The Lakeview Varsity Track and Field Team has introduced an important new member in the 2024 season. Bob Easton has joined us as the boys and girls sprinting coach! Easton has coached at several other schools over the years. He last coached his son, junior Lakeview student Thomas Easton, at JFK in 2022 when he was a freshman. Easton lives in the community, and it simply made the most sense for him to come here and move on with his coaching career.
Easton “ran track from junior high into college,” he continues to state, “I love it. I’ve always loved track. This is the best time of the year as far as I’m concerned, and the best part of my day is coming here.”
He has enjoyed the season thus far, despite the challenges the team has faced. Multiple track meets have been canceled as a result of the poor weather conditions. We are now nearing the end of the season, and Easton has plans for the future.
“I plan on coaching here for a few years,” he asserts, “A lot will depend on what my younger daughter does in the course of the next few years. She goes to another school and also runs track, so best case scenario, she will come back to school at Lakeview for her freshman year, and I will remain the sprinting coach for the foreseeable future. We have a lot of talent here and many young runners. When I develop a relationship like this, I like to see it through.”
Easton strongly believes in the ability of our runners and our track team as a whole. Our runners, likewise, trust in his ability as a coach. Junior Hailey Anderson realizes how the addition of a new sprinting coach has affected her track season.
She comments, “It has made me better because he knows what he is doing, and he knows how to help me improve more than I ever have.”
Easton wants nothing but the best for his runners, and it is reflected in the students themselves. His prior experience is beneficial to his knowledge-base. This is important because Easton is made a better coach through his experience level.
His son, Thomas Easton, is now a junior here at Lakeview. He is also on the boys track team. He told me, ¨Having a father who is experienced in track has helped me become a better athlete in more ways than I can explain. My dad isn’t just a great father, but he is also a great coach as well. I owe a lot of my successes to him, as he has helped me be the best athlete I can be both mentally and physically. I can’t express how important it is to me to be able to have my dad be a coach and know that he is supporting me during every practice and every meet. Even though he is my dad, he is also a great coach to many others. My friends on the girls team always tell me how much he has taught them and helped them as well.”
The runners as a whole have benefited from this change. Although unexpected, it is much appreciated and shown in the performance level of our runners this year. Most everyone has improved and most likely will continue to do so as long as Easton remains serving this school through our boys and girls track and field sprinters. Furthermore, as a Lakeview Girls Track Team member myself, I can safely say that I am very grateful for this adjustment and hope that Coach Easton continues to be a coach for many more years to come.
