Liberty Tour Sparks Steenburn’s Athletic Career
One of the most intriguing things about achieving any amount of athletic success is that most Athletes have no problem recalling from where they started, as if it were just yesterday. Even with all of the excitement of selecting the right College, setting University Records, or winning Gold Medals, it takes only seconds to go back to the day when it all began; and quickly recalling that moment in time brings great humility to the accolades of the present day.
As a member of the Glencadia Bullets Track & Field team in Kinderhook, NY since 2008, Amara was just beginning to get a feel for what this Individualized Team Sport, as it is often called, had to offer her, as the options were so different from any other sport. How does one choose whether they should Sprint, Jump, Vault, or Throw? Is there a particular body shape or size that is best suited for any of the Track & Field events? There was only one way to find out, and that was to compete against others, and then evaluate the performances. She got that chance when the Glencadia Bullets introduced her to the Liberty Tour Track & Field Series, which began in 2005, and is now hosted by the Empire State Sports Council. “As a Sprinter myself, and having coached many Sprinters over the years (with and without “raw” skills), my eyes are always scoping the talent at every meet”, quips Executive Producer of the Liberty Tour Series, Anthony Mills. He adds, “Amara was a very typical gangly Athlete when she began, and wasn’t exactly sure how to get her body to do the things necessary to take what appeared to be raw talent, and channel it to more fine motor skill movements. As she continues to develop and hone her skills, it is almost scary what she could accomplish.”
In 7th grade she competed for the modified Track & Field team at Taconic Hills High School. With the aerobic endurance and speed to run the 400m Dash, she did not lose one race that year, and as an 8th grader, she moved up to the Varsity team and became very competitive. Upon moving to the Albany Academy for Girls (AAG) in 9th grade, she was required to run Cross Country as a Fall training event to develop some of the conditioning for both Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field. Amara has set numerous records at AAG in both Individual and Relay events. Her time of 13.0 seconds in the 100m (FAT) is currently .01 second off the school record, which she is likely to set this spring. And that is just one event! Did I not mention that she also happens to Long Jump, Triple Jump, Hurdle, and High Jump? How absent minded of me!
With a complete Training Schedule filled with good nutrition, Strength Training, and Sprint workouts, Amara Steenburn has a packed weekly schedule, and that only prepares her for a much busier schedule once she determines which Division I or Division II College she will attend, as she has been sought by several. Now in her senior year of high school, Amara continues to fuel the competitive fire inside, not yet realizing all that she can accomplish, but she does understand that it always takes a Spark to get that fire to burn!
For more information on the Empire State Sports Council, just check out their website at www.ESSportsCouncil.org. You will be able to access information about all of their 2013-14 Annual Events and Programs, especially the 3rd Annual Liberty Games, which is slated for July 12th – 20th in 2014.
