Profile: Kyle Foster

3/6/11-In the winter of his 8th grade year, Kyle Foster made up his mind to join the Indoor Track team. His dad had encouraged him to join a school sport with hopes that Kyle would one day overcome his extreme shyness. It was the first day of practice and Kyle was anxiously waiting alone in the cafeteria, not sure whether or not he made the right decision about joining the team. Then some friends from the Jr. High approached him and asked whether he would be running as a sprinter or distance runner. Kyle was just hoping to be on a team and he had no idea what distance he would run. His friends said this was a problem and with only minutes left before practice would begin, they needed a quick solution. One of them took a coin out of his pocket. It was agreed that Kyle would be a sprinter if it was heads and a distance runner if it was tails. The coin flew up into the air, and Kyle didn't know it at the time, but a simple coin flip was about to determine his future. It landed on tails...

While still quiet compared to some of his teammates, Kyle is more confident and talkative than he was back in Jr. High. He recognizes that joining the track team was one of the best decisions that he ever made. Kyle was a member of the 2010 Cross Country Suburban Council, Section 2 Class AA, New York State, and Federation championship team. In addition, Kyle was a member of that same cross country team which qualified for Nike Cross Nationals in Portland, Oregon this past December. But Kyle is not only a cross country powerhouse, but also a strong force in track. He was a member of the 2010 Nike Indoor Nationals 4XMile Relay team that set a school record last season and took 5th at Nationals, earning All-American status. At the end of February, Kyle was a member of the 4X800M Relay team that won the Section 2 State Qualifier, advancing the team to the NYS Meet. Kyle is an absolute team player, and is always willing to do whatever his coach asks without hesitation in order to best help the team. Kyle was an alternate for the 4X800M Relay team at the Indoor Track State Meet this Saturday that captured the state title, but everyone recognizes his important role in advancing the team to that level. Kyle has been a contributing Varsity runner since his sophomore year, and was awarded the Varsity Sportsmanship award in 2008. Everyone at Shaker HS who knows him, has immense respect for Kyle Foster, who many refer to as "one of the nicest kids they know." Kyle is not only balanced in his running but also in his extracurricular activities. Academically on Merit Roll, an active member of his church, and a Life Scout in Boy Scout Troop 162, he balances his success on and off the track. Kyle says becoming a high school runner set everything in motion. It helped him to get over his shyness and caused him to become more active in extracurricular activities and in his daily life. Kyle notes, "Through Track I not only found myself but also acknowledged my flaws. Everyday I try to overcome them." Shakerrunning.com recently interviewed Kyle to learn more about him and his plans for the future.

Shakerrunning.com Interview with Kyle Foster:

Shakerrunning (SR): When and how did you first get involved in running?
Kyle Foster (KF): My parents really wanted me to do a school sport when I was in eighth grade. I knew a few people that ran track, so in the winter of 8th grade, I chose Track & Field, mainly because I couldn't see myself in any other sport.

SR: You played soccer throughout elementary school and into junior high, what caused you to switch to cross country?
KF: One day near the end of the outdoor track season, Coach Springstead stopped me and told me that he wanted to talk with me. He asked me if I thought about doing cross country in the fall and I told him I wasn’t sure. He said that I would do well in the sport because I was competitive, fast, and had a lot of courage. I had enjoyed track, so I decided to sign-up for cross county.

SR: What do you consider your favorite event and why?
KF: I would have to say either the mile or the 800M. I love the mile because I can run it well but I like the challenge of the 800M.

SR: What are your favorite tracks and cross country courses, and why?
KF: I feel that the tracks are pretty much the same. What matters the most is the people that I race against. I enjoy the challenge that a competitive race provides and I find that my PR’s depend on who is in the race and not what track its on. The same could be said about the cross country courses, but my favorites are Van Cortlandt Park and Bowdoin State Park because of the many hills on these courses.

SR: How do you prepare before a meet?
KF: I try to get eight hours of sleep the night before the meet. In the morning, I eat a bagel and have two cups of orange juice. Then I try to kill time by listening to music or spending time with friends. I try not to stress about a meet beforehand, otherwise I usually won't do as well.

SR: You helped your team to earn Shaker's first NYS Cross Country Championship and a trip to Nike Cross Nationals. How did it feel to be a part of the most successful team in Shaker history?
KF: It was an experience I will never forget. Words can’t express how happy I was for the team as well as for myself. It felt good to make history rather than just listening or reading about it. The atmospheres of both races were competitive and exciting. The competition was also stronger than any cross country race I’ve ever been in.

