HS Cross Country Coaches -- What will you do different this summer

My program works so nothing will be changed!

My coach has a good plan that progresses and all that, I just am particularily injury prone so I am incorporating 1-2 days of cross training (aqua jogging, swimming, elliptical) so that I'm healthy and ready to go (uninjured) for the season

Make the athletes take more ownership of their training.

Over the past decade, I would give-up my entire summer while everyone else would go on vacation--including the student-athletes--and I would be stuck holding practice every day (except Sunday).

I had to do everything myself because I don't have an assistant coach.

Now, I will organize, give mileage/workouts, attend a lot of the practices, create a google spreadsheet for runners to keep track of mileage, but now I will have various team leaders in charge that now allows me to be with my family, go on vacation, etc.

I know I'm going to take a lot of heat from the LRC community for admitting to taking a step back from coaching during the summer, but I simply didn't have balance in my life...and now I do.

All my athletes are going to increase their mileage.

Men - 145 mpw.

Women - 125 mpw.

Grizzled Coach wrote:

Make the athletes take more ownership of their training.

Over the past decade, I would give-up my entire summer while everyone else would go on vacation--including the student-athletes--and I would be stuck holding practice every day (except Sunday).

]B]I had to do everything myself because I don't have an assistant coach.

Now, I will organize, give mileage/workouts, attend a lot of the practices, create a google spreadsheet for runners to keep track of mileage, but now I will have various team leaders in charge that now allows me to be with my family, go on vacation, etc.

I know I'm going to take a lot of heat from the LRC community for admitting to taking a step back from coaching during the summer, but I simply didn't have balance in my life...and now I do.

At least you're getting paid during the season or even for the summer?

I've been volunteering assistant coach for a few years now and the lack of respect from the head coaches/or paid coaches boggle my mind. First off, I do this because I ACTUALLY enjoy helping the kids and I don't mean just the top kids I mean EVERY kid on the team. You see, I'm the "behind" the scene coach, I take care of the kids emotional-mental aspect that the head coach doesn't see and yet will get credit for everything. I know the kids are grateful for my contribution and that's what really matters. I guess what I'm trying to say...if you want to build a good solid team, you need to see each athlete for who they are, you will be surprised how a little bit of encouragement here and there instead of drilling/grinding them in workouts will do. Please know these kids are JUST high school kids and majority if any will make a profession out of it. Just my two cents.

Also, I did my credentials of coaching (at least took the time to take classes/certify and learn the rules) and yet I still just get recognized as a "helper".

Sorry for the rant...but I know what you mean about giving up your time (when I could get paid more on the outside) but instead I'm giving my time b/c I actually care about these kids. Unfortunately next year, I hope other volunteer coaches will step up b/c I will be moving on...

Grizzled Coach wrote:

Make the athletes take more ownership of their training.

Over the past decade, I would give-up my entire summer while everyone else would go on vacation--including the student-athletes--and I would be stuck holding practice every day (except Sunday).

I had to do everything myself because I don't have an assistant coach.

Now, I will organize, give mileage/workouts, attend a lot of the practices, create a google spreadsheet for runners to keep track of mileage, but now I will have various team leaders in charge that now allows me to be with my family, go on vacation, etc.

I know I'm going to take a lot of heat from the LRC community for admitting to taking a step back from coaching during the summer, but I simply didn't have balance in my life...and now I do.

Anyone who gives you crap has not been coaching long or has a school culture of commitment.

I've been fighting this for years. I would have numerous days of 1-3 kids showing (we have a team of 60). I'd be there every day while families took their vacations. Nothing wrong with that... But after 17 years I held a team meeting and asked how many days the varsity team wanted to meet. The answer was "we are too busy." SAT prep courses, summer schools, robotics camps, you name it all took priority. So I handed them the summer training and said they were responsible for their own training. Had them log it on a team training log and sent a weekly email. All those of never taking a vacation the family and I were off. It was strange at first but was refreshing.

In the end we were status quo. The kids that would run anyways did. The kids that wouldn't show anyways didn't.

Now we have some solid freshman and we are meeting Monday-Wednesday-Friday at their request. We have 4 coaches and broke up the summer into 2 week blocks so at least one adult is there.

But summer is on them. I've backed off and try to encourage and get them excited to run rather than push accountability.

I've got a team of 47 and have 20 on average showing to summer practices. To you and me it's about laying a base of training down. For the kids it's about being with friends and having fun.

You need to think like they do. Things I do:

Running art day

Ice cream at practice

Different practice locations each day

Improv classes

Running trips to unusual places

One week camp just for our team

Those that go the most get to go to the first invitational overnight trip of the season for being dedicated

Saturday morning breakfast after run

Karaoke after runs

etc.

Some of this sounds crazy and maybe even stupid, but if you create an environment that will make them want to come, they will. You can talk all day about how summer training will make them better and that helps but at the end of the day if it's not as fun as other options they might have you will not see them.

If you give up and let the athletes take ownership of their training, they will not.

Grizzled Coach wrote:

Make the athletes take more ownership of their training.

Over the past decade, I would give-up my entire summer while everyone else would go on vacation--including the student-athletes--and I would be stuck holding practice every day (except Sunday).

I had to do everything myself because I don't have an assistant coach.

Now, I will organize, give mileage/workouts, attend a lot of the practices, create a google spreadsheet for runners to keep track of mileage, but now I will have various team leaders in charge that now allows me to be with my family, go on vacation, etc.

I know I'm going to take a lot of heat from the LRC community for admitting to taking a step back from coaching during the summer, but I simply didn't have balance in my life...and now I do.

Watch out for the AD and the girls coach!

