Chatham County has a great community of active residents who love to run and walk for exercise. However, due to the lack of proper facilities, some residents are forced to run on high-traffic roads, or bumpy trails that seem ready to twist your ankle at any moment. An athletics track at or near Briar Chapel Park would offer a safer, more accessible, and higher quality running area for residents.
An athletics track will promote a healthy and physically active lifestyle for residents young and old. Its padded surface would help reduce injuries that would be much worse on rougher surfaces, making it the perfect place for people who love running but are worried about hurting themselves. A track would also tremendously benefit the track and field programs at nearby schools that do not have such facilities. Pollard Middle and Woods Charter School are just two of the schools that would put the track to good use.
One student, Ben Valentine, expressed his frustration with shin splints from practicing on hard, uneven surfaces. He believes a track would alleviate these issues and improve his performance. "If we had a track, I wouldn’t have shin splints," he stated. Another student, Idris Abdullah, attributed his knee issues to the lack of proper running facilities. He wanted to join the track team, but didn’t want to have to worry about getting injured the whole time.
This track would greatly benefit the community in Chatham County. To make sure that everyone gets a chance to use the track, practice and meet times can be designated for schools, while the general public will be able to use it at all other times. Even though the track might have a high upfront cost that is taken from the parks and recreation budget for the county, it will be of great help to people in the area and will definitely be worth it in the long run.
Holton Mody is a sophomore at Woods Charter School.