SR: You were a member of the Indoor Track relay team for the 4XMile that set a new school record last year. You will compete in that event again this year at New Balance Indoor Nationals. Do you think we will see another new record this year?
KF: Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind that we can break the record again this year. We have added two new people that have proven themselves during the season, and Casey and I (who both ran on the team last year) have also improved. I am extremely confident in the team and I have high expectations for my last Indoor high school meet.

SR: What has been the highlight of your running career up to this point?
KF: The 4XMile at Nike Indoor Nationals last year. It was the best race of my life and it was the first time I broke 4:30. Everyone on the team did well that day. In addition, our 5th place finish set a new school record and we all earned All-American status for the first time. It was fun to race against some of the nation's best runners. It was an exciting race and everyone was proud that we placed 5th overall running from the second heat.

SR: At the cross country banquet this year, you talked about the strong encouragement from your father to become more involved in school sports. Can you talk about how you feel now when you look back on those discussions?
KF: I'm happy I took his advice. I can honestly say I can’t imagine what my life would be like without running. I'm not sure if I could have gotten over my shyness if I didn’t do sports.

SR: What advice would you give to a young runner who is just starting to run on a school team?
KF: You have plenty of time. Success comes with the time and effort you put in, practice hard so when you perform well in meets everyone will give you the respect you’ve earned. Everyone has greatness in them it’s just a matter of time for everyone else to see it.

SR: In which sport outside of track do you most enjoy participating?
KF: Soccer was the only other sport in which I participated before I started running. I wasn’t very good but I always put in a lot of effort and contributed to the best of my ability. I had several friends that played soccer and did track so I knew some people when I joined the team. I also love to ski in the winter with my family.

SR: How do you like to spend your time when not involved in running?
KF: I like to hang out with my friends or study. Sometimes I participate in events provided by my Boy Scout Troop or the events the Boght Fire House provides. Some events include marching in parades, cleaning the Calvary Methodist Church, cleaning out graveyards, attending meetings and drills, and participating in service projects.

SR: You mentioned that you used to be extremely shy, how did running help you to overcome this?
KF: Running helped me make friends and helped strengthen my old friendships. I knew some people from soccer before I joined track, but in track I became friends with them. Everyone can agree that I slowly became more talkative over the past few years. I guess seeing the same people every day helped because I had something in common with them. It helped me build more courage. As time went on, I became more confident in myself and in my abilities as a student and as an athlete.

SR: You are also a member of the Boght Community Fire Department? How did you first become involved in this?
KF: Over the summer one of my friends suggested it to me. We first applied at the volunteer EMS station, but they already had enough volunteers so we joined the Boght Community Fire Department. It was one of the risks that I’m not sure I would’ve taken if I didn’t run. Running helped me to become more confident in myself.

SR: You have had other interests such as playing violin or being involved in your Church. How have these other activities fit into your schedule which is already busy with your year-round running?
KF: My schedule gets busy really easily, but running helps me relieve stress. I learned how to organize the tasks I had to complete everyday. It was always family first, then school, then track, then other activities like boy scouts and the Fire House. I also find it important to make use of some of the extra time we have hanging out at meets so that I will be less stressed later.

SR: What are some of your favorite classes in school?
KF: My three favorites are History, English, and Criminal Law. I do well in all of these classes and like learning about history and seeing how times have evolved. I enjoy comparing the past to the present and seeing how we could have overcome the mistakes that we’ve made.

SR: If you could have dinner with one famous person, who would it be and why?
KF: I would say Kid Cudi or Eminem because they were able to overcome the hardships that society created for them and achieve success. I would also like to have dinner with any professional athlete. It would be interesting to hear their story and how they achieved such high levels of success. I would ask them for advice and what they feel it takes to succeed. Finally, I would like to have dinner with someone involved in law enforcement. It is the career that I am most interested in, and I would want to learn more about what it takes to succeed in that career.

SR: What is your favorite movie or TV show?
KF: Lie to Me and the Human Target are my favorite TV shows. Both shows are about finding the truth and fighting criminals.

SR: What are your plans to continue with competitive running after high school?
KF: I hope to continue my running in college and plan to be a recreational runner for the rest of my life.

SR: What careers are you considering for the future?
KF: I'm interested anything that deals with law enforcement such as a detective, federal agent, or lawyer. I plan to study Pre-law and take criminal justice courses.

SR: Where are you in the college selection process?
KF: My applications were all submitted early this year. I applied to Siena, Stony Brook, Buffalo State, UAlbany, Miami University at Ohio, Arizona State University, and Binghamton University. I'm waiting to hear back from a couple before I make my final decision about what school I will attend in the fall.