In the recent months, the city of Everett funded a project to make improvements to Everett’s main stadium, the Allied Veterans Memorial Stadium. The changes included new turf, designs and a polished oval pathway enclosing the surrounding area. While many people in my community view the improvements made to the stadium as perfect, the truth is the track team still doesn’t have a regulated track to efficiently practice on and host home meets.

I have been running since my freshman year and I’m currently a captain of the track team along with a few others. In the spring we hold practices at the stadium and distance runners and sprinters cycle between the turf and pavement for practice and drills. Some may argue the pavement is capable for workouts and drills, and to that, I agree. But while it is capable, it is not effective. In my four years of doing outdoor track, I can recall countless times where a teammate was struck by the guard rail of the bleachers that reside only inches away from our available running space. Not only is this a safety hazard, but it forces us into single file lines when we could be running side by side. Another issue resides in the fact that no one truly knows for sure how long our track is. In a regulated track, each lap is 400m long; in our track, that number could range from 350-450 depending on who you ask. This makes timing workouts much harder and negatively impacts performance during real distances. Less effective practices only make meets harder, and that’s where other issues arise.

Think of senior night, a time full of celebration and joy for the leaving class that has put blood sweat and tears for this sport. Now, what would you think if I told you we don’t have those during the spring season? You first would likely question why, and the truth is simple yet upsetting–you don’t hold senior nights on someone else’s track, and we never have home meets since we lack a true track. Sad, right?

Unfortunately, the effects of home meets run deeper than missing senior nights.

Home court advantage is real, and we fight against it every race. Just picture it. The lights are bright and your legs scream as you near the curve of the last 100 meters. Suddenly, the crowd erupts in screams for your opponent that pushes to overtake you in the final stretch.  Having your team support you is one thing, but having your classmates and friends cheer for you is an indescribable feeling that unlocks potentials you didn’t know you had. It’s a feeling that brings home wins. Having to hear the constant rejection from your friends that they can’t show up to your meets because of the distance hurts, almost like a child aimlessly scanning the crowd for their parents that couldn’t make it during a chorus. What makes all of this worse is the fact that Everett is the only one out of 8 GBL teams that lack a track, and it’s not because we lack the funding; it’s because we lack the respect.

The next time you visit the refurbished stadium, look for what I’ve mentioned. Although the stadium has definitely taken a step in the right direction, there are key factors that have been outright pushed aside and ignored. We are just as valuable of a team as any other Everett sport, and I believe we deserve to be treated like one with the addition of a track.