flexible. The coaches accommodate to your schedule. For example, if you have class on Tuesday and Thursday at practice time, you can practice earlier. The coaches are very helpful in the workouts.

A valuable skill is to work as a team. Although the competitions are individual, teamwork is essential for each member. By cheering and encouraging each other, every member on the team improves. The positivity and robust energy emitted by my teammates has pushed me passed my limits. Positivity is greatly expressed when on a team. You are surrounded by motivated people that share similar passions for running. Their cheering goes a long way.

The competitions are tough. Men run 8K (5miles) and Women run 5K (3.1 miles). The long distance competition may seem overwhelming but the races are accomplishable. I have not run in competition and my first meet was challenging. The mind set was to never give up. The team requires commitment and dedication. By joining, one is able to develop perseverance through the practices and races. One way to overcome such challenges of a race was to practice.

I recommend trying for the cross country team even if you are a beginner runner at Farmingdale State College. It may be a new chance to start with a different direction in college. Joining the team helps improve your body and your mentality. The improvement may be gradual but the results will show in the end of the semester. The experience builds character and changes a person’s view on the world.