Looking at Tuesday’s Woodbridge High Cross Country thanks story, I am choosing a personal tie. Evan Offstein, our class President from the class of 1990, and his family, has had quite a journey since the advent of the fight he has seen his daughter, Molly, work through.
But what a journey it has been.
It is often difficult to put into words to athletes how precarious their potential for a best run, a best season, and a best year can be so delicate when other forces can unexpectedly change the trajectory of their lives, sight unseen. Molly’s journey has been an amazing one, and continues to be a lesson on capitalizing on every second, minute, and PR life thrown your way.
The way you deal with diversity, respect those that paved your path, and honor them while you honor your abilities at the moment, priceless. Glad to see the successes that have come your way Molly on and off the XC course and way to go Offstein family! Proud of your while family and lucky to be your BHS alumni peer 🙂
Day 3 of things to be thankful for from Woodbridge High’s XC team -as we lead up to Thanksgiving.
Justin Gallegos.
These two videos say it all and what we hope WHS’s XC team represents, supporting others and being thankful for the chance to be a part of a team and individual sport that both can grow from.
Our thankful XC story – that of determination – is here to represent Saturday –
“There are three kinds of people in this world. You have the losers, the people who go with the flow and refuse to put in the extra work. You have winners, the type of character to be naturally good at what they do but only meet the expected requirements. Then, there’s the champion, the cream of the crop, the scarce few people that rise above the fine line of expected and conquer what is theirs. “
When a XC athlete from our Woodbridge High team suggested us choosing articles that highlight thinks we should be thankful for – it sounded like – meh.
Meh – is actually WOW! I love this idea. So we start a new tradition as a XC team, leading up to Thanksgiving, that help highlight what we have experienced as a team in the past season, and what we should be reminded of, and thankful for, each season 🙂 Here is our first one to start off this new tradition 🙂
Leading up to Thanksgiving, the Woodbridge High School XC team will be sharing stories that are meant to be thanks for various things.Here is our first one an athlete shared –https://bit.ly/3Bghpdx 14-year-old Susan Bergeman has been pushing her older brother Jeffrey during her cross county races this season. “He’s excluded from a lot of things,” the Chippewa Falls 9th grader says. “This is something we can do together.”
I was not prepared for the excellent and toughness I would see today.
Note to self – any – ANY time a meet will occur at Brandywine State Park, expect the unexpected. What started out as a perfect running day resembling the perfect running day two days before, where Woodbridge High School practiced and prepared for the DIAA State XC Championship at Brandywine State Park. We ended with bone-chilling shaking that reminded us that the unpredictable is always the expected and the predictable at Brandywine State Park when it comes to running.
There is much you try to do as a coach to prepare athletes for race day, and yet, this year’s WHS XC team has continued to defy those odds ad it leaves you looking back wondering how you were surprised as a coach after spending all season with these athletes.
Let’s set the scene, shall we? What looked to be a picture perfect day, turned into squalls of rain and wind that had the sound of a typhoon if you did not look around. When you did look around, the power of the winds challenged the existence of our tent even with all stakes, sides, and Brandywine rocks grounding us. This is all occurring 25 minutes before the start of the ladies DII race and we all wondered, what happened?
On the starting line, cold rain is pelting everyone seconds before the start gun, and athletes are asked to remove their already soaked coverings to be exposed to the elements even more with singlets and shorts. Not even being able to clearly SEE through their glasses or own eyes from the denseness of the rain, would usually deter most from even putting forth 1/2 of their best effort.
It was pretty much a mind and body numbing moment.
IN SPITE of these extreme odds against our ladies, at the 2 mile mark our ladies began passing people, soaked t the bone, cold, shivering, and yet they took advantage of the opportunities presented to them, alone and separated on a wet cold trail, and they passed one, then another, then another, and OF COURSE, the sun coming out on the ladies right before their finish. Seeing others stop, walk, even crying, and yet out ladies persevered and did none of these. It is rare to see the ability of athletes to dig deep on their own, when you do not see anyone from your own team to help motivate you half way through in such conditions, and yet, they did an more.
