Lytle’s Head Cross Country coach Gilbert Ruiz and his 2020 boys and girls squads laced up their running shoes for the first time last Monday. Ruiz, like all other coaches in the nation, spoke first about the safety conditions that he enforces with his entire team.
“As for safety precautions, we’ve been fortunate in that most of these kids were showing up to strength and conditioning so they have become accustomed to wearing masks, cleaning everything and trying to social distance,” Ruiz stated. “They have been excited to come back and get started again since their track season was cut short and having to stay inside for almost two months.”
Excited is probably an understatement. Most kids have been going a little stir crazy, along with their parents and siblings. In due time once this pandemic has subsided, runners, coaches, parents, fans, and significant others can enjoy all that a successful Cross Country program like Lytle’s has to offer.
“Hopefully things can calm down a bit so we can have a season. We have a few seniors who would like to finish on a high note this year,” Ruiz concluded.
With seven Lady Pirates and twelve Pirates in attendance at Ruiz’s first practice, the return to some form of normalcy has begun.
Best of luck to Coach Ruiz and his Lytle Cross Country teams this season!
By Jerel Beaty
Staff Writer
