Tuesday Top Ten Reasons HS Track Is No Longer A Niche Sport

It looks to be a banner week for track and field, with the inclusion of Millrose's stellar field, among new National Leading Times around the country.  For this week's Tuesday Top Ten, we look at the brand that has been given to Track and Field for years: a niche sport.  Hopefully the following reasons can demonstrate that that view is outdated, and we may be more mainstream than ever.  Check it out below!

 

10. By The Numbers

How big is High School track and field exactly?  You may notice this at the local level, but teams are getting bigger and bigger.  It is no longer unusual for a mid-sized High School to field over 100 participants on a conjoined team.  And the participation numbers seem to reflect that.  For Boys, Outdoor Track is the 2nd most participated sport sport in the nation, coming in with roughly 575,628 athletes in 2012.  For girls, where football is not an issue, Outdoor Track and Field ranks #1, with 468,747 participants nationwide last year.  These numbers are staggering, coming well in front of "America's Pastime" Baseball, and world sport, Soccer.  They demonstrate the increasing popularity of the sport over the past ten years, up 65,000 participants since 2006.  And this increase in the running population has also taken hold of the adult market as well.  Road Races are becoming more mainstream, as participation has skyrocketed over the past years as well.  If anything, running may be the most popular sport among those who over 25, with the ability to almost do it anywhere, with very little cost to begin.

Source: http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=7495

 

9. Marvin Bracy Highlights A New Collegiate Recruiting Landscape

If the name doesn't ring a bell, then you may not have noticed arguably the greatest male athlete of the indoor season in 2012.  Check out his National Record in the 55m, where he clocked a show stopping 6.08.  Add in his 10.25, 10.05 wind-aided PR's in the 100m, and you have one of the top prospects in the sprints since maybe Jeff Demps.  Only one problem, Bracy was also one of the nation's top football prospects, a wide receiver with unbelievable speed on the field.  With such an influence on football in the college atmosphere, as it is a spectator-sport that draws incredible revenue for the universities, many top programs gave Bracy notice.  Bracy would eventually sign with Florida State, to play football.  But what was the deciding factor for the freshmen?  It was Track, of course.  At Florida State, Bracy is enabled to be a two sport athlete, where he just set a school record in the 60m dash of 6.54.  As every little detail matters to top college prospects, it seems the ability to be two sport athletes has been enticing many dual-ers to Florida State.  Bracy's cousin Levonte Whitfield has signed on as well for the same deal.  As these are huge "gets" for the program, will we see track become a bigger focus for some of these traditionally Football schools?  Only time will tell.

Source: http://www.tallahassee.com/article/20130211/FSVIEW0206/130210007/Track-aids-football-s-recruiting-race-at-FSU

 

8. Let's Get International

Track and Field can be classified as a "World Sport", one that see's participation in almost every reach of the planet you can find.  With a World Sport, comes World Competition.  On a rotating basis, the NSAF (National Scholastic Athletics Association) assists American prep athletes in the compilation of a team to compete in events such as the IAAF World Juniors in Barcelona, Spain last June.  When was the last time your football team went to a foreign country to play?  Most sports can't even organize a national championship, let alone send athletes overseas to compete with the World's Best.  But how exactly does this break us free of the niche sport status back home?  Well, in what is supposed to be a dying sport in the eyes of some, Team USA had the highest medal count of the competition, a total of 20 overall, including 9 gold medals.  It is testament to the dedication these athletes put in, and to the systems that produced them.  The larger a base of athletes to choose from, the more likely you are to find yourself talented athletes.  That is why we have classifications to separate differently-sized schools in XC.  Because Track is so huge in America, we are able to field the best team in the world at the prep level.  No longer niche in my eyes.

Source: http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-junior-championships/results/medaltable/14th-iaaf-world-junior-championships-4872

 

7. Quality of Coaching

It is purely my opinion, but I believe High School coaches are some of the hardest working individuals in the industry.  College coaches can recruit, and professional coaches can cherry pick from the even smaller crowd.  High School coaches many times have to create something from nothing.  They have the ability to foster a love for the sport, the dedication to pursue excellence, and the technical know-how of how to get the athletes to the highest echelons of the sport at the prep level.  It is easy to spot an Elite Level coach at the High School level.  They are the perenial powerhouses of your section, who have created dynasties that have outlasted graduations, injury, and increased competition.  For Fayetteville-Manlius to retain the National XC Title for the past 7 years is nothing short due to its coaching.  The same can be said about a myriad of teams across New York State, which seems to have a higher standard for it's track coaches in general.  And this dedication is something that not many other sports can command.  You're average teacher doesn't take the track coaching job to add a little extra money into his/her paycheck.  It takes a dedicated individual who has a respect for the sport, and the understanding of it's impact.  And for that, us New York Track fans thank  you, as you have created an environment with some of the toughest competition in the nation.

 

6. Speed Ratings - A Representation of the Fans

For the cross country deprived, TullyRunners Speed Ratings are a system of grading performances in an XC race to a point system, modified from speed ratings as applied to horse racing.  Over the past ten years, Bill Meylan has fine tuned his process to impressive results.  We are now in a place and time that we can pretty accurately, predict any late-season cross country race using this system.  Other sports may have rankings and coaches polls, but no other sport offers the intricacies of the system at large, and the accuracy it creates.  The system is built from an interest in the sport, and exemplifies the fan of track and field.  You may never find a more dedicated fan, parent or otherwise, than your average track and field fan.  They are the die-hards, who will sit in the rain for hours, just to watch their son/daughter run.  They create love-letters to the sport like the Speed Ratings, or blogs like Perry King's.  Parent involvement is at an all-time high, giving credence to the notion that we are no longer niche.