What you often cannot see or do not know is of more value than what you see or do not know. The night before, one call from one of our first year ladies came in letting me know she was sick, sick sick and so was her Mom. You always cringe when those calls come in and hope for the best. “Fluids, and rest, and more fluids!” Morning came, hour before departure, and she had to make a decision. As we pulled up she decided to come, feeling only slightly better, we grabbed Gatorade to get electrolytes on her, and along wth a second runner also not feeling the best, these odds also pitted themselves against what could have been a disaster. Instead, you had two first year runners, and four year runner who had been with us since the start of this XC program, who had visited Brandywine on that fateful, freezing day as well, and they turned out a performance that was worthy of any finish and top honor ever. They certainly took the same odds that life hands you on a daily basis and made their performance a statement of how strong mentally and physically they could be without any regrets. We could only wish for days like that – and I am confident on how they will handle adversity after seeing their grit and determined ability after this day.
When you look at the boys being surrounded by sun, at their start, yet handed a wet course, you wonder how on earth you would be able to master a course that teams from the very area Brandywine is located in run every day and you hang on. Not one single complaint made at the starting line was uttered (heck, we had SUN!)
and it took an individual as well as a team effort to bring our WHS boys team to 15th place out of 31 teams – when all odds against us were thrown our way. ON TOP OF THAT having our top runner place 15th OVERALL – huge huge achievement. That is the difficult aspect about XC – it is a team sport as well as an individual sport, as well as a perfect replica of how life hands you the hardest and yet the most rewarding moments. ON TOP OF THAT, having one of our runners represent our own Henlopen Conference, one of TWO runners to do so
– yes, on a day made for sheltering, our athletes did the opposite, they came to push through the elements and be successful. ON TOP OF THAT two of our athletes are in the running for being recognized as the two of the top 15 DIAA academic athletes in the Championship – (verdict is still out as we gather all the GPA’s in).
We have two runners that have been here since the inception of the XC program, seeing the highs and lows of their own and our struggles and achievements, new runners on the scene that daily struggle with the tasks and directions they are pulled in, and it is a complete understatement to stress how difficult it is to push all factors out of the way that are happening around you, when you step onto the starting line.
In and out of the classroom, a team is made from what can be seen, what can’t be seen, what can be prepared for, what can;t be prepared for, what is known, and what isn’t known.
I usually indeed point out specific names when specific feats of bravado occur, and yet, it seems not quite perfect to do so on this instance when there was truly not one single person that could not be granted a thank you and sense of gratitude for what they did at the DIAA XC State Championship this year. Every single athlete showed a mental toughness, a camaraderie, a resistance to odds placed against them and prevailing.
I often realize how much I carry with me when I run. I am not sure how many realize how many other runners think about this, and how much non runners realize this.
Personally, I carry aspects that got me into running from coaches that gave me the very essence of their being freely, and often not realizing they were giving me everything they had at the moment. If I am fortunate, I still get to see them on the courses as we meet again years later on the same fields we started on. in a few cases, I am at a loss to be missing these very coaches that passed on so many gems of wisdom that related to life and the run, and they are not here to see how we have taken them to reality today. We miss them and we carry them to each of our meets.
I often try to eliminate everything else that is happening in my life, and focus on the moment right in front of me, and if you let this happen as a runner, you can escape into a place that lets everything float away from you, even for just the time you are trying to whittle down right in front of you, and it is quite an opportunity that does not appear too many times.
Coaches form other teams, athletes from other teams, parents from this team and other teams, all recognizing the achievements and tribe feeling o f being a runner on a harsh day, as well as the best days. It is what binds us as XC runners.
Walking away each season is heard, but with the countless lessons that are capable of being learned, the hope as a coach is that the sacrifices, time, energy, insight, and attempts to be prepared, even when you are not, remain in each athlete as they go forward. I do believe I saw many of these aspects travel with each athlete on Saturday, and could not be prouder!
It is an honor to be part of a sport that lets you reflect on where you have been, where you are right now, and where you are headed, and have an integral part of how to change aspects of all of those from within!
