Tyler-Whitehouse Metro Track and Field Club raising self-esteem, building relationships

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - The future of track and field in East Texas is in good shape.  The track club of Tyler-Whitehouse Metro has young athletes who see their self-esteem rise, win or lose.

This generation of track athletes is keeping the sport alive. The Tyler Whitehouse Metro Coach Tutu Brown has a stable of young runners who focus on competing, and win or lose, their self-esteem improves.

“(What) I love about being a track person is, I get every day at practice. I get better and better and run faster, getting my time good,” said track athlete Janyriah Anderson.

Running is hard no matter the age, but they work on being better every day; when they’re older they will have the experience of giving it their all, but will also enjoy what they’re doing

“My pleasure is to, like, have fun, and just be happy. I’ve learned to not rush and be hard on yourself, don’t push yourself too hard. Then you might end up hurting yourself,” said athlete Kinley Mims.

Kinley’s mother and father are volunteers, and that is an asset to them, enhancing their abilities.

“When you come, when you have a support like that, the kids seem to do a lot better. When they have that full support behind them, a lot of times parents try to find the top thing that a child can do and then they do find them the niche and they support it. It just makes the kid even tougher,” said Coach Brown.

For the Mims family, track is a family affair, as Kinley, Cameron and little Casey are all into track.

“I feel comfortable because I get to see other people win for the first time. Or multiple times. Or people haven’t won, they actually run for the first time.”

What’s that saying ... the family that runs together, wins together.

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