Can I train in college with the team if I don't make it?

The reason I wan't to run division 1 or 2 is because there aren't many D3 schools around me that I really want to go too.

You usually can't, mostly for insurance purposes...but you can be an "assistant coach" (even if in title only) if the head coach really wants you out there. Usually, though, the coach will have no reason to let you do that.

Officially, the answer is always no unless you are a "grad assistant" or other title that allows you to work out with the team.

Realistically it depends on the school. Some schools have coaches that will openly allow it, other schools have coaches who might turn a blind eye to you waiting just off the track for the team to start the run, other schools' coaches might specifically not allow it and even enforce it.

For the dI school I went to, the coach allowed people who were close to making the team to work out with "fall track" with the middle distance kids who weren't on cross country. If they then didn't make the track team either, he was willing to write them workouts, but he didn't let those people do track workouts with the team, but he did pretend not to notice if they were waiting for the team to leave the track on easy, fartlek, or tempo days.

He did this mostly because he loved the sport. In theory one of these people could come back and score points in future years, but I don't think that was his main consideration.

hsrunner16 wrote:

This was something I have been wondering about for a while. I guess it would vary for different colleges, but if I didn't make a D1 or D2 college xc team would I still be allowed to train with them and maybe race the following year if I were to get good enough. I'm thinking this probably wouldn't workout for D1 but maybe D2. If I don't make the team my freshman year could I still tryout my sophomore or junior year possibly? Have any college runners on here ever done this or know someone that has?

All of the college coaches I know let you workout, 1 thing is you have to show a tremendous work ethic and wanting to improve.

Extreme examples Dan Lincoln was a walk on at Arkansas wound up running an 8:08 steeple (after college)

Jim Bush of UCLA told Steve Scott he could not be on the UCLA team, so Scott went To UCI multi All American and American mile record holder and ran over 100 sub 4 minute miles.

Those extreme examples aside, a coach is a teacher and they get enjoyment out of people working hard and improving, you won't be their first priority as they got to win or at least meet the schools standard to keep their jobs, but coaches like to have for example a 10 minute for 2 miler who works hard and in 4-5 years runs a sub 15 or even 14 for 5k, or even someone that does not produce for the team, but works hard all the time as it is good for the culture of the program to have people with work ethic, everyone can't run great times, win NCAA etc. but everyone can work hard.

I suspect there are rules against it at most schools. However, most big schools have XC and track clubs that have a coach and take everyone.

You'll want to e-mail the coach or talk to a friend on the team about doing this at a particular school. In some cases you may be on the team as a "redshirt" athlete as freshman who does not compete.

Your best bet buddy is to contact the coaches to of each school you want to go to, give them your stats, videos, and what not. Tell them your willing to work anything out, and see how it goes from there. It just dep on the school and the coach(es). I had went the thought same thing, they told me I couldn't work with the team so I went with a aau coach for only 1 semester, went from 2:12 (got out of shape due to not running for 4-5 months) to 1:59 in the 800 in only 2 and a half months, now I'm on the UTSA track team. Just don't give up, literally be a pest to the coaches, and do what you need to do, to get to where you need to be.

It all depends on the coach, but don't give up. I wasn't able to workout with the team when I came in as a Freshman, but I pestered the coaches about my road race times I ran throughout the year, and ended up making the team my Sophomore year. I was not great in high school, but now am contributing to a D1 program. It's all about determination. Work hard and don't take no for an answer, use any negativity as fuel and you'll be fine. Good Luck!

hsrunner16 wrote:

The reason I wan't to run division 1 or 2 is because there aren't many D3 schools around me that I really want to go too.

Just curious. What state do you live in?

My D1 coach used to openly allow it until Title IX. Afterwards, only allowed walk-ons for the weekly long run. Those were 10+ miles at 6:00 pace, so we didn't have many takers for that.

We did have 2 kids who were pretty mediocore in HS, but trained with USATF/AAU coaches in their free time and became varsity (and one a scholarship) athlete on the track team.

But if running with fast people is all you care about, well from my experience XC/track guys are very chill (other than the few neurotic ones obssesed with running) and normal social rules apply. If you're likeable and cool, we'll be happy to hang out with you on the weekends when we're not training, maybe even invite you to do our morning jogs with us or run together in the off-season. We ran with friends from other schools in the off-season a lot.

Usually good D1 programs have good club teams. Run with the club team and let your performance speak for itself. Join the D1 team on a few easy runs to keep in touch with the dynamics of the team.

1. Why wouldn't you make the team?

A. If you don't make the team because of ability, the coach doesn't want you out there, that's way you didn't make the team.

B. Academics, if you are ineligible usually you can't practice with the team anyway.

Better option is find a place where the coach will allow you to join the team, rather than obsessing over being a tagalong with a D1/D2 team. But there are plenty of schools that are enrollment driven and would take any warm body to expand a roster.

stop being negative. negativity will only make you a slower runner. I wouldn't even think of this until it happened.

Jim Bush of UCLA told Steve Scott he could not be on the UCLA team, so Scott went To UCI multi All American and American mile record holder and ran over 100 sub 4 minute miles.

I am not buying this one. Steve Scott was a 1:52 half miler in HS. Bush at UCLA may not have had a full scholarship for Steve, but he would have definitely wanted him.

look into nirca. Its not as deep as the ncaa, but the nirca champ could prob make d3 all american, maybe even win d3.

edward teach wrote:

look into nirca. Its not as deep as the ncaa, but the nirca champ could prob make d3 all american, maybe even win d3.

There was not a single nirca champ whose time/mark at nationals would have even got into the Outdoor NCAA D3 meet let alone be all american or national champion.