With a recent Florida State University graduate class assignment on defining leadership – I waited util the day of the due date, (hate doing this usually) as I struggled with, within my lifetime, what I have seen as negative and positive leadership, and looked for the leadership I hoped to find.
I found that my definition for this assignment, of leadership, was the qualities I hoped to instill in others around me, the leadership skills I began to see in my Cross Country team, and the hope that these young leaders began to take take on more and more responsibility. I am proud of the responsibility these young people have undertaken, and the way they handle a level of responsibility when they struggle, and then learn from it. The last two weeks have truly taught me much about how I need to grow as a leader, and how others have.
I also see how NOT to be a leader, and often it frustrates me when I see other students always play the superior card, putting down others, talking down about others, and acting as if they know eery single facet of life, and realized, there is a difference in hypothesizing about how everything connect and works versus stating how everything works and knowing everything. Many fail to realize how the difference in these two approaches impacts others around them, and sets a tone of their own personality.
I also have been learning to make adjustments to my own life in how I want to be be perceived as a leader, and always want to be perceived in the light of being a leader with and among others at the same time, not simply a lone leader, not my preferred approach. Here was the result of my assignment:
In training to become an educator for my first Bachelor’s Degree, I vividly recall, looking back, what I had NOT been prepared for and that truly defined my ability to become a successful teacher. After perusing many examples, definitions, and theories, I see the quality of leadership being the ability to adapt to situations, while bringing others through scenarios successfully.
Sparked by Mike Myatt’s approach of Hacking the Leadership Gap I was drawn to the new terminology and perspective tied to leadership. I realized THAT defined the best idea of leadership. Leadership was defined by what it was NOT, not by the history of leadership, not dependent on past individuals that were considered leaders, and definitely not on what the public considers a leader.
Certainly, a mix of the above characteristics helps form a partial definition of leadership, but I realize leadership is the ability to move, motivate, and help individuals that surround you, helping them advance as well as yourself. Truly moving “ahead” or advancing in skills, abilities, and projects, leadership depends on others, fails when only others are pushed by one, and yet is successful when one individual is able to move others along with themself.
The changing history, scenarios, and projects that present themselves on a daily basis challenge any individual. Having someone willing to guide, suggest, and lead another through solutions, and doing so with the utmost flexibility, procures leaders that are not in front us, but among us.
Clawson, J. G. (2012). Level Three Leadership: Getting below the surface, 5th edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
In writing this, as I wrote, maybe it has been that the time I have spent this year with the Cross Country team has been different in seeing so many new layers of leadership rise to the surface – but the team and examples of this was al that came to mind. It was reassuring to get the comments below from colleagues to their result of this definition:
“Hello! That is such an awesome quote! It really speaks to what a leader should strive for, bringing out the best in people. I honestly believe that knowledge and reflection on what you do not know, really does influence how you become a leader; it assists you in focusing on making the next set of leaders that much better; with that much more knowledge.
The idea of moving others along, and furthering your own leadership at the same time also makes a lot of sense to me. When one is placed into a leadership role, they often seek out advice, assistance, and motivation from others, some could be previous mentors and leaders, while others might be peers; thus bringing them to the level of leaders in some instances. Talking through ideas and calling on the “right people for the job” aids in leadership skills as well for both leaders and aspiring leaders alike. The ideal of everyone being a leader is something that I strived for when I was teaching, but kindergarteners are more interested in leading the line than leading the world; well some of them were ready to take on the world; and those students pushed me to be a better teacher and leader. “
and
“Hi Harry,
I really like the optimism your quote evokes. We do not seem to really see that in a lot leadership these days, often times it feels like a cog in the machine. It most certainly goes hand in hand with your future of becoming an educator; I can only imagine the amount of encouragement and appreciation your pupils must feel by having an educator apply that principal to them.
