I received official word today that I will be coaching 7/8 grade Cross Country this year. I will also be coaching 7th grade girls soccer and probably 8th grade boys soccer. I am holding out hope for golf but the coach has done a nice job but is waffling if he wants to come back or not.

 

Golf coach would be awesome!

I coached 6th grade boys basketball and 7th/8th grade girls basketball last year. It's a ton of fun.

I received official word today that I will be coaching 7/8 grade Cross Country this year. I will also be coaching 7th grade girls soccer and probably 8th grade boys soccer. I am holding out hope for golf but the coach has done a nice job but is waffling if he wants to come back or not.

Here is all you need to tell your kids: "Run faster!!" I coaches travel baseball in my hometown for three years. Made really good money for something I would have done for free. Loved teaching the kids baseball concepts. Had a blast every single moment except when we went to Cooperstown for a tournament when my friend (other coach) and I were in charge of them in the team dorms. All hell broke lose, they were so rambunctious, it was ridiculous. The team manager was supposed to stay with us, but took the high road to the hotel instead. These dorms are about 50 feet by 30 feet with one fan in the middle of summer. Still enjoyed the tournament even if we never got sleep and lost to some crazy-good California team.

Edited August 17, 201015 yr by maggsmaggs

Run faster

 

There is a huge physiological way to train kids - even middle school - to run their best at the end of the season. But, it's more about structure, teaching, and having fun at that age.

 

The number one goal they have for the program this year is to increase participation. That's why they approached me. Gee, I thought it was because I was all-conference in college. The soccer has me a little intimidated but basically I have to follow the HS's system.

Are you going to teach them while riding in a golf cart?

I had a couple friends in one of those running sports. One of them wasn't watching and ran straight into the back side of a stop sign.

I had a couple friends in one of those running sports. One of them wasn't watching and ran straight into the back side of a stop sign.

Well they only stay stop on one side

Well they only stay stop on one side

He did still stop though.

The number one goal they have for the program this year is to increase participation. That's why they approached me. Gee, I thought it was because I was all-conference in college. The soccer has me a little intimidated but basically I have to follow the HS's system.

 

All-Conference in college? What, were there like 6 colleges in the US back then?

The number one goal they have for the program this year is to increase participation. That's why they approached me. Gee, I thought it was because I was all-conference in college. The soccer has me a little intimidated but basically I have to follow the HS's system.

 

were you a cross country guy in college?

 

i can tell you that I ran at one of the best programs in high school here in Illinois. The success at the high school level really started at the junior high level which was also quite successful. I ended up running (and quite poorly) at the D1 level in College.

 

If you aren't familiar with cross country that much, I can share some insights on good things we did. PM Me if you want.

were you a cross country guy in college?

 

i can tell you that I ran at one of the best programs in high school here in Illinois. The success at the high school level really started at the junior high level which was also quite successful. I ended up running (and quite poorly) at the D1 level in College.

 

If you aren't familiar with cross country that much, I can share some insights on good things we did. PM Me if you want.

Were you a Yorkie?

Were you a Yorkie?

 

Nope. Schaumburg.

Were you a Yorkie?

 

 

Coach Newton

 

 

Basically borrowing a few of his strategies . . .

 

 

Basically I will be recruiting, recruiting, recruiting

The long green line will become the purple pack, they already have really short hair :-)

 

It is a really short season so about 1/3 LSD, about 1/3 fartlek, and some speed work leading up to the big District meet. Working with my 7th graders on a year round running program will be the key for me next year. Now I have to take whomever comes through the door and in whatever shape they are in.

 

Ideas? I'd love to hear them.

 

 

Coach Newton

 

 

Basically borrowing a few of his strategies . . .

 

 

Basically I will be recruiting, recruiting, recruiting

The long green line will become the purple pack, they already have really short hair :-)

 

It is a really short season so about 1/3 LSD, about 1/3 fartlek, and some speed work leading up to the big District meet. Working with my 7th graders on a year round running program will be the key for me next year. Now I have to take whomever comes through the door and in whatever shape they are in.

 

Ideas? I'd love to hear them.

 

At Schaumburg we followed the philosophy of Al Carius from North Central. http://northcentralcardinals.com/coaches.aspx?rc=121

My coach excelled under Al and passed it along to us. Not sure how similar this is to York's program.

