More than 400 high school athletes from grades eight through 12 will converge at Timberlane Park on Thursday, May 4, when Brook Secondary School hosts the BC High School North Island Track and Field championships.
The meet is the first step in the race to the Vancouver Island championships in Victoria and, ultimately, the provincials.
Last year was a landmark year for Brooks, as a rebuilding effort led to the largest track and field team in the school’s history.
According to coach Graham Cocksedge, he and fellow coaches Scott Glaspey and Connie Polman Tuin have a solid core of dedicated athletes returning, fuelled by the enthusiasm of newcomers.
“Scott, Connie and I got together and there was such a great turnout last year, we said, ‘Alright, let’s do this,’” said Cocksedge.
The kids, he added, have shown their coaches that they, too, are dedicated.
“The kids who come out are great,” said Glaspey. “We have about 20 to 25 super dedicated kids and then a couple who are dropping in here and there, but that’s how kids are now. You can’t force them.”
Although, according to Cocksedge, it might seem at times that Glaspey is doing just that.
“Once the kids realize he’s not scaring them, then they get really excited,” said Cocksedge
The Brooks team has its strengths, according to Cocksedge, more in track events than on the field in throwing disciplines.
Glaspey said it is like building anything from scratch; it is just a matter of time.
“It takes a while; it doesn’t happen overnight” said Glaspey. “What we’re hoping, eventually, is we get a bunch of people to say, ‘You know what, we’re big and strong and we throw things long distances.’”
Glaspey said he hopes to see the growth in throwing that the team has seen on the track, where Cocksedge said the best hopes lay for the medals.
“Definitely in cross country, we have a really good middle-distance group,” he said. “The track is strong but we don’t know; we have no idea. As coaches we’re kind of hoping we place top five as a school.”
