Weeks Ahead of the Game

When you come from a family of great athletes, sometimes it’s hard to stand out.
Southern University track team senior sprinter/hurdler Kaisha Weeks, a native of Altamonte Springs, Fla., does not have that problem because she’s in a league of her own.
Weeks comes from a family with athleticism in their bloodline. She is the younger sister of former Southern baseball standout Rickie Weeks who currently plays as the second baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers.
She is also the sibling of younger brother Jemile Weeks who was drafted by the Brewers in 2005 right out of high school, but chose to attend the Univeristy of Miami where he is presently second baseman for the Miami Hurricanes.
Rounding out the Weeks clan are parents Richard and Valeria Weeks who were both outstanding athletes in high school.
Despite the profound athletiscism that courses through the Weeks’ family bloodline, she said no one thinks that he or she is better than the other, they just make an effort to support one another.
“Besides my parents, my brothers are my biggest fan club,” Weeks said. “My relationship with my brothers is so great. They call me every time they hear I have a track meet to see how I did.”
Weeks said she communicates with her brothers at least four times a week.
“I mostly check on them, they are always busy,” she said. “They’re great at what they do. They work hard day and night and I try to find myself implementing their work habits.”
Weeks is currently serving as one of the captains on the Southern University track team, who has a “lead by example” attitude.
She said she tries to help her teammates as much as she can, but her actions speak louder than her words.
“As me being the captain I mostly try to set more of an example than anything,” Weeks said. “I feel talk is cheap but actions say a whole lot.”
Weeks said she assumes her teammates appreciate that she leads by example because she is always trying to, and her assumption is right.
“Kaisha is definitely the right person to be a captain,” said Lady Jaguar junior hurdler Christina Archie. “She’s the right person because she has great leadership skills.”
Jaguar junior hurdler/sprinter Carie Steed said Weeks is a great athlete and motivator.
“She is good at what she does,” Steed said. “She always motivates everyone to do their best.”
Weeks said with track and field being primarily an individual sport, it is a team sport as well because the points count towards the team.
“I try to help as much as possible if anyone has a concern,” Weeks said. “I don’t believe in one person carrying a team because it truly takes more than one person to win a championship. Everyone counts.”
Last Sunday, at the Southwestern Athletic Conference Indoor Championships finals at Louisiana State University’s Carl Maddox Field House, all Weeks said she could mostly do was sit back and support her teammates because of a pulled hamstring due to competing in the prelims the afternoon before.
Weeks said her injury was difficult to deal with because it ultimately confined her to sitting down rather than competing in her last year of indoor track.
“My getting hurt was the hardest thing to deal with because it’s my senior year and I was expecting a lot out of my self this year for both indoor and outdoor track season,” she said.
Sophomore pole vaulter Jovanni Jenkins said he was sad Weeks got injured because she is an aggressive sprinter and hurdler.
“Kaisha has good technique,” Jenkins said. “Hopefully she will recover and be able to use the situation as motivation.”
With this being her last season, Weeks said she only has one goal, to accomplish all that she is able to.
“My goal for this season is to accomplish all things I know I’m capable of doing,” she said. “This is my last year and I’m going to miss the sport so I want to leave satisfied with a great ending.”