Roberts Running Club Runs on, Strong

BY CATHERINE YU

Do you like to run? Or maybe you seek to become a stronger, more improved runner? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions, then you should join the Roberts Elementary Running Club.

Coach Alexander, under Principal Rita Graves, who is currently the principal at Lamar High School, started the Roberts Running Club in 2014.

Running Club is still led by Coach Alexander, also known as Coach A, and available to all grade levels, genders, and ethnicities.

The students meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 6:45-7:15 a.m. by the soccer field. It might seem like a bit of an early start, but starting the day off running really wakes you up for the school day. The club costs a small fee of $25 for the shirt and running instruction, but if you cannot pay, there are scholarships.

When I asked Coach A who would enjoy Roberts Running Club, he said, “Running Club can be for anyone, especially students with a lot of energy.”

There is a large range of grade levels and experience at the Roberts Running Club, so you should not feel intimidated if you want to join.

During Running Club, we do several different running exercises. First, we do a warmup, a five-minute jog around the track. Secondly, we do a buildup, where we go faster each lap. To finish off, we sprint around the soccer field. I really like having a routine and knowing what to expect and do each time we meet.

Coach A said that his favorite part of the club is, “seeing the students learn to run smoothly and efficiently.”

I also asked some of the students about their favorite club moments. Brielle Simmons, a fourth-grade runner said she enjoyed, “meeting runners from the Rice University track and field team that had more experience and learning their perspective on running.”

Joshua Yu, a second grader in Running Club, said, “I like doing the buildups. Running Club also helps me improve my baseball.”

I love running, and if it were not for the RE running club, I do not think I could say that. When I first started, nine months ago, I could barely run once around the track without stopping to walk.

Now, I can run almost 10 times that long and think of running as a hobby rather than a school activity. Since I am graduating, I will miss the Roberts Running Club dearly next year. But I hope that future students will enjoy it just as much as I have.