Page 14 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2021- Online Magazine

2
Paul Darden
Coach’s Conviction
by Alyssa Russell
oach Paul Darden, renowned
for his success in cross
Ccountry and track, has
been a mentor for me, embodying
the ideals that not only produce
distinguished athletes, but also
build character within those who
aspire to meet his standards. His
leadership skills emerge through
his obvious passion and love for
coaching and teaching, and his
spirit is one that demands personal
recognition for a full understanding
of his joyful disposition. I have
observed and attempted to emulate
the high expectations with which
he guides others and his simple yet
significant means of reaching the
hearts of his students.
I first entered his world during
my freshman year; frankly, cross
country practices then felt as
though I was attempting to run up
a muddy mountain. Even though
I had spent most of my summer
running from three and a half to five
miles in preparation for the season,
I had greatly underestimated the
talents and determination of my
teammates, who earned their place
as state champions only a few
months later. I did not, however,
accompany them since I failed to
qualify. Although Coach probably
knew I would not advance to the
14 Lubbock Senior Link
14
Lubbock Senior Link
regional or state level that year, he
refused to let me give up on myself.
It began with one Monday morning
when Coach instructed me to
run two and a half miles around
the school to work on speed,
while my teammates ran three
and a half miles. I was upset and
frustrated; how was I to improve
if I had to run less than the rest
of my teammates? The following
Monday, he expected me to cut two
minutes off my three-and-a-half-
Senior
Senior
mile time and run the distance in
under thirty minutes. Such drastic
improvement is uncommon in
cross-country but not impossible.
At each of the course’s checkpoints,
he yelled for me to “Get it in gear!”
sternly encouraging me to continue
running as fast as I could. The most
poignant moment of that season
was when he called out “29:52” as
I crossed the finish line. He had
refused to lower his expectations
for me, and as a result, I made it.
This two-minute improvement
was the first of numerous athletic
accomplishments that earned me
the title of the “Personal-Record-
Breaking Machine.” Eventually, I
refined my athletic abilities enough
to hear Coach cheer for me at my
last cross-country race: the 2020
Texas State Cross Country meet, in
which I helped my teammates and
Coach earn Sundown’s seventh
Girls State Championship title.
Coach Darden had confidence,
not only in the cross-country girls,
but also in the other athletes in
Sundown’s offseason program.
That is where athletes prepare
for track, softball, powerlifting,
or some other combination in the
fall. It is common knowledge that
not all body types are suited for
long-distance running so, although
offseason often required athletes
to run one mile without walking,
Coach stayed as long as certain
powerlifting and softball girls
needed to finish their runs and
refused to doubt their progress as
athletes. Many of my fellow athletes
have expressed their gratitude to
have had him as their offseason
coach: “I was so scared at first when
I heard we had to run a mile. Now, I
know I can do it, and I’m so happy I