One of the most significant aspects of sports that can make or break an athlete’s experience is team culture. According to a study conducted by the National Alliance of Youth Sports, roughly 70% of children quit their sport by age 13, with the biggest reason behind this decision being that the sport isn’t fun anymore. In order to keep athletes in their sports, it is vital that the coaches, teammates, and parents put in an effort to create a positive, uplifting, and stress-free environment for every athlete. 

The Girls Cross Country Team at MHS has done an exemplary job at creating and maintaining a positive team environment, which has helped their team become stronger and also more connected.

“Strong team culture is foundational in sports,” girls cross country head coach Rebecca Wesley stated. “It helps with the athletes’ morale and performance and creates an environment where they feel safe to grow.”

One of the many things the new head coach has implemented to create a positive culture was that she had the athletes write letters to each other to demonstrate their appreciation and respect for one another, which has helped the athletes feel even more connected with one another. In addition to this, she helps her athletes develop skills such as leadership, resilience, and teamwork; skills that are valuable not only in sports but also in life.

The athletes also contribute to the positive team culture in many ways as well. Whether it’s cheering on teammates in practices and meets, having positive attitudes, or being there for eachother inside and outside of their sport, they’ve got each other’s backs no matter what. 

“Everyone is so supportive and so kind,” cross country athlete Avery Marasco-Johnson, ‘25, explained. “Cross country is a mentally tough sport, but having people around that support you and that you can rely on makes the whole process easier.”

Altogether, the girls cross country team at MHS is an excellent example of a positive team environment which has in turn produced both great athletes and great people. Environments like these are where athletes thrive: where they are able to learn how to work as a team, develop new friendships, and improve their performance in their sport, and in order to create these environments, it all comes back to promoting a positive team culture.