You truly have an optimistic and altruistic outlook on leadership, it is very refreshing. One of the qualities that would extend to this type of leadership would be humility and unfortunately truly humble people do not pursue leadership roles as aggressively as self-centered attention seekers. Leading to the ongoing cycle of management using their employees as cogs or pawns in political games. I really hope that we will start seeing an influx of leadership that takes this type of thinking to heart. The overly used trope of rising waters raises all ships come to mind; if the leader can influence the “water” by pushing their employees to continue to move their own bar, the aggregate of a team or even company could be improved overall.
I’m hoping that I will remember your viewpoint and take your optimistic outlook forward as I grow into my own leadership roles.”
I realize I have as many adjustments in myself to the differing leaderships roles I react to, as well as how I send those qualities out. I feel lucky I work with a Cross Country team that evokes all these thoughts on leadership, and that says alot to me 🙂
In Pittsburgh, PA, at Penn Hills High School, I remembered the surreal and strange day of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 that many of us will alway remember instilled in our memories, hearts, and lives. I even started a project here that still will be morphed and adapted, as unbeknownst to me, would be revisited in several ways 20 years later.
One of the most shocking realizations as a student came into my class and then another, and another, in a very countryside/forest area of Pennsylvania, on that unforgettable day was the event that unfolded in front of our eyes moment by moment, on a perpetual loop for 20 years. I was in disbelief as student told me, then I witnessed these events, and then the moments that followed.
Not as far as even two to three years later, as I sat in the United States Investigations offices in Grove City, PA, working through investigations of to-be Federal employees, past TSA employees, future postal worked, CIA and FBI prospective employees and all those countless background checks, when we took a moment of silence for the 9/11 day and all those affected, that day in 2002, 2003, and 2004, every time we took that moment of silence, the reality of what we were doing, that sometimes seemed so remote, seemed so close to what happened that day in 2001.
Forward to 2005 to 2011, and especially 2006 and one, when we took students to Columbia University while we worked on the Aloha yearbook and competed and attended Columbia University’s Scholastic Press Association Convention, we made the pilgrimage to Ground Zero and the first responders, every day citizens, and emergency crew that my students interviewed every year and recorded, they were – well they left you with nothing able to say – speechless.
Fast forward to when I found myself in Mexico City and wanting to go back and explore the 9/11 day with how it’s impacted Latin American citizens, as the misguided perspectives was only specific populations were affected that day by this tragic moment. Although many dead ends were found I kept the 9/11 project ideas intact knowing I wanted to always keep this near so I could revisit and pick up the pieces when more were found. Then, in 2012, accompanying Repentino. Literary art magazine students from Mexico to New York and picking up the tradition of Columbia’s Scholastic Press Association we started at Seaford, we made a stop at the 9/11 Memorial Museum.
We talked to curators, met and toured the Memorial with Michael Arad, a former student of The American School Foundation in Mexico City, (what were the odds!) and I just – it is hard to describe the emptiness and desolation I still felt all these years and it still gutted me as we made our way through other’s lives in the museum.
Fast forward to today, 2021. Friday morning, rushing around, and thanks to a very – on-the- hour-acceptance of funds and a very very quick planning session for setting up a 9/11 Walking Gallery Tour project at our Woodbridge High School 9/11 was revisited again.
I still found myself carrying the events of 9/11 with me ALL THESE YEARS. What does that mean? What legacy has this tragedy instilled in me along this journey? These are questions I continue to ask myself, and at times I feel responsible for living a life that could represent hundreds of others that wish they could live that life that they wanted. This seems to be alot of pressure to think about our actions, how we treat others, and what we do with the time we have around us. So I try to make the most of this time for others.
Being given the information of the Hispanic Heritage celebration in Seaford, and then receiving an instant message this very night from a former colleague, FROM MEXICO City that was the very school we both worked at and she is now here, and having all the above mentioned experiences, recordings, interviews, and more – leading to even how this still is a part of me, and so many others, is this coincidence?
