From the Editor-In-Chief

Believers in the butterfly effect could argue that it was the "Taste Success...Eat My Dust" t-shirt I opted to wear to a cross country practice one crisp fall afternoon three decades ago that caught the eye of a certain baseball player on campus, and set into motion a chain of events that eventually led to the publication of the magazine you're now reading. But, cocky t-shirt aside, I've long contended that my life has benefitted in myriad ways from being a runner. And, while years of pounding the pavement have forced me to take alternate paths in pursuit of a runner's high, the smell of dewy grass and the crunch of newly fallen leaves underfoot at the onset of fall is enough to transport me back in time to the starting line of a cross country meet.

A post-race photograph from 1995 of me with my Northern Kentucky University cross country teammates perfectly captures the joy I felt as part of that team.

Competing at the collegiate level was such a positive experience that I sought to extend my affiliation with the sport by coaching for several seasons at Bellarmine University, back when it was still a college. Serving more as a CFO (Chief Fun Officer) rather than a hard-core assistant coach, I took it upon myself to convince the head coach to work in unique experiences as part of out-of-town meets. A handful of our runners had never been outside Louisville, so the opportunity to visit a city like Chicago was a big deal. The team was plenty talented, with some members going on to be standouts on the local road racing scene and respected coaches at the high school and college level. However, I knew that memories, rather than medals, would be the most treasured mementos of this time for most of these athletes.

Tackling the roles of new mom and fun coach two decades ago

I watched a television interview this past July with Edward Newton, one of the coaches of the Westside Track Club, which reminded me of my quest as a coach. Founded in 1982 and operating today from the newly opened Norton Healthcare Sports & Learning Center in Louisville's West End, the Westside Track Club provides track and field programs for athletes aged 7 to 18.

Tre, Myles, Stephen and Nick, Bronze medalists in the 4x800 meter relay among in the 17-18 age group.

Shot-putter Delani Brown has medaled every year since she was eight.

The Club had 54 athletes qualify for the AAU Junior Olympics in Houston this past August. Coach Newton's television appearance was part of a fundraising initiative to ensure that each young person who worked hard enough to be eligible for the meet could make the trip. In the interview, Coach Newton's remark that the event would mark the greatest distance that some of his athletes had ever been from home struck a chord. As a long-time proponent of using travel to broaden horizons and stretch comfort zones, I agreed with him that the meet could be life-changing for these young people and open their eyes to even more possibilities on and off the track. After donating to the cause, I kept my eye on the team's progress, and I'm honored to use this space to recognize the accomplishments of a few of these rising track and field stars. To see additional images, follow the Westside Track Club on Facebook @WestsideTrackClub.

Anthony Woods II aka "Duece" is the Westside Track Club’s first Long Jump National Champion.

Bridget Williams, Editor-In-Chief bridget@slmag.net