COLUMN: The Best Athletes Are the Ones We Don't See

By Trevor Terminie / Journalism Student

Sam Kendricks (right) spoke at the Overby Center about his career as a world ranked pole vaulter. Kendricks won the NCAA championship twice and earned a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics. Photo by Billy Schuerman.

“Who are you when no one is looking?” For track and field athletes, this question often reflects reality.

Track and Field is not usually the first choice of many American sports fans, and it does not seem to get as much coverage on national television as other sports. The Olympic Games are what seem to attract most of the attention to the sport within the United States, but they only happen every four years.

Sam Kendricks, a former Ole Miss and now world-renowned pole vaulter, has seen both realms. He has witnessed exposure at the highest level, bronze-medaling in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for the United States. Also, he has witnessed a much smaller crowd size and interest levels at Oxford High School.

I have been around track most of my life while growing up in New Orleans. My brother, Trent, who runs track at Louisiana Tech and ran throughout high school, has always been worried about how many people show up to his meets.

After talking to Sam Kendricks, I finally have an answer to his issues: it does not matter.

The uniqueness and variety that track and field provides is what makes the sport, and its athletes, so special.

I would not have known how great of a man Kendricks is without talking to him. His work ethic is impeccable. He was both pole vaulting and preparing for the military in ROTC throughout college. If the need for fame got in his way, he may not have gotten to the levels of success he has achieved.

Kendricks was doing great things pole vaulting in high school, which one would think would warrant many offers. He still had to walk-on at Ole Miss, which makes his story much more special.

Maybe the most special part about Kendricks is the man he has become, and it took a direct interaction from me to understand that.

Today, there is so much information floating around about high school and college athletes of more popular sports, so being able to understand them on a personal level can be overshadowed by their otherworldly appearance. Moreover, the great things they do outside of sports seem to get lost in the tracks because of their sport.

Thus, speaking directly to track and field athletes, most importantly high school participants, the number of people watching you does not determine the person and athlete you will become.

The stories you can tell others will not only surprise the people who may not know you, but you will educate them about the sport you love.

The people who watch you in the stands are the ones who support you the most and understand your accomplishments. Cherish that fact, and do not worry about the numbers.

Your sport may only gain the recognition it deserves once every four years, but your accomplishments behind the scenes will speak louder.

Finally, focus on bettering yourself. The lack of a crowd wanting to know everything about you eliminates your distractions, making it that much easier to grow as a person and an athlete. And if you are good enough and work to achieve your goals, fame will come your way.

Sam Kendricks, my brother Trent, and many other track and field athletes are some of the best people that I know. It is the work and dedication when I and others were not looking that have made them so special.

COLUMN: The Best Athletes Are the Ones We Don’t See

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COLUMN: The Best Athletes Are the Ones We Don’t See

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