when i was running in high school, we relied on 'Mister'--also an off campus coach of sorts--more than we did on our official XC coach who was a teacher. Clearly, being a teacher doesnt make you qualified to be a coach.[/quote]
Ahhhh yes..."Mister" Columbat (sp)...what a treasure...down there at the Polo Fields come rain or shine...a true SF classic along with SF Chukkers (Atkins Chun et al)
MF
Yes trackhead your are right in that lesser talented runners deserve coaching but not a nut case that stands and screams at you till you just feel like your going to die.
I didn't say I approved of all that...
"Mister" Columbat a treasure. Wow thats really stretching it.
1997 was the year.
outer sunset wrote:
"Mister" Columbat a treasure. Wow thats really stretching it.
i didnt appreciate him at the time i was running, but looking back, he was the only consistent coach who was there during my four years of high school running and knew anything about running. my other coaches were the weight training/wrestling guy and a biology teacher--both nice guys, but not that effective as coaches.
In 97 I think Lowell's best runner was something like a 4:35/10:10 2 miler no 800 meter runners no one that could even run a 51 sec 400 I just do not see how they were 5 in the nation in the DMR.
woww wrote:
In 97 I think Lowell's best runner was something like a 4:35/10:10 2 miler no 800 meter runners no one that could even run a 51 sec 400 I just do not see how they were 5 in the nation in the DMR.
In 97 Lowell's best runner was Paul Choi. He ran in the 4:20s, low 2s and 9:30s. I think the nationally ranked dmr was one of their girls teams. That year they had a sub 5 girl on their team (jennifer akana).
O.J. Simpson graduated from Galileo H.S. in San Francsico.
The Hoys team disbanded over three years ago. They joined the Excelsior Running Club. It is now the NB Excelsior Running Club.
calling hoy's "excelsior" is like calling candlestick "monster park," or calling pac bell park "SBC park." just doesnt work.
Well since the Hoys store doesn't exist anymore, calling the club Hoys would be like calling the Giants the freakin New York Giants.
Last time I checked the Excelsior is still there...nobody in the club actually lives there, but its still on the map.
Ok enought with the name change do any of you know Prutz?
they should pick both a sponsor and neighborhood with fewer syllables. new-ba-lance-ex-cel-si-or. that's a mouthful to say. how about nike-haight? or nike-hate?
I attended Lowell '88-'92. Andy started coaching the distance runners in track in '90, if I'm not mistaken.
I don't know Prutz, but I think it's a shame he would use a technicality to take over the XC program. Why not be an assistant to Andy?
I will continue to support the XC teams at Lowell, regardless of who is coaching. The kids on the team should not suffer. But it will be with a sad heart.
I can't imagine anyone coming into the program, in such a school district where the money, assistance and organization are terribly lacking, and putting in as much time, energy and passion as Andy has done the past 15 years.
Before Andy came to Lowell, basically zero runners from the school went on to compete in college. Now, there are several from every class.
For those of you reading this who aren't familiar with SF high school sports, don't judge Andy by his coaching accomplishments (or what some on this board may feel is a lack thereof).
Just imagine someone who puts everything they have into something, and then having that taken away on a technicality. It's a damn shame.
Or rather Hoys-"Your Name Here" running club.
What a bunch of swag-hungry wannabees...
JUS' KIDDING GUYS!
AD
Fortunately, there is still a silver lining here. Andy still has the track