In his own words: Jesse Southard - Thank you


HOOOOLLLLYYYY COW!!!!

I can't believe that I am sitting here 3 years and 3 months, or 4 seasons later looking back on it all. I never truly thought something, which I took up to get in shape, could become such a large part of my life. I can still remember my first practice, first team dinner, first win, first awards night. I sit here looking back, in doing so I find myself wondering. Wondering what I could have done differently. Could I have devoted myself earlier in my high school career? Would that have got me a state title? In, my mind is New Englands, but all I am concentrating on is all of the amazing memories I couldn't have gotten anywhere else. The experiences and lessons which have completely changed who I am. All of these ideas revolve around one thing, Cross Country.

To all you seniors, it has been an honor running the same courses with you or seeing your name on Milesplit for the past couple years. Each and every one of you have impacted my life, whether it be from racing you on the course or just comparing results. I am willing to bet every single one of you would do pretty much anything to live these past 4 seasons a second time. Some of the best moments of my life have happened because of this sport. I'm sorry if I offend any beliefs out there, but God brought all of us to this sport. It might not have been part of your plan coming into high school, I know it wasn't part of mine, but it was part of his plan. Each and every one of you has made your impact on the sport at some level. Thank you all for everything.

To everybody else, run every race like it could be your last. Run until you throw up. Make sure you can tell yourself that everything you had was left on whichever course. You're all so lucky to have found a community like this one, use it, it is a family. The only place our school separates us is during the race, other than that, it's one very large, very loud family. Don't blink, because before you know it, it will all be over. Every single one of you can impact the sport, you just got to want it bad enough. " We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle. Please set an example for all of the kids who will be filling that places of those who are moving on. We want this sport to be the place that we all have enjoyed. Focus on the little things, everything else will happen whether you want it to or not. You just need to focus on the little things that you can control.

I know I speak for the seniors, in saying Thank you. The impacts all of you have made on our lives and our persons can not be given a number. All we can do is say thank you, for we would not be the people we are without our teams and coaches, but most importantly our family, you all. Thank you