The hay is in the barn.

I am sure many of you have heard the cliche "The hay is in the barn". It comes down to all the work and preparation is over, the time is now to enjoy the harvest. As many teams in the state embark on Holmdel Park this weekend to compete in their respective group championships, it is now time for them to enjoy the harvest. For some this journey started back in June as they prepared for a season that seemed an eternity away. For others this journey has been ongoing for the past four years. Thinking of the agriculture reference of this saying I am led to the following saying that I am sure many of you have heard. You reap what you sow. This theme is spread throughout the Bible in the Old and New Testaments and one point that comes up is the idea of sowing good seed. Would it make sense for a farmer to sow bad seed? Would it make sense for a farmer to sow seed in ground that is not fertile? And would it make sense for a farmer to not care for his seed after he has planted it? Certainly not. The athletic application as well as life application here stands out. Did you do everything that you needed to do back in June, July and August? Do you continue to take care of all the little things that you can control so that the bigger things are taken care of as a result of that? Am I as a coach doing the things that I need to be doing to cultivate good athletes, a good team, and a good program?

Being a coach of all three seasons, it is often asked of me which season I like the most. It's not an easy question to answer, and the default for me would be whichever season I am currently in. Yet I can't overlook the family aspect of cross country that track and field just doesn't seem to have. Everyone that is on a cross country team that is committed and willing to make sacrifices to get better understands the struggle that every athlete endures everyday. Sacrifice is the key word here. I look to develop well rounded young ladies. Not ones that are running 24/7, but ones that realize to achieve something greater than you thought requires sacrifice. A sacrifice without sacrifice is no sacrifice at all. One thing Dr. Falwell used to say repeatedly at LU was "most people aim at nothing and hit it with great success". This Saturday most teams will show up at Holmdel with seven individuals that were not aiming at nothing but seven individuals that have laser focus on what they want to achieve. I will be seeing some girls' last state group 4 championship and at the same time some girls' first. The hay is in the barn ladies and now is the time to enjoy the harvest.