Athlete Spotlight: Emily Dodge Edward Little
You had a very strong indoor season, winning the 55m hurdles and the triple jump at the Class A State meet. Heading into the outdoor season, what are you individual goals for the season?
Thanks! I don't have place-oreinted goals; instead I base it on performance, because you can't control how everyone else does. My goals are to improve on all my marks, especially by hitting 37' in the triple (it just sounds SO much farther than 36'11" for some reason!). Another goal is to be a bit more consistent in order to build confidence throughout the season.
You have been apart of a very strong program at Edward Little in your four years, you have come close to winning the team championship a couple of times. What would it mean to you to lead your team to victory this spring?
It's a goal we've obviously had for a long time, especially last year. Seeing how close we were to achieving that goal has only intensified our effort. As a senior, leading the best unified team I've been on, it would certainly be a perfect ending to my high school career to be on the top of the podium with people who've become my best friends.
What event do you prefer the hurdles or the jumps? What’s the one event you would like to try?
Oh goodness, it depends on the day! I alternate between calling the triple jump and the 100M hurdles my favorite (I had to stress the 100M because the 300 and I don't always get along). I love technical events, ones where you can point out concrete problems and work on fixing them, instead of events like straight runs, where it can get frustrating when you don't know what went wrong. So if I was braver I would love to try pole vault!
Can you talk about what a regular training week looks like for you?
A normal week is usually six days of two-and-a-half hour practices. We try to get in a few sprinting workouts, along with a few endurance days and maybe a recovery day. Core and lifting usually wrap up our workouts. And somewhere along the line we fit in hurdling and jumping days, but usually try to limit event work early in the season.
(Emily Dodge wins the 55m Hurdles at 2009 Class A Indoor State Championship- phot by Jason Tanguay)
What are your plans for next year? Have you made your college choice yet?
The million dollar question! I'm trying to decide between a few NESCAC schools right now, namely Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Tufts. I know I want to go to a small, Division III liberal arts school where track can play a major role in my life without consuming it. I'm not entirely sure what I want to major in right now, possibly psychology, history, or french.
What’s your greatest accomplishment on or off the track?
I would say my greatest accomplishment was learning how to balance a rigorous academic schedule, track, and still being able to do other activities, like Executive Board and our Kick-Off Mentor Program. When I first entered high school, I wasn't sure how much I'd be able to do extracurriculars, so looking back now at all I've been involved with makes me proud.
When did you first get involved with track and field? Why did you end up sticking it with it? What advice would you give to younger athletes?
I began summer rec track at a young age, around seven or so I think. It's funny, I still do all the same events now that I did then, although I have a little bit better idea now of what I'm doing. I actually stopped doing track before middle school due to gymnastics, which took up most of my free time. I joined the middle school team halfway through the season in eighth grade and fell back in love with it. After trying to double up with both track and gymnastics, I eventually got injured (fractured by lower back) and was forced to choose a sport. Obviously, I decided to stick with track, knowing I had more room for improvement than in gymnastics (the normal gymnast peaks around age seventeen). As far as advice goes, I think making a real commitment to improve at whatever you do is the most important part of finding success. It's all about holding yourself accountable for your own training and performance; no one else is responsible for pushing you to take workouts seriously or stay after for a half hour and lift.
Do you have any superstitions or rituals before meets?
They've changed over the years. I used to be pretty superstitious and insist on wearing the same (mismatched) socks, headband, and eating a strawberry powerbar before every meet. After a few ridiculous times of staying up late trying to find that one darn sock, however, I realized sleep and the correct state of mind were more important. One ritual does remain, though. Before every race or jump, I always find myself rocking back and forth on my feet, completely unintentionally. I have to be moving!
If you could travel to any place in the world, where would you go?
I'm hoping to become fluent in French, so I'd definitely want to go to a Francophone country besides France and test out those skills. Probably somewhere in Africa, just because I'd want to experience a completely different, non-Westernized lifestyle.
You opened your season last week, how do think you thinks went individually? How about teamwise?
Well, to put a positive spin on it, I found out that my goal of consistency is going to be hard to reach. I had okay jumps, but wasn't prepared for either hurdle race and finished both wishing I could have a redo (though I feel this way most of the time -- why can't all meets have trial and finals?!) Our team came out strong, though, with something like over fifteen KVAC qualifiers, and that was with a lot of our up-and-coming athletes away on vacation. A lot of people started off this season with much stronger performances than last outdoor, so I think we're all focused on how much we can progress throughout the season. Overall, a so-so individual and great team debut.