The other night I watched a documentary called “The Long Green Line.” The movie tells the story of the York High School cross-country team (from Elmhurst, IL, outside of Chicago) and their legendary coach Joe Newton during the 2005 Cross Country season as they try to bring home their 25th state title in 50 years. I enjoyed the movie, and Coach Newton is a truly inspirational figure – his mix of tough love and dedication to every single member of his team, regardless of speed or ability, is admirable. The team goes through its ups and downs over the course of the season, but Coach Newton has his priorities straight, and its easy to see why he is able to recruit ridiculous numbers of students to participate in a sport that is usually considered second class by kids at most high schools. Watching “The Long Green Line” renewed my regret in not having gone out for cross-country in high school, and gave an inside peek into the sport that I, as an adult-onset runner, really enjoyed. I bought and watched the video on-line at Amazon – you can rent or buy it by following the link in the box above and to the left. Highly recommended!
Below is the trailer for “The Long Green Line.”
The Long Green Line Movie Trailer from legendsoflala on Vimeo.
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