More Than a Uniform: Falling Creek Middle School Cross Country Team Finds Its Stride

Who doesn’t love new uniforms? Especially when those uniforms can represent something greater than a new look. 

For the cross country team at Falling Creek Middle School, new uniforms are long overdue and with support from Start 1 Spark, the team will have matching jerseys for the first time since it began. 

Until now, runners have relied on old, mismatched uniforms passed down from the school’s track and field team. Some shirts were navy blue, others dark purple, and some still carried the word “track” across the front. 

“They were just basic navy blue, dark purple, too, shirts, but we all had different shirts,” said seventh grader Maybeline Turcios. “They weren't the same.” 

Now, the team is looking forward to a fresh start with uniforms of their own. 

Cross country captain Benjamin Brown is especially excited to see the new jerseys, and how they look when the team competes against other schools. 

“We have had these same jerseys since sixth grade, and I just wanted to see something different,” Brown said. 

The new uniforms will give the runners a more consistent appearance, but their impact goes beyond matching colors. For a group of young athletes learning to compete, encourage one another, and work toward a common goal, wearing the same jersey can help reinforce the feeling that they belong to something bigger than themselves. 

“It's gonna bring more hype to it,” Brown said. “People are gonna look at our jerseys and be like, ‘Ooh, they're nice.’” 

For Brown, joining cross country meant he could practice his running which would prepare him for basketball season, but it also helped him develop leadership skills and meet new people. 

That sense of connection is especially meaningful for students like Malachi Conn, who recently moved to Falling Creek and joined the cross country team. Extracurricular activities can offer students a welcoming environment to build friendships, find their confidence, and feel more connected to their school community.

Katrina Robinson, a physical education teacher who has worked at Falling Creek for 27 years, has seen firsthand how participation in school activities can shape students' experiences. 

“Students that are involved in cross country, and other extracurricular activities have another sense of belonging because they belong to a team and a group,” Robinson said. 

She added that support from teachers, parents, and coaches helps students feel encouraged to do their best, both in competition and in the classroom. 

However, access to those experiences also depends on having the resources students need to participate fully, like a complete set of matching uniforms. 

For schools working with limited resources, replacing athletic uniforms may not always be an immediate priority, even when the need is clear. Support from the community through organizations like Start 1 Spark can help bridge that gap, providing students with resources that allow them to participate with greater confidence and pride. 

Robinson emphasized how important it is for students to know their community is behind them. 

“Having our community be supportive, whether it's in person supporting them, financially supporting them, just that helps our school as well as our athletes,” she said. 

That support sends a message that students deserve opportunities to grow, compete, and feel proud of their accomplishments, regardless of the resources available to their school. 

For the Falling Creek runners, the new jerseys are a visible reminder of that encouragement. When they line up to race, they will represent not only themselves, but also their teammates, their school, and the community investing in their success. 

While a uniform cannot guarantee a faster finish or a first-place medal, it can help build the confidence that makes being part of a team so meaningful. With new, matching uniforms Falling Creek's cross country team can focus on what matters most: showing up for one another, pushing themselves to improve, and discovering what they can accomplish together.