AEF Asteroids “Soar” through Cross Country Season

The Alameda Education Foundation’s middle school cross country club, the Alameda Asteroids, completed their season in November with a strong showing at the regional championships on November 3, 2016.  

The championship meet was held at Canyon Middle School where a new spectator friendly course was created.  The sixth grade boys as a collective came in 2nd place.  Six medals were presented to our students at the awards ceremony.  We received 3 first place medals, 1 fifth place medal and 2 sixth place medals.  Four hundred and forty students ran in this meet.

Over the season, the Asteroids ran in four meets, competing in the SACMAL league, which includes 13 bay area middle schools around San Leandro, Castro Valley, Union City and Newark.  The Asteroids hosted one of those meets at Crab Cove, which included 412 student-athletes.

For many students, the AEF cross country program is their first foray into sports and cross country enables them to discover new talents and perseverance and grow as athletes.  It also enables middle schoolers to get a taste of competing on a regional level before they reach high school.  Students learn to challenge themselves, set goals, move out of their comfort zones and work hard towards a set goal.  Many parents report that their students continue running after the season is over and that this experience gives them the confidence to take on other challenges in their athletic, academic and social lives.

The Asteroids cross country club is an enrichment program run by the Alameda Education Foundation (AEF).  Over 40 6th – 8th graders participate in cross country, which is coached by Debra Cramer.  In addition to cross country, AEF manages over 400 enrichment after school classes and camps annually in athletics, arts, technology, science, foreign languages and more.