I CAN! I WILL! I WANT TO!!
I CAN! I WILL! I WANT TO!!!
Saturday, October 8, 2011 the 8th Annual J.D. Mac Invitational will be held at the Bray Hendricks park starting with Varsity Girls at 8am, Varsity Boy’s at 8:45, and at 9:30 there is an Open 5K race (JV runners & all ages are welcome to run). The course is a nice flat course with about 80% asphalt and 20% grass making it a fast course. 10:30 will be the awards ceremony featuring top individuals receiving plaques 1 st girl and 1 st boy finishing both varsity races. Trophies for 1 st and 2 nd place teams.
Coach James McDaniel story… The JD Mac Invitational started in 2003 when Coach Teresa Hendricks transferred from Milton High to Jay. Teresa said, “Coach Mac has always meant so much to me and it felt like perfect timing to host a meet in honor of him.” This was the year he retired from Jay.
Coach Mac was the reason behind the Lady Royals winning 4 straight state championships in 1-A Cross-country in the late 80’s to the early 90’s . In fact, Jay was the all-area team beating out many large schools during those years in most races. He owned the recipe for success, with the right workouts and the talent that was on the team for those years it was an amazing feat. Coach Mac not only was a coach, he was like a father to so many of the athletes. He taught the team that winning was the end result, but giving all they had as an individual counted the most. His team motto was “I CAN! I WILL!! I WANT TO!!!” and today Coach Teresa Hendricks carries that same motto with the Royal teams, teaching them that first it starts with believing you can, then putting it on the line with the will to finish the race, and wanting to run our best. That’s the real recipe for success, in not only running but in anything you try to achieve.