#SaveHaven

Sometimes I think about how different my life would be if just one or two details were changed. Say, hypothetically, that the college I went to cut their track and cross country programs just before my freshman year. I wouldn’t have met my friend who helped me get my job. I wouldn’t have met three of my four groomsmen at my upcoming wedding. And that wedding? Probably wouldn’t be happening seeing as I wouldn’t have met the woman I’m marrying.

It’s hypothetical of course. Maybe I’m being over dramatic. Maybe I’m not. It doesn’t really matter. Because my program wasn’t cut. I’ll have all those memories, all those friendships. And no one can ever take those away. But not everyone will be that lucky.

The Lock Haven Men’s Track and Field program as well as the Swim Team are currently at risk of being cut. The school is rallying the troops everywhere they can, from Olympic Medalists like Evan Jager and Paul Chelimo to slow dudes like me. I doubt I can say much that others haven’t already, but still I feel obligated to give it a shot.

Track certainly has intrinsic value. It’s a really fun sport (most of the time anyway). You go out every race and try to push your body to its absolute limits. There’s no real loop holes or short cuts or cheat codes. It’s just run fast. Jump high. Throw far. That’s competition in its purest form.

But track’s greatest value is in the life lessons it teaches to its athletes. You need to be dedicated. You need to be disciplined. You need to make sacrifices. When someone offers you the chance to make a bad decision, to stay out all night, or take illicit substances, it can give you the power to say no. It takes balance, time management and work ethic. So it’s not a surprise that Lock Haven’s Cross Country and Track teams have some of the highest GPAs in the entire school.

A lot of people complain that our generation is too entitled and expects everything to just be handed to them without any work. Well, there’s no better way to teach people about hard work than the sport of track and field. It takes constant training, tireless labor to excel. If you slack off, you will get beat. Plain and simple.

Socially it can be critical as well. Again, what people say our generation is missing (or has already lost) is right there in front of us within track and field. When you go on a run with your teammates, it’s just you guys out there. You can’t run with lap tops. You’re not texting each other. It’s just you and your friends talking. Learning. Growing. Communication in its most simplistic and cherished form.

Our world today is divided. There’s a lack of acceptance. There’s a lack of understanding. But our sport is inclusive. Our sport does not have politics. Everyone goes out and races. There aren’t foul calls or starting line ups. If you’re the best, you have the chance to prove it. And no one can take it away or argue the results. You also have the unique opportunity to appreciate others struggles and successes. Whether you are the fastest girl on the team or the slowest guy, we all are out there trying to do the same thing. Work hard, do our best and create something that we are proud of. Humanity in its purest form.

In 2012, Millersville cut their Men’s Track and Cross Country programs. It saved the university $200,000 and also helped move the school closer to compliance with Title IX. I remember when I first heard that news. I remember when Delaware’s program was cut. And Temple’s. I wasn’t directly affected by any of those. Heck, for all I know they helped give us an advantage in the recruiting process. But they didn’t feel like wins. They felt like huge, crushing losses. The staunch reality that, to the majority of people, our sport is expendable.

Anyone who has every competed on a track or cross country team understands the unique attitude of these runners. The sport naturally allows you to enjoy everyone’s successes. Sure, there is a competitive fire to win and score points for your team. But there is also a joy that comes from watching hard working teammates set big personal bests, or fighting with a rival and pushing each other under a big time barrier for the first time.

When another team or athlete does well, we are happy for them. And the converse is certainly true as well. I guess that’s why I feel so upset right now.

I feel like there has to be something I can do. I have this small platform of a couple readers. I can reach out to you guys. I can ask you to sign the petition that I and countless others have already signed. To email and call administrators. I can continue to spread a positive message about this sport we all love so much. I continue to try and help it grow and flourish into more than a liability on some college accountant’s balance sheet.

But there needs to be more. As much as I’ve poured my heart into these words, words that I truly believe, it feels like it’s not enough. I can type away at this keyboard until my fingers bleed and it still won’t change the dollars and cents of it all.

Because that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s all about money. At the end of the day, it’s basically always about money. I get it. Track and Cross Country don’t have fans lined up out the door. I’ve been to meets. I’ve talked to non-runners (occasionally). We are not football. We are not basketball. Those things can be real money makers for the right program and can really add to a campus experience.

Still, it just seems like we can make our sport fit. Lock Haven hosts meets all the time. High school, college. That’s gotta bring in some revenue that they can then turn around and help fund their own schedule. Uniforms are pretty simple. We don’t need pads or helmets. Unlike other teams, we don’t need balls or film rooms. And we don’t have a 60-man roster or anything like that. It feels like it shouldn’t take that much maneuvering.

Just to be clear, I’m not lobbying for other sports to be cut instead. All sports have their place. My track is someone else’s tennis. Or golf. Or football. And why would I want to take away their passion. But I hope that all the members of those sports, if they somehow happen across this, will see that my passion is the same as theirs. Even if my sport is more boring or less mainstream, it doesn’t mean my love of the game is any less important than theirs. That the lessons and skills that come out of my sport are any less significant.

So maybe there’s a way to get creative. If the teams can work together. If each can make a few small sacrifices for one another, then everyone can be better off. I’ve seen track teams get cut. We’ve fought so hard to save them in the past and it wasn’t enough. This isn’t something that our running community can overcome on its own. We need everyone’s support.

I hope that we can all remember the pillars of track and field. Competition in its purest form. Communication in its purest form. Humanity in its purest form. And if that’s not worth saving, I’m not really sure what is.

Sincerely,

An Enthusiast

https://www.change.org/p/lock-haven-university-save-lhu-track-field?recruiter=674120435&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive