Dear Freshman Hayley,

You are about to start your first year at Point Loma.  You are unsure about a lot of things and a lot of questions fill your mind about if you chose the right school, if you will make friends, and if you will like your classes.  These are big and difficult questions, but try not to worry too much about them.  Point Loma will be the perfect school for you.  It will shape and grow you in so many ways and you will meet amazing people who will play a big part in your growth as well.  I know that you are worried about joining the cross country and track & field teams, but they will end up being some of the most impactful places throughout your college years.   

You love to run.  Practice is something that you look forward to (almost) every day.  Don't lose the love that you have for cross country and track.  There will be times when you deeply question why you even continue to do this sport, but don't let these thoughts pull you away from doing what you love.  You know that every grueling mile repeat and every never-ending long hill will be so worth it in the end when you can look back and know what you have accomplished. 

You are worried about being on a new team and having a new coach, but this team will become your family and your support system.  They will be with you through all of the ups and downs that await you in your college career and they will love you every step of the way.  Your best friends in college will also be your teammates.  You will be surprised to discover how much joy and love true friendships will cause you to feel.  These girls will love you both on and off the course or track and you will learn from them that true friendship isn't conditional or contingent upon what you do, but rather, who you are. 

Up until this point in your life, cross country and track have always been something that you participated in, but never gave a ton of thought to.  This is about to change.  Although you started to connect your identity with running in high school, this connection is about to be amplified and both positive and negative results will occur.  The first thing I will say is that running is going to start to define who you are.  In and of itself, this is not a bad thing; running is a huge part of your life and it is important to you, so it makes sense that you are so connected with it.  Just make sure that it doesn't go too far.  Running has not nor will it ever define your value as a person.  You need to know that how much people love you is not dependent upon your performance, your place, or your time. The root of what defines you is that you are a loved child of God, and that is something that can never be taken away.

You have had a pretty smooth career as a runner; in terms of injuries and setbacks, there have not been many, nor were they very significant if they did occur.  This, too, is about to change.  In your Sophomore track season, you will develop a chronic injury that will come back the following two years and disrupt your Junior and Senior track seasons as well as your Senior cross country season.  It's going to be hard because you will realize how much you miss running the second that you realize that you can't do it.  You will regret all of the times you complained about it before when you were healthy and you will long to just be able to go for a run without pain.  Just be patient and take the time to heal.  Your body needs it.  You will also experience a pretty bad scare after a race your Junior cross country season where you will be taken to the Emergency Room in an ambulance.  This will prevent you from joining your teammates at Regionals.  It will also shake your confidence and make you scared to race again, but just know that you will be fine.  You will be able to finish out your running career and you will do it to the best of your ability.  Use this experience to make you stronger rather than to let it be a hindrance to your mental strength.

I know that you feel inadequate and you are unsure if you really belong on collegiate cross country and track teams, but you will be validated throughout your years at Point Loma.  Just keep working hard like you always do and you will do great.  You will get that scholarship you dreamed of heading into your Sophomore year.  You'll get to be on the traveling squad for all but one cross country meet.  You will get to experience going to Regionals and Nationals your senior year, something that four years ago, you would have never thought possible.  Don't let the difficult times keep you from being the best runner that you can be and don't let comparison cause you to shrink in upon yourself and downplay all of your gifts and abilities.  You may not be THE best, but you can definitely be YOUR best.  And this is all that anyone could ever ask of you. 

Overall, just know that you are in an amazing place.  The people you will meet will change your life and help shape you into the person that you are to become.  Don't be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone.  Talk to people who you normally wouldn't and make bold choices.  There is nothing to be lost during this time; there are only great experiences and memories to be attained.

Love,
Future Hayley