 

As for ideas.. I've always embraced the Run for Fun or Run for PR's idea. I think too often coaches focus on their Top 7 too much while neglecting the rest of the team.

 

For fun, at the junior high level we had a few things...

- 1x per year we did a 7-Eleven slurpie run. We all brought $2 ran a 3 mile loop to 7-Eleven and walked back.

- 1x per year we did a Baskin Robbins/Dairy Queen run. Same idea.

- We had the 100 mile club. So we all set goals of running 100 miles in meets/practices over a 2 month period. At the end, whoever achieved the goal got a t-shirt and some kind of certificate.

- We run on Saturday mornings too. Not mandatory, but strongly encouraged. Little bit more relaxing then the after school practices. Coach would always bring doughnuts/chocolate milk for the team afterwards.

 

We also made a point, through brothers/sisters of teammates, to go watch the local high school kids or college kids at meets in the area. We looked up to those guys and they embraced us too.

I'm coaching my stepdaughter's softball team (I don't know why they're just starting in August but whatever).

At Schaumburg we followed the philosophy of Al Carius from North Central. http://northcentralcardinals.com/coaches.aspx?rc=121

My coach excelled under Al and passed it along to us. Not sure how similar this is to York's program.

 

As for ideas.. I've always embraced the Run for Fun or Run for PR's idea. I think too often coaches focus on their Top 7 too much while neglecting the rest of the team.

 

For fun, at the junior high level we had a few things...

- 1x per year we did a 7-Eleven slurpie run. We all brought $2 ran a 3 mile loop to 7-Eleven and walked back.

- 1x per year we did a Baskin Robbins/Dairy Queen run. Same idea.

- We had the 100 mile club. So we all set goals of running 100 miles in meets/practices over a 2 month period. At the end, whoever achieved the goal got a t-shirt and some kind of certificate.

- We run on Saturday mornings too. Not mandatory, but strongly encouraged. Little bit more relaxing then the after school practices. Coach would always bring doughnuts/chocolate milk for the team afterwards.

 

We also made a point, through brothers/sisters of teammates, to go watch the local high school kids or college kids at meets in the area. We looked up to those guys and they embraced us too.

I ran for 4 years and was in the top 7 all four years and I can tell you that eating junk like slurpies and DQ at the end of a run just brings you back to square one. The key is to stay in shape and eat well during the season, obviously 7/8 graders are not really going to take this to heart and they shouldn't.

 

The 100 mile club is only so effective, we got t shirts for achieving so many miles ran over the summer in high school, half the kids lied on their mile sheets just to get the shirt.

 

One of the evident problems I noticed is that most the kids going into cross country just used it to get into shape, numerous kids in my high school ran with our team but really could care less how they did as long as they were in shape for winter or spring sports. This makes it hard to build a team because they just end up coming back next year out of shape because they don't continue to run after the season ends.

 

Also, make sure you practice on the course your team will run on, we hardly did.

 

 

As far as fun things...

 

We played ultimate frisbee/soccer at the end of practice sometimes

 

Ran relay races

We also did bike runs, run so long then bike and switch off with a teammate

 

Even running different routes and to different places is nice, I always hated running in the same areas each day, a change of scenery is nice

As

I will have to change a little of the culture. Of the 4 middle schools we have the most students and the fewest runners each season. The previous coach would just have them run for twenty minutes every day. Boring.

When are the group hugs?

When are the group hugs?

 

Not so much group hugs, but hook them in the first couple weeks with some fun stuff. The motivated kids will always work a little harder. We'll push harder week three.

That is cool Tex! My cross country coach in HS was a big inspiration to me, not just running but life in general.

Coach Newton

 

 

Basically borrowing a few of his strategies . . .

 

 

Basically I will be recruiting, recruiting, recruiting

The long green line will become the purple pack, they already have really short hair :-)

 

It is a really short season so about 1/3 LSD, about 1/3 fartlek, and some speed work leading up to the big District meet. Working with my 7th graders on a year round running program will be the key for me next year. Now I have to take whomever comes through the door and in whatever shape they are in.

 

Ideas? I'd love to hear them.

It's not the 60's anymore Tex.

That is cool Tex! My cross country coach in HS was a big inspiration to me, not just running but life in general.

 

 

She Lives!! Great to see you posting, I hope all is well.

It's not the 60's anymore Tex.

 

 

far out man, I can dig it. So we got peace and everything? No more war to stop communism?