"It's not just track:" Close bond between Tosa West track athletes, their coaches -- and even coaches' kids!



WAUWATOSA -- Years from now, the members of the Wauwatosa High School track team might struggle to remember their accomplishments -- but not their relationships. Chances are, they will last a lifetime.

Cheri'A Adams



"We have team sleepovers, team dinners -- so it's not just track," Cheri'A Adams, Tosa West junior said. "If we ever need someone to talk to, we know that we can come to each other if we're having problems."

Members of teams at every level often talk about being like family. You might say the track team at Wauwatosa West took it a step or two further on their way to a successful run at the state competition this season -- and the camaraderie extends to their coaches.

Brianna Horton



"They're like my mom and dad. We have a really close relationship with our coaches and everyone on the team," Brianna Horton, Tosa West senior said. "They've seen us cry. They've seen us at our happiest times. They've always been there to support us, and I can't thank them enough for doing that."

The coaches say they get back at least as much as they give.

"I see a lot of these girls, a lot of these guys as my extended family," Jason Hood, sprint coach for Tosa West boys and girls track said. "We had a signing for a couple of the girls, and I posted on Facebook like they're my own. 'Another one of my daughters has signed to go to college,' so it really is a family affair for us."

Jason Hood



"They're just absolutely wonderful," Briana Jury, Tosa West hurdles coach said. "It makes it so much fun to be out here and be with them. It makes it that much more exciting. You have ups and downs, and so to be with them when they're succeeding and know how great they are as people, it's a wonderful experience."

What's also wonderful about Tosa West track practices is seeing the kids practice. And we're not talking about the high school kids. We're talking about the youngsters who accompany their parents to work!

Briana Jury



"We had a couple coaches who have their kids here already," Jury said. "Had another one who just became a father last weekend. It's really fun. We get them in the blocks and see who's running, and get that next generation going."

"It's really nice, now that they're a little bit older," Hood said. "It's a lot easier for me because they can come and they can actually run. I've got them going out of blocks right now. They both can do hand-offs as well as the girls because they watch them and see what they do and do the exact same thing -- so it's real fun."



Azya McLin



"Having our coaches bring their kids to practice and the meets I feel like is a good thing, because their kids get to know us and they like coming to practice," Azya McLin, Tosa West senior said. "I think it's fun for them and us to get to know their families as well."

Jury is pregnant, and the coach says she can see her child joining others at a Tosa West practice in a couple years.

"The kids have been really excited about the baby, and they all want me to name it after them," Jury said.

The parents of Tosa West track athletes are part of the team, too.

Adams has been to state as a freshman, sophomore and junior -- but she still has to catch up with her mom.

"She was a state champ her senior year, and I'm hoping I can be as well," Adams said.



"I believe that the kids, if they have similar gifts and talents, as a parent I should be able to invest int hem and they go further than what I do," Cheryl Adams, Cheri'A Adams' mother said. "It's a little rivalry going on. She might do it. She might pass me in her medals."

Records, of course, are meant to be broken -- unlike the bond between the Tosa West track team and their coaches.

"I've been doing this for almost 12 years, and I have a lot of people that I still talk to from my first year that I'm still friends with," Hood said.



Ironically, Coach Hood and Coach Jury competed for Tosa East in their high school days, and they still pull for their Alma Mater, but when it comes to track and field, it's all about Tosa West.