Pacific Index

New Head Coach of Pacific’s XC team shares her story and her passion for the sport

This is Coach Christine Eckstein’s first season as a Boxer, and she has started the season off with high hopes and admiration for her future here at Pacific. Using her personal endeavors as a young athlete who navigated her life through the college world, and years of coaching experience, she’s ready to fall into the leadership role.

Eckstein began her running career in high school, where her future cross-country coach spotted her potential beneath the young, scrawny basketball player she used to be; her future coach knew Eckstien would be an asset on the track. 

Running all four years in high school led Eckstein on the path to becoming a collegiate athlete. As a young adult she headed off to a small community college for only one term, before leaving. She struggled to maintain her grip on financial stability and living independently, and it was all too much to handle. Students leaving college is very common due to the stress of independently supporting oneself for the first time. But after a few years of working back at home, Eckstein made the decision to go back to college and to continue her journey as a student-athlete. 

Once back in college, Eckstein locked into her groove. She scored a scholarship to Eastern Oregon University, and her athletic abilities brought her to nationals multiple times, including a  seventh-place finish in the 800 meter. “It was definitely a long journey with my athletic career, but looking back now it was an amazing experience,” Eckstein shared.

Shortly after graduating college, Eckstein took a coaching position after a former coach reached out to her. “My motivation is definitely wanting to help kids get better at their sport, but also the academic part.” Eckstein explained, “I want to help them get through college and give them an outlet.” 

From middle school, high school, to every division in college, Eckstein has played her part in many paths of young student athletes over the past 11 years—and now she’s received the opportunity for a full-time coaching job at Pacific, and is more than excited to be a Boxer and share her love for the sport. “I’ve been all over trying to chase the dream and chase the jobs.” Eckstein admitted. 

Running on a team in college allowed her to become a part of a community, and lead her to a higher education. Eckstein uses this experience when she is coaching with relation to her athletes. “To see the look on an athlete’s face when they make improvement is probably the coolest thing.” she shared with a smile. 

This year she is focused on building the team. “Our men’s team is looking great, but our women’s team is much smaller than I’d like it to be.” Eckstein explained. One of her main goals is working on recruiting a lot more female runners to add numbers to their team, while also being cautious of injuries that can affect athlete enrollment numbers. “We have a pretty solid team right now, but the low numbers is definitely something that worries me.” 

Along with building the team, Coach Eckstein also has to prove herself as a strong leader for the squad. “I understand that sometimes they don’t always believe in the new coach for a while. It sometimes takes people more time than others and the strategy there is to try and help them believe in me….and the rest is up to them.” she expressed. Coach Eckstein views her role as an organizer and director for the team, but also a person to connect with over the love for the sport. The three words she used to describe her work as a coach when asked was, “Discipline, organization, and passion.” 

Coach Eckstein uses her passion for running and the challenges she has faced to enhance her coaching. She is dedicated to fostering growth and providing guidance to her athletes, recognizing their development as both athletes and individuals as a top priority. Excitedly, she embarks on the next chapter of her journey as a Boxer.

The cross country team next heads out to Salem, Ore. on Oct. 5 to compete at the Charles Bowles Willamette XC Invite.