Source: http://www.tullyrunners.com/index.htm

 

5. Sponsored Events

As shallow as it may seem, what's the easiest way to know your sport is more than just a backyard hobby?  When your demographic is on the radar for all the major sport companies.  New Balance Nationals, Nike Cross Nationals, Foot Locker Nationals, Adidas Grand Prix, Brooks PR.  Almost every major shoe company has roots in the track/XC world, knowing the market is huge with profit.  With participation numbers at an All-Time high, it only makes sense for these companies to begin elevating the sport.  They treat athletes like royalty when they have qualifided for their event.  Custom clothing, new footwear, and an experience like no other.  It may be capitalistic to look at the world through that lens, but with all the efforts by the power players in the sport to capitalize on the youth market, we have both been elevated to a higher level, as well as created a new brand demographic for these huge companies.  If we are on their radar, we should be on everyone's.

 

4. Mary Cain Meets ESPN

Someone like Mary Cain is a once in a generation occurrence, something that has been demonstrated every time she has stepped foot on the track this year.  But this is about much more than just her times, which elevate her to being competitive in races against professional runners and Olympians alike.  This is more about the attention given to a high school athlete during a broadcast of a professional event.  For those who watched the New Balance Grand Prix in Boston on ESPN2 the following day, were able to see a high school prep break through the notion that big networks were only for the pro's.  She has everyone talking, from local/national newspapers, local news programs, and of course, ESPN.  As she appeared on TV, twitter blew up with mentions of the interaction, people speaking that this was the first time they finally got to see her race.  It serves to prove that high school track has another superstar, much like Mary Decker before Cain.  And with that popularity, comes the attention to a sport that some claimed was dying off.  You'd be hard pressed to find many athletes in New York State that don't at least know her name.  Edward Cheserek, another athlete whom is famous within High School Track and Field, is just more proof that the prep sport can produce celebrities.  His attacks last year on the 4-min mile were highlighted around the country, and his letter of intent is still one of the most eagerly awaiting developments of the new year.

 

3. We Got Swag

If you are from Section 1, then you probably know what a Lions Club T-shirt looks like.  I used to be astonished about how far away I could find people wearing these.  I saw them while vacationing in Florida, Rhode Island, Buffalo, almost anywhere.  It became a competition for people to send in photos of a Lion's Club shirt in the furthest distance possible from Somers High School.  Some years later, I know have enough for me to be able to wear a different color for two weeks straight.  But it is part of a larger benefit.  You get a lot of swag (stuff-we-all-get) as a runner.  From Nationals bags, to a myriad of xc t-shirts, to a stack of medals higher than most necks can carry.  And it is those t-shirts that almost serve as an unspoken bond between runners.  You can always spot a fellow runner when they are wearing a running shirt.  You both know what you had to go through to get one of those.  You had to excel at what you do to receive one.  How about this situation?  Have you ever seen someone walking around with a nationals bag, then came home to check on MileSplit who they were because their name was written on the bag?  You've at least thought about it.  Other sports may have jerseys, but they are of the professional teams.  We have t-shirts to wear with pride, because they represent our accomplishments.

(If you have seen a Lions Club shirt in a far off place, be sure to let us know in the comments!)

 

2. Population Diversity

What does a typical "trackie" look like?  It's not an easy question to answer when you look at the variety the sport encompasses.  You're average shot putter looks nothing like the run-of-the-mill quarter miler.  There is a spot for everyone, and creates the most diverse environment in all of High School sports.  No other sport affords the wide range of body types, ethnicities, and skill sets as high school track does.  It is a blend of different personalities, educations, and economic backgrounds.  And for all those differences, it is a great equalizer as well.  Once you toe the line, nothing else matters besides how hard you worked, and if it was harder than the person to your left and your right.  In the higher competition, there comes a point where natural talent will lose out to hard work everytime.  All these different perspectives must mesh together well in order to win the team championships, the sectional titles.  And it is in the necessity of the wide variety of athletes  that berths the huge participation numbers, elevating us above the niche designation.

 

1. The MileSplit Connection

A few days ago, I tasked my twitter followers to name a MileSplit equivalent for a different sport.  Responses were limited, to say the least.  One of the biggest reason I believe we are no longer niche may come as a shock to some people.  But I believe that High School track and field has more coverage at the grass roots, state and national level than any other sport around, even moreso than football.  Just think for a second.  We have MileSplit, in every state, with every time in the rankings.  Then, add in names like ArmoryTrack, FloTrack, CalPrep, RunnerSpace, RunningTimes, the now defunct DyeStat, LetsRun to some extent.  No other sport has the exposure some of these athletes have.  I believe, even if some are our competition, that the increased market for websites dedicated to Track and Field has become so large and extensive, that nothing else exists even close to the depth we provide in the High School spectrum.  This is done with the help of all of you reading this, and more.  And for that, we thank you.