My heart pounds uncontrollably. I can barely feel my limp legs as they pound the wet grass beneath my feet. The crowd roars around me but all I hear is, “Come on Edwards, kick it in, 200 meters left!” as I pass my coach and continue toward the finish line. 

That is Coach Hayes. A man with a passion for Riverdale and running, both things he frequently talks about. 

He was my coach for both cross country and track for two years. He knew I wasn’t much of a runner, but he never let me use that as an excuse to not work hard. To him, my time in a race wasn’t what mattered, it was about running my race with a positive attitude and improving each week that I raced. 

Through grueling hills workouts, lengthy mileage, and tempo runs, he was always there with us. Often pushing us through “Hayes boot camp” as he called it—a series of planks and pushups that were sure to humble a person. Even when my determination or confidence wavered, he never did. Regardless of what happened, whether it was a rough workout or a slow race, his faith in me was never shaken. He believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. His words of encouragement gave me the strength to work even harder.   

Even when he was no longer my coach, he would still come to my races to cheer me on and show that he never stopped believing in me. It meant the world to me to have him there, encouraging me. 

To me, Coach Hayes wasn’t just my coach, but my friend. He was someone who was understanding and knew when I needed to back off on my training, and when I needed to push through and work hard. 

He showed me what it meant to be a runner and how to be humble in all that you do. He didn’t coach for any other reason besides the fact that he cared about all the girls on the team and wanted to see each and every one of us succeed. One of the many aspects that made him such a phenomenal coach. 

Without having Coach Hayes as a coach, I never would have become half the runner, or the person, that I am today. He inspired me to always give my all and never give up. It is because of him that I am so determined to always accomplish my goals, both in running and in life. 

So thank you Coach Hayes, for being there for me and teaching me not just about running but about how to have a positive mentality when things don’t go as you hope. It is something that will forever stick with me.