As we walked around the Hispanic Heritage Month Festival today, it was ironic. I remember being in neighborhoods that no one except locals would go in Mexico and being welcomed whole heartedly, and comparing to walking during the festival today and being welcomed from members of the Honduran, Mexican, Guatemalan, and other communities, I wished so much that I could have had more friends from my own country take in this amazing experience and feel – that put me back on the streets of Mexico in just a few minutes. Hearing from my friend and colleague unexpectedly, and in Delaware on the same day/ evening as well? Not sure how to explain how unlikely it all seemed and the realization of how all we live our lives comes full circle.
The thing with the term full circle is you never know how what you do now, the acts of kindness, the moments you sacrifice to support another, you NEVER KNOW if you will get another chance, if you will see someone 10 years from now that will change your life, and so on. There is so much that could be considered coincidental, that certainly might not be, but the continued depth of the 9/11 day continues to resurface in the many lives that have touched me and continue to help make positive changes that can change others lives around me.
“Books will go by the way of 8 tracks.” I clearly remember this argument when ebooks surfaced.
In our third week of our Nanticoke River Watershed Conservancy book talk, I find there is a place and time for anything, and I do enjoy a Kindle ebook on a long tour or bus ride, it allows me to read and not carry a ton.
At the same time, there is power in having a physical book and being able to turn to a page, it is personal, and in the case where we have the ability to place a book in the hands of individuals and they can keep it as a memory, a tool, and reference to future projects, taking an idea out of the pages and turn it into a possibility in your community?
Impacts of Ida last night – winds, heavy rain, and my Canine Adoptee Dane (often called Daner) goes CRAZY when thunder happens. He managed this last night – jumped up and over a 4 foot bar window INTO the kitchen area twice – managing to break through and past blockaded doorways of furniture, and chairs, and dog gate – he is unstoppable. Finding a piece of chewed trim later – pieces of blockaded materials later, some broken chairs, he just paces, hyperventilates, paces, oh Daner. So that was part of an interesting night.
Today, I woke up after taking a medication that is meant to clear your system before an in hospital exam today and – yep – it works. It works well – so well that when I woke up and ran with the dogs on an amazing morning, no humidity, 2 miles barely making back thanks to the medicine, one more taking in a glorious morning following such a crazy night of tumultuous weather, I thought why not – and offered for anyone that wanted to run from the Cross Country Team today, not making today mandatory – but offering since, despite having a 10:30 appt with the hospital staff today for an internal inspection (lol) – I thought, perfect day for running but I am sure no takers.
We received noticed that parking passes were IN for our school and well, you know how that goes you get used to a spot, I was determined, if I had to PADDLE in, I was going to get that holy of holies parking spot I felt good pulling into every day, so while I was there – why not see if anyone wanted to get in an extra run? (THANK YOU RICKI Truitt for going with the flow (oooh, bad choice of words) and making that happen this morn! YES! Spot #38, Love ya!
Arriving at 6:40 – no way! A car! It was awesome, Elijah was there! and he ran a GREAT 28:35 5k (now remember, bad storm last night, SWAMPY trail – at least 60 – 75 seconds diverting around HUGE pools of water all over thew trail) – on his OFF DAY, Elijah did amazing, AND killed it on the last mile and a half – He did everyone proud!
AND KUDOS TO THE PARENTS that know what commitment means, and reinforces the inner strength of their children, that often they do not know exists, but that push allows them to realize, they have some extra fuel in their own selves they can pull out when needed! Huge Kudos!
Me, however, well when the doctors don’t necessarily say that you do not HAVE to refrain from running when taking medicine to cleanse your insides, that doesn’t mean you necessarily SHOULD run a 5k on the same day. I did run more times than I can remember to the restroom in one 5k, and my stomach has alot to say every step of the run, so my 5k was kind of a scavenger hunt back and forth, and despite it all, Elijah showed up when he didn’t have to, and me getting his time in between bathroom calls during a 5k- things just make you scratch your head and wonder…and yes, despite the “fluid” calls of nature today – I did get spot #38, thanks to the power of Ms Truitt in the Counseling Center. I mean, if I can make it on a morning cleansing before a procedure on a swampy 5k trail, after a night of craziness, anything is possible, right? 🙂 Great job Elijah wild man runner today – you have Kudos and more Kudos after today – and drink lots of water…..:)
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