Lets Run Miracle wrote:
Also kicking kids off the team for not meeting a goal is a bad idea. A little about my story of going from a student with a 1.6 GPA and slow times to a Footlocker Finalist and getting straight As. My coach really saved my life. If he had taken a less supportive approach, I probably wouldn't have responded.
I was the laziest kid ever. I ran my first two mile cross country race as a freshmen in 14 minutes and 40 seconds. It hurt so bad, worse than any race ever would. I had a an absolutely splitting headache. I was literally saying to myself that I was going to quit the team immediately because I never wanted to go through that again.
At that moment my coach, who I would have though would have been buys fawning over his nationally ranked girls X-C team with one of the best milers in the country put his hand on my shoulder and said
"Great Job, you were the surprise of the meet! If we can get you running 12 minutes for two miles we've got a shot at the frosh/soph league championship."
That little moment literally paved the way towards my being, a Cali State Champ, footlocker finalist and collegiate all-american.
My two mile progression in high school was
9th- 10:57
10th- 9:52
11th- 9:16
12th- 9:07
Yes I remember all those PRs (graduated in 96)! Because my coach made me feel like each and every one of them no matter how mediocre they were meant everything. Beyond my running accomplishments if it weren't for him, I never would have even gone to college.
In then nobody except maybe Haile Gebreselassie is satisfied with their final PRs. Teach your kids how to push their own personal limits and let them feel good about it no matter how mediocre of prodigal they are. Make sure eyour 15th man feels just as good when he sets a PB as your first man does and just maybe you light a fire in that kids like my coach did in me.