TrackMom Exclusive… Lauryn Williams Talks “Youth Track”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had the privileged of a phone interview with Lauyrn Williams last week while she was on her way to her weight room workout. She told me we had “Plenty” of time because Miami traffic was terrible. She was right….We had a wonderful conversation and we didn’t have to cut it short. Traffic was bad. I was happy.

My interest in interviewing elite athletes such as Lauryn, is to find out more about their youth experience, the good the bad and the ugly as it were… I want to help our youth track family gain perspective, encouragement and insight, as we journey this exciting, sometime difficult road of track and field.

I was immediately struck by her enthusiastic open persona. I immediately felt like I had been chatting up my best girlfriend, reminiscing on the old days of her developing career. She was funny and very honest in her conversation. She has a very genuine, authentic unassuming personality and I am sure as you read the following interview you will feel the same way.

TrackMom ( TM) Tell me a little about your family.

Lauryn Williams (LW)  I have 5 sisters and 2 brothers.  My parents divorced when I was three. I lived with my mom in Detroit .MI until the 6^th grade and my dad in Rock Chester, Penn. 6^th grade through college.

 

TM When did your family first notice your running ability?

LW My Mom and Dad from the beginning noticed my love of running and love of sports in general. One day while shopping with my mother I was across the street at a Blockbuster movie rental store and I needed to get over to my mom. I darted across the street. When I got to the other side a man stopped me and asked, “How did you do that”?  I replied,”I don’t know I just did it”. He walks over and introduced himself to my mom and told her she needed to get me on a team because I was really fast.

 My mom found a team, but even though I enjoyed running I don’t think early on I enjoyed the track team experience. I didn’t like the traveling to get to practice (all the local teams were out in our neighborhood.) I still wanted to do other sports and really didn’t “get” track as a sport yet. I played softball and basketball. I loved sports and was very much a tom-boy and just wanted to be playing and having fun.

I ran for a short time on a couple of different teams but didn’t really get into track until I move with my dad in the 6^th grade. I was beating the girls and boys 3 years older and needed more competition. I ran out of kids to beat in the neighborhood and then move to a more organized track team through the USATF Age group teams and school as I approached high school.

TM   Lauryn really perked up when I asked her about some of her favorite experiences as a youth athlete…. Lauyrn can you tell me your best youth track experience?

LW Do you have to ask? The social stuff of course! The track meets were only part of the youth track experience. Seeing new places, food, and cultures. It was a new adventure. I looked forward to that as much as the running. I believe that is an important, often times over looked piece of the puzzle that helps youth transition into the more serious aspects of track and field when they get to high school.

 

TM What would you say to parents to help balance the experience of track and field and fun?

LW My dad always told me to do what you want to do. Have fun. It was never to serious early on. Parents should remember to try and not be to intense, to serious. The kids need to feel that win or lose its okay. Parents need to understand that if they can make it less stressful and tension filled the kids will be more comfortable competing. If the parents can use some of the time (maybe during a national meet) to explore other places in a new city not just the track it’s better for the longevity of the athlete in the sport. It keeps them wanting more.  Don’t get me wrong, the kid does need to be focused, but not so much it becomes stressful and no fun. Build in some of the fun for your kid.

TM Did you feel like track and field was fun as a sport 6^th-9^th grade?

LW I felt like all the sports were fun. I participated in part because I didn’t want to go watch the sports I wanted to be watched, in the game or on the track.

TM Were you always a high achiever academically in school? On the track?

LW School was always very important to me and yes I have always been a good student. On the track I was always in the finals but not always first, usually I was like…3rd or 4^th    nationally and if the top 3 girls were in the race I would come in 4^th (ha ha ha) I was having fun. I was not a “Phenom”. People like Alexis Thomas, Erica Whipple were the top in the nation at that time. Determination counts and it has kept me moving forward.

 Tomorrow part 2 

  Lorraine Williams

“Little” Lauren’s TrackMom

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5. Vote For Lauryn Williams… The Jefferson Award