Track and Field Analysis

By Maddie Miller

Northview’s track and field team has always been small in comparison to other schools in the conference, but the team has been decreasing in the past few years. In 2012, there were 94 athletes on the team. Last spring, there were 81 athletes, and this year there are only 72. The statistics may not seem that dramatic, but a loss of 22 participants in only five years has a large impact on a team sport.

In track and field, each person typically takes part in four events. Teams can earn points from the first, second or third place in each event, so the more people a team has in competition, the more opportunities they have to rank higher. Losing 22 people means missing out on 88 possible event entries, which could ultimately make or break a meet.

It is nearly impossible to determine why the team is shrinking, but there are many factors that could play into it. One factor could be the coaching system and how the team is managed. Just looking at the 2016 and 2017 seasons, only two coaches remained the same: Chip Aymer and Jeff Vargo. The head coach for girls changed from Jackie Green to Dion Charity, and the head coach for boys changed from Brent Dickerson to Chip Aymer.

Junior Layla Huizinga, a former participant of track and field for three years, gives insight on how this can affect a team. “Certain people make connections with different coaches, and when those coaches leave people don’t really feel as motivated or as obligated to continue,” she said. Huizinga also acknowledged the other reasons why student athletes may quit include being busy with work and school or getting injured.

“I enjoyed the team and all of the connections I had,” Layla added when describing the unbreakable bonds she created between her teammates. Even with the quantity of competitors decreasing, the quality of the Northview team spirit is never dampened.

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