My neck is stained with mud, my toes feel tight in my hard blue shoes, and the prickly wind whips a curl of brown hair into my eyes. I bend over and pull an icy metal ball from a pocket of mud and snow, my fingers now past feeling. I force the ball into my neck and force my feet to enter the circle. I wind up, kick back, and let the shot fly through the wintry air, never pausing to ask myself, “What the heck are you going here?”

Two years ago I never would have wanted to throw shot put in the cold of February. But the sports culture at Hereford drew me in, and I’ve become a three-season athlete.

It’s irresistible, I think, the sports culture up here in the Zone. It seems that nobody is anybody unless they play a sport. Conversations tend to begin like this: “Hey, you know Susy?” “You mean the girl on the field hockey team? Yeah, I know who you’re talking about.” We often identify individuals according to the sport that they play. I think it is true, though, that athletes identify themselves according to their sport, too. We identify as a cheerleader or a wrestler before anything else. We take pride in our sports.

I wish I could say we take pride in our music, our robotics, or our sciences. But that’s just not how it is in the Zone. Yes, we are all student athletes, but I think we are more athletes than students when it comes down to it. At least, I feel that way. “So, what do you like to do?” a new acquaintance might ask. I’ll reply, “Oh, I throw shot put for my track team.” Never have I said, “I like to write,” or “I play flute,” before mentioning my athletic endeavors.

But who’s to blame for the undeniable lure of Hereford competition and athleticism? Why did I become a three-season athlete?

I could blame the coaches, particularly the ones who’ve returned to Hereford after college, hoping to give back to their community. They constantly push us to get faster, stronger, better. Or I could blame those who financed our new gym, locker rooms, and weight room. We’ve got to use all that stuff, right? Otherwise it’d all be for nothing. I could blame the geographical location of Hereford, too. Like Harbinger reporter Bess Tiller (’18) said, “We have nothing to do on these rolling hills besides run dips.”

But, honestly, I didn’t choose volleyball and shot put and discus for any of those reasons. I wanted to participate in Hereford sports because of my peers, my fellow athletes, my examples of strength and determination. The sports culture that exists in Hereford today is because of the student athletes. We know what success is, and we thirst for the taste of county and regional championship victories. We feel strong when we do hard things.

Thanks for showing me that I can do hard things, Hereford. Thanks for giving me the courage to succeed. At the end of the day, I don’t mind the dirt on my neck or the calluses on the palms of my hands. You’ve made me strong, and now I can call myself an athlete – a Hereford athlete.