Chantelle Dron- 15yr old Soph. runs 2:10.66 and 4:51.62 (mile) indoors

Naw, we say he gonna burn out and be done by the time hes twenty. Then we add that he's on drugs too. Seriously we outta stop slamming on all these people for running fast, are we jealous or something?

What has changed since last outdoor season, when Chantelle ran only 5-6 races? Four races in three weeks looks like a major change in racing philosophy. Maybe it's her parents, but it certainly is different.

Mr Robinson -

Up until a couple of years ago, I totally shared your sentiment, and the prospect of possibly homeschooling our children concerned me very much (particularly because of the social aspect that you noted). However, in looking into this at depth, my views have changed significantly.

I think that 15-20yrs ago, homeschooling wasn't the option that it is today (or at least not that many people did it). So, I think that the students were often weird - not necessarily because of the schooling situation, but more because their parents most often might have been on the eccentric side themselves. So, not only were they around eccentric mom and dad a lot, but they also had the genes.

The homeschooling idea, though (mostly because a lot of schools are being "gallowayed" so-to-speak) has become a much more viable option. There are homeschooling coalitions where parents get together to teach the kids the subjects they know best and where kids work along with others. And, there are tons of opportunities for homeschooled children to get involved to develop socially as well as mentally. So, I welcome your further comment, but I think your observation may be a little outdated (just as mine recently was). I have met many homeschooled children/adolescents that are extremely well-adjusted, regardless of which group they are in.

As far as the advantages of being able to train whenever - flexibility is a definite benefit with the homeschool method. You can take off from Thanksgiving - Christmas, whatever you want really.

Also. I plan on coaching a homeschooler sometime (not necessarily my own kids, although if they turn out to be interested, I wouldn't fight it too much) because it would be nice to not have to mess with the HS bureaucratic BS and the ridiculous manner in which most of the programs train.

This is the only sport in the world where you get bashed for having success. High school coaches are the ones who burn out athletes from over-racing so it is understandable that one will assume another will follow the same path. But Chantrel isn't a high school coached girl. Which is probably why she is so successful right now. I'd be willing to bet that as long as she stays away from normal high school programs that she'll by one of the best US runners ever by the end of her senior year.

Do you have website for Toronto Meet?

since when is 4 races more than 6 races? This type of math is probably why she is home schooled

I have a crazy idea. Let's change the direction of this and figure out what is the best way for these kids to continue improving.

We can use today as a starting point and focus on moving forward.

I know this is crazy, but it just may work.

Hustle 12 guys and 12 gals off to a "magnet" program, complete

with living, school, coaching, etc in say, Flagstaff. Bring

in JK and his carefully chosen assistance. NO HS competitions.

Bring em in at 14. I could go on with this ...but reality calls.

I think this may be the model. Kids - stay OUT of school track / cross country.

Personally, I'd love to see more serious talent defect to a club system similar to that of youth soccer. Year 'round training, no academic bureaucracy, coaches can craft a meaningful competition schedule rather than being obligated to traditional school rivalries, etc.

I look forward to the day that Footlocker is jammed with homeschooled and club kids who don't run for their high schools. Imagine well trained, perfectly peaked teenagers who run 14:10 / 16:00 to win national XC titles.

this is a much better direction! good job, folks.

train well over time...quality races-up, race quantity-down

let's hear more good stuff

So in order to run well, we must all drop out of high school track and cross country and run on our own time with fantastic club coaches...that's really not realistic for most high school aged students, and the students who do have that option are really getting an unfair advantage, as they can train whenever and however long they want, take breaks when they need it, and are not overtired from school work. I guess you could call them professional students.

You're supposed to offer you own original idea, not criticize someone elses

That's the choice an athlete must make if he or she wishes to ascend to the highest echelons of our sport. While we worry about burnout and "unfair advantages", the rest of the world, unburdened by such bullshit, continues to pull away and re-define what is possible.

I do not see how public or even private schools can develop a child socially in a normal way. So, much politics gets crammed down the throats of students that they will never be able to find themselves out of it. There are gangs and other cliques to try to be a part of in public schools--in private schools there is religion that must be fanatically adhered to. Schools create social aardvarks with most people. I would like to know how Mitch makes training fun for kids and helps keep them from burning out. I think that there are lots of ways to do this--but Mitch seems to have some sort of system that works--or is it an individualistic process? Myself, I think the best way to do this is to educate the athlete about how to work with people who have no capability of doing what they do and to see how they fit into this world. Such would actually motivate the athlete and make them more appriciate the talents and abilities that they have. It would also help to keep them from developing an inflated ego in order to continue. But maybe Mitch has better--or just as good as--ideas.

I am the gadfly that Socrates talked about.

Chantele's coach name is Mick not Mitch. I screwed up in my post. Sorry.

One thing about the club system. The focus of the discussion seems to be placed on our top kids. Remember, as a club coach and a high school coach (club coach at this time) with very succesful athletes, kids generally come to running to be on a team with no aspirations of being great or even knowing much about running. They have friends on the team or heard they might be good at track so they come out. Coaches in schools have better opportunities to get kids out to try the sport. Then the student finds out this running stuff isn't so bad and they get hooked. Soccer (much like little league baseball)is fortunate that they have a solid grassroots program. Track doesn't have anything like that so it is difficult to get kids into the sport from a club perspective. Club all comer meets seem to help though.

Club systems seem to work after the kid gets involved in the sport through the schools and then joins a club team, which is when the conflict between club and school coaches starts.

There are a lot of great high school coaches out there, sometimes it seems the high school ones know more than college coaches, but most high school coaches seem to think their job is to make the sport fun and not train hard. A lot of coaches associate fun with races and not training- so the kids are over raced and ill prepared. The thing coaches forget is that training hard produces the enjoyment and satisfaction of the sport for the athletes. Even though many of us think kids want things handed to them, they do appreciate hard work towards a goal, they just have to be guided by the right folks.

Bravo, the truth if ever I heard it!

That burnout thing is a bunch of crap.

Chantelle Dron's races have been very impressive this year, and she will most likely continue to get better through high school. the culture shock will come when she goes to college and doesn't have that same schedule and can't train whenever she wants or do school work when it's convenient. College is going to be a reality check for home schoolers and it's not going to be pretty. there is something to be said for the schedule most high school athletes follow which prepares them to deal with a collegiate academic and athletic routine.