November 14, 2015 -- On this Saturday, I was assigned to help with the Cross Country team. The team is coached by Robert Barlett, and they were to compete in the NCAA Division III West Region Championship. The race was held at Pomona-Pitzer College, which is about a 45 minute drive east of Los Angeles. Cross country races can be a bit confusing, because the course is a long winding path that may have some overlaps on itself. After the first lap, I assisted with re-directing the race path by diverting a section of movable fence barriers. This needed to be done to make sure the runners would be going in the right direction for the remaining laps in the race. In addition, we had to re-direct the crowds to certain areas away from the course itself, and out of the way of other patrons. After the conclusion of both the men's and women's championship, we also assisted with the cleanup process. Occidental College was technically the host of the championship, so we were to make sure the whole event ran smoothly. The event was a success and I learned more new things about the whole process from start to finish. Oxy was even able to send one cross country runner to the Division III Nationals in Wisconsin, so good luck to them this week!
This day was another chance to see the many competing interests that are present for an athletic contest. I have never actually stopped to ponder the many viewpoints, but some of them can consist of the competitors themselves, the coaches, the family members/supporters, and the officials of the event. They provide a different angle of looking at the event, and all of these angles will be impacted differently.
Robert Bartlett Bio --- http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/mxc/2010-11/coaches/RobertBartlett
This day was another chance to see the many competing interests that are present for an athletic contest. I have never actually stopped to ponder the many viewpoints, but some of them can consist of the competitors themselves, the coaches, the family members/supporters, and the officials of the event. They provide a different angle of looking at the event, and all of these angles will be impacted differently.
Robert Bartlett Bio --- http://www.oxyathletics.com/sports/mxc/2010-11/coaches/RobertBartlett