Here we go

The final fall sports teams arrive on campus for preseason camp today at Marist. Yeah. That would be the men's and women's cross country teams. The excitement and anticipation has been building among our athletes for the beginning of our 9-month journey together. It starts this afternoon with the arrival of the XC runners on campus. Official practice begins on Wednesday afternoon.

As I type this, bags and cars are probably being packed. Our freshmen are about to begin their four-year, life-changing adventure. Their parents are bidding farewell to their children, who they have nurtured and watched grow for the past 17 or 18 years. This fact inches closer and closer to home as we face a similar prospect in two short years; our oldest son, Joey, entering his junior year of high school, is currently away at XC camp -- a little snippet of what's to come if and when he departs for college. And so we begin again, as we do every year. Each year on this day, we always remember the Forever Foxes who came before and who remain a big part of our family -- now and always. Today, we add some new members to that family, and we form a new team.

Lastly! I know there are many other, more relevant ways to keep tabs on our program in an instant. Like an old coach, this blog moves a bit more slowly; posts are not as frequent, and certainly not as immediate as other forms of social media. But, I will do my best to keep things updated here throughout the long journey we call cross country and track.