Dawn Patrol
Here is a recipe for a really nice morning:
- Get up early.
- Gather a bunch of friends.
- Go someplace pretty.
- Share the awe of a sunrise.
- Get some exercise.
- Eat something good together.
- Have the rest of the day wide open in front of you.
- Repeat as many times as you like.
Dawn Patrol is an excellent workout (running Candy Crush is perfect training for the Crystal Springs cross country course), but more than that, it’s just a wonderful thing to do with people you like. I enjoy sharing the sunrise with all of you. It’s great to see you run Candy Crush (I looked forward to running it, back when I was still running). I love feeding you after.
Thanks for sharing the morning with me! I hope all your lives, you think about this, and maybe get inspired to gather friends and family for a dawn run or hike–followed by breakfast!–wherever you are living.
Team Dynamics
On Friday at practice, I got a little dramatic sharing my thoughts about what it takes to build the best team we can. Sometimes I worry that my expectations are too high—but I always come back to the same belief: it’s not about being perfect; it’s about showing up with consistent effort to make ourselves, our relationships, and our team better. It’s easy to convince ourselves that skipping one small thing doesn’t matter—that there’s still enough “good” to make up for it. But those small choices add up. Over time, what was once a great team or a great friendship can slowly become just…average.
It’s easy to think our small choices don’t matter:
- “It’s fine if I skip the meet—there are 49 other runners.”
- “We don’t need the canopies at Firebird, we’ll find shade.”
- “I don’t need to thank Mr. Lawson because Myra already did.”
- “We can skip team shirts this year, last year’s are fine.”
- “I’ll call my friend next week, or the week after.”
But when we start thinking that way too often, those little things add up. Before we know it, what was once a great team, or a close friendship, starts to fade. It’s not one big decision—it’s a hundred small ones that quietly take us from great to average.
I think we all make the same few mistakes when it comes to being a good teammate or friend. The first is believing what we do doesn’t really matter. But it does, you do. You matter. Your effort, your presence, your energy — they make a difference. When you’re not with us, or when you are here and not fully present and engaged, your absence changes things.
The second mistake is believing we have to choose between being successful in school and being committed to our team — between getting a good grade and being a good teammate. That’s a false choice. Yes, if you miss a class, you might have to work harder, make up a quiz, or study more later. But plenty of people balance school, sports, and other activities and still do well. The truth is, it’s rarely an either/or — it’s about how much we’re willing to give to both.
Our high school cross country team isn’t just about running — it’s an opportunity to learn how to be a better teammate and a better member of a group. This is your tribe. The lessons you learn here — showing up, supporting others, staying accountable — are the same ones you’ll need later when the stakes are higher, whether you’re part of a company, a family, or a community.
So let’s work to make this team as strong as it can be — not just in how we race, but in how we show up for each other. Let’s practice being the kind of teammates and friends we’ll be proud to be for the rest of our lives.
The slide deck I used is attached.
