Jumping into a new activity without preparing can be challenging. The same goes for sports! Cross country is a sport that is not just running during the season. It takes time and practice during the off season, as well. This past summer, the Rock Island High School Girls Cross Country Team was working hard during the off season to lead to this year’s upcoming season. They were outside practicing every week day, training their bodies, putting in work to get faster and meet their goal for this season.
Cross country is a sport where a team or individuals run long distances against other teams on different outdoor natural terrains. This season, for the Rock Island Girls Cross Country Team, they chose Sonia Williams as one of their team captains, who plans to lead with a positive mindset and help her teammates have a positive mindset during this season. “Cross county is 90% mental, and is really important for the girls to just think positively, which can be hard,” explains Williams.
The Head Coach, Susana Williams, is back for her 9th year of coaching. “I enjoy coaching XC. It is so much fun and so inspiring,” explains Coach Williams. Cross country is genuinely one of the healthiest environments for any sport. “I love the girls who come run and are excited about being on the team each year,” Coach Williams explains. Coming together and getting to know each other better is a great way to bond with the team. “Team bonding takes the stress away, from the actual race and a lot of motivation just comes from the girls’ connection,” explains Coach Williams.
Both of these women think that it is important to have an off season. “I think summer training is so fun, and such a great way to team bond and just get better at the sport,” explains Coach Williams. Sonia’s off season was cut short due to the surgery she had on her knee. But, she was still there to support and cheer on her teammates. But Coach Williams is still encouraged by what she has witnessed in her team’s off season training. “I have a great group of determined top girls, who put in lots of work this summer to get their miles in. It’s been great to see them take ownership of their running,” explains Coach Williams.
Sometimes, the off season can be hard because of the hot summer days. So, the team has to think of some ways to push through those rough days. “We like to play tag, we like to go out for lunch after we like to do themed practices during the off-season,” explains Williams. But the end goal of the off season is to prepare and be ready for the cross country season. “I think they have set themselves up to start at a great spot and only grow from there. They will only get faster as the season progresses and their confidence grows, as well,” explains Coach Williams.
There is a lot to be looking forward to this year in the girls cross country team. “I am very excited for how this season can go. Keeping all girls healthy and motivated should bring great results for the season,” explains Coach Williams. More things that the girls are looking forward to is, “Bus ride and team dinners. My team is so funny. And, I truly think some of my favorite memories have come from team dinners. And, I get to learn more about the girls and I love that,” explains Williams. One goal Coach Williams has for the girls is, “One goal I have for the team is to finish in top 2 in WB6 and have all runners running 3 miles under 30 minutes,” explains Coach Williams. This year’s cross country season is going to be better because of the off season training.