There are some bad head coaches out there and ones who do not give credit even when the team wins. However you should quit calling yourself "just a volunteer," coach because often we get treated the way we think of ourselves.

Your experience might help you excel the next time you coach or in a job but call yourself what you want to be. You are the equal of anybody!

This is a very good post, unfortunately. Unfortunately most of us wind up beating our heads against the wall for years trying to create a culture. Once you start winning that becomes your culture and you will not have to do as much of that kind of babying!

At least I like to think it's that way. I am now a writer...others can do the five year plan to build a winner. I doubt I'll go that route again!

Going to echo a few other posts on here, all about creating the culture. You must create a culture of running but also a culture that kids want to be part of, esp during the summer. I have a team of about 70 and we rarely have less than 50 show up for runs during the summer, we go 4x wk as a team and they have 2x on their own. Once a week we go in the evening and we usually try to do something fun this night, along with changing the location of where we run. The other three days we go early morning. Building a successful program helps create a culture but building a culture athletes want to be part of will help you build a successful program. Ice cream, pizza, games, etc are all things that sound simple and fluffy but are something kids get excited about - you have to find a reason for your top runner to be there and the goofy underclassman that in two years will have shocked the world by working their butt off to be on your varsity top 7.

Our concept is similar. I usually draw 50% of the team on an average day. In highly committed years it has been closer to 70%. We do one night per week for training/location purposes but also to give an opportunity to the summer school/vbs/work kids who use those as reasons not to attend.

One thing I do is start summers with my family vacation and expect the returning athletes to organize. I sell it as an opportunity to show that they can lead and form a team bond. It usually works. When we first begin meeting, I'll be with the team 3 times per week, then I up it to 4, and then it gets to 5.

I've noticed that this gives them a little flexibility earlier in the summer and keeps it from seeming like it is all about what I want. It puts some of it on them while still keeping our team fresh in their mind. I consider it an opportunity for them to have personal growth.

That being said, handing them a training program and saying "see ya in August" practically ensures a squad won't see the postseason or have depth. This might motivate the 1s and 2s more, though. They'll seek other coaching.

I just can't justify sitting around all summer to coach 2.5 hours in the morning. (That doesn't even count the 30 minute drive to & from practice.) Then, what do you do the rest of the day?

I've been doing this for a while (almost 15 years) & when I think back the years blend together, but since I've found balance in my life (and take summer vacations), I now have memories & life experience (with my family & loved ones).

Don't get me wrong, I still dedicate three weeks to Summer Running, but I also give myself three+ weeks for vacation now. It's wonderful!

Thanks everyone. With this advice we are sure to win league.

New Head Coach wrote:

Thanks everyone. With this advice we are sure to win league.

You are either Captain Sarcasm or a moron.

Can you give some more examples of these types of activities? I'm not a coach, but I'm an athlete who's organizing some summer practices (willing to organize for the whole summer, when our coach isn't) Not many have been showing up, we are a big team (70-75) and have had only up to 8 people show up at a time so far. Varsity is training separately, some might not know we're out here, some might be on vacation, etc. but we still ought to have a bigger group. I'm trying to make it more fun but it's tough to make activities when I don't know if anybody will show up.

We're starting pretty easy, 4 days a week of 20-40 minutes. Last week we went and got smoothies after a run (although some declined to join). A team movie night/dinner would be fun, if we can get it organized. I think some relay type stuff would be fun, I've been thinking about making a pacing relay game-- make a team of 4, everybody runs a lap, and the team tries to hit their randomely assigned mile time as closely as they can. No watches allowed, but someone yells out the split times every lap (no, you can't sprint 390m then stop and wait for the time). Repeat for a few rounds, most accurate wins. A scavenger hunt would be fun too, but more work to organize. I feel like basically any activity is lame when you only have 5 people though...

I've been using a fun little website called SmashRun lately, some of your athletes may like it. It motivates you with little achievements and badges and makes it like a game. For example, I got a Chariots of Fire badge logging a total of 124 minutes (the duration of the movie). Some are for logging the total distance between two cities (like London to Paris), some are for running a marathon faster than Oprah, the record for a 9 year old, and/or Sarah Palin. It's silly, but whatever works

High School did that for my group my seniot year and we were successful that xc season. Your guys just have to hold each other accountable, we didnt even meet with the coaches once that summer but spoke to them daily for advice, good luck.

Grizzled Coach wrote:

Make the athletes take more ownership of their training.

Over the past decade, I would give-up my entire summer while everyone else would go on vacation--including the student-athletes--and I would be stuck holding practice every day (except Sunday).

I had to do everything myself because I don't have an assistant coach.

Now, I will organize, give mileage/workouts, attend a lot of the practices, create a google spreadsheet for runners to keep track of mileage, but now I will have various team leaders in charge that now allows me to be with my family, go on vacation, etc.

I know I'm going to take a lot of heat from the LRC community for admitting to taking a step back from coaching during the summer, but I simply didn't have balance in my life...and now I do.

MIMITW wrote:

New Head Coach wrote:

Thanks everyone. With this advice we are sure to win league.

You are either Captain Sarcasm or a moron.

Why would that be sarcastic? You don't think some combo of not giving a f for more than 3 weeks like the grizzled old jaded coach in concert with doing art runs and karaoke over summer will help us win league, conference, state and maybe NXN?

I was hoping some coach might say, "we cut the following kids from the team: anyone that is vegan or gluten free, any new girl or boy that can't break 6:45 or 5:45 respectively in the mile by end of summer, anyone that doesn't show up to practice 90+% of the time, or anyone I simply don't like for reasons I don't have to specify."

Not take the school bus to the store to buy beer.