Q&A With CPHS Winter Track Coach Reggo

The CPHS Winter Track season has officially taken off, and Coach Reggo had plenty of great things to say about some of the track team's most accomplished stars, as well as her goals for this unique season!

Who are this year’s captains and star returning players?

Our captains are Seniors Lukkas Londono, Antony DeLaRoca, Kelsey Pereira, Estela Aguliar, and Junior Tasnim Eissa.

Are there any graduating players you would like to mention?

The team is going to be at a real loss not only with the talent we are graduating, but also because many of the seniors are great leaders. Lukkas Londono is hands down one of the best athletes in our league. He is also very good at working with the young, new athletes. Antony DeLaRoca is a very good hurdler, but more importantly one of the hardest workers I have coached. He sets a great example every day for everyone on the team. He is someone that will go above and beyond what you ask of him. Kelsey Pereira is an unbelievable distance runner. She has been named all county numerous times over the years. Each day at practice she brings her best and pushes all of the other athletes to their best.

How does your team plan on adjusting to Covid-19 restrictions?

This year was difficult due to Covid. There were a lot of changes. Usually, winter track meets consist of competing in an indoor facility with thousands of people. That was obviously not the case this year. Many daily precautions were put into place, including daily health questionnaires, daily temperature checks, sanitizing of equipment, making sure masks are worn, and social distancing. The meets were also very different; instead of indoor meets we had "polar bear" meets. These were outdoor meets that consisted of running against only one team versus the usual many teams.

What are your expectations for this season?

Over the winter, we wanted to get in the best shape to get ready for spring. Because we did not have as many meets this year, at each one, our goal was to be better than the one before. If we came to practice, and met and worked hard and got better, then we were reaching many of our goals.

What are your expectations of your players?

I expect that all of our athletes come to practice everyday ready to work hard. If you come and go through the movements, you will not see improvements. I expect everyone wants to come to not only become a better athlete, but a better person...learning a lot about life through sports.

What makes track different from other sports?

Track is different because a lot of the time you are competing against yourself. There is not as much instant gratification in track like there is in other sports, for instance, like hitting a shot in basketball, or catching a pass in football. In track it is a lot of setting individual goals and pushing your own personal limits to see what you can attain.

What do you and the team plan to work on at practices?

Because track has 15 different events there is a lot to work on. It is so much more than just running. There are jumps, throws, hurdles and each is broken down into very specific techniques.

How are you conducting practices this season?

This season we will break the team up into smaller groups than usual due to Covid. We will keep everyone a little more spread out and socially distanced. Each coach has a group of athletes that they work with.

What makes a good leader for your team?

Someone that does the right thing at the right time. They should be a hard worker for the rest of the team and be encouraging to others. They should also put the team first. If I need them to do an event they don't normally do, they will do it for the benefit of the program.

What do you want your players to take away from the season?

Especially with Covid, I think one lesson learned is run every race like it's your last. This pandemic has shown how quickly that can happen. Not only with running, but with everything you do: work hard, do it to the best of your ability, but most important, have fun!

How can students interested in track get started?

The best way is to contact Ms. Reggo, and I can give them information about signing up and working out.