Just get the distance runners to be fast. My hs teams sprinters suck and our distance carries. We talk down to them 😩
That so many posters on here come from teams that had animosity between their track groups instead of unity explains a lot about the poster personality on LRC.
Team building exercises? Do something fun during winter break and force kids from different events to be on the same team, like a field day. Don't pick events that sprinters would only excel at, so then the distance kids have hope of gaining respect. Maybe throw in a relay race if you make the teams close to even on purpose. I don't think you have much hope of getting your sprinters to watch races they don't want to watch but you can build camaraderie and friendship.
Just get the distance runners to be fast. My hs teams sprinters suck and our distance carries. We talk down to them 😩
That so many posters on here come from teams that had animosity between their track groups instead of unity explains a lot about the poster personality on LRC.
I pity your not having that bond.
If there is any wonder why this board, that is supposed to be frequented by those in the running community, is often seen a cesspool of hate and stupidity is because perfectly legitimate threads like this with good questions are allowed to be overrun by children. Where are the mods?
BTW OP, the answer to your dilemma isn't a simple one. If you think the long distance runners are getting little to no respect, try being a field event athlete. Nobody goes to watch field events and most programs don't care enough to invest in equipment, facilities and coaching. But, championships can be won just on the strength of the field events. There needs to be a culture change in your program. Running 10.55 in the 100 is awesome and will win in pretty much every meet. The crowds will show up and cheer for the winners. But that's just one race and 10 points. The skinny kid running 8:35 in the 3200 is doing it in front of nobody, but that's also 10 points. Value to the team is literally the same.
Those sprinters NEED the distance runners. Because even that 8th place finish in the 3200 could be difference between a state title and being runner up. They need
Team building exercises? Do something fun during winter break and force kids from different events to be on the same team, like a field day. Don't pick events that sprinters would only excel at, so then the distance kids have hope of gaining respect. Maybe throw in a relay race if you make the teams close to even on purpose. I don't think you have much hope of getting your sprinters to watch races they don't want to watch but you can build camaraderie and friendship.
Yeah, one week the runners can go out with the sprinters, smoke some crack and do some street racing in stolen cars. The next week the sprinters can join the runners in knitting mittens and discussing Oprah's book recommendations.
Team building exercises? Do something fun during winter break and force kids from different events to be on the same team, like a field day. Don't pick events that sprinters would only excel at, so then the distance kids have hope of gaining respect. Maybe throw in a relay race if you make the teams close to even on purpose. I don't think you have much hope of getting your sprinters to watch races they don't want to watch but you can build camaraderie and friendship.
Yeah, one week the runners can go out with the sprinters, smoke some crack and do some street racing in stolen cars. The next week the sprinters can join the runners in knitting mittens and discussing Oprah's book recommendations.
and how to lower testosterone when all natural methods fail.
I stopped playing football at Pop Warner level but some of my high school T&F teammates were Pop Warner competitors and some of our high school conference T&F competitors were Pop Warner teammates. I was not going to be picked on by sprinters. It's interesting that the 250 pound plus throwers in my experience are never T&F bullies. As you may know from football, there are guys who are not picked on. No one is allowed to degrade: star tailback, star receiver, ANY quarterback or ANY kicker. Work with the team. Eg., sub-4:30 &/or sub-10 1600 & 3200 guys are untouchables. Sprinters should understand.
On my HS team, which the second most points ever at the Minnesota state meet, largest class, the distance guys could step down to 400 and easily beat the sprinters. we had a few 800 runners that may have been decent in the 200 as well.
My solution, have a distance 4x4 beat a sprinter 4x4.
Sounds like that's a really strong team. What culture. Last time I checked, my kids had respect for the other event kids because they're all wearing the same colors. I'd clean house.
Sounds like that's a really strong team. What culture. Last time I checked, my kids had respect for the other event kids because they're all wearing the same colors. I'd clean house.
O.P.s high school T&F team is not the first T&F team the sprinters tried to 100% rule the T&F team. If the sprinters are good, a coach is not "cleaning house" as you said.
A poster mentioned MN high school 1600m guys on 4 x 400m. That is true. Minnesota high school T&F, sometimes a school's best 1600m gal or guy is one of five fastest 400m athletes in their high school. We don't see that too often in CA or FL or TX.
I don't blame them. I ran the 100m and 200m and could not care less about distance running. I'm not sure why this site spends so much time on the 800m and longer when the real excitement is the sprints.
Running 10.55 in the 100 is awesome and will win in pretty much every meet. The crowds will show up and cheer for the winners. But that's just one race and 10 points. The skinny kid running 8:35 in the 3200 is doing it in front of nobody, but that's also 10 points. Value to the team is literally the same.
I am virtually certain that a high school kid, skinny or otherwise, who runs 8:35 in the 3200 is going to get plenty of respect from his teammates, what with winning states and (likely) nationals, having multiple college coaches show up at his meets, etc.
It's interesting that the 250 pound plus throwers in my experience are never T&F bullies.
Concur. My primary event group nowadays is throwers and I've always found that, as a group (notable exceptions, but very few), the throwers generally have the best attitudes on the team and are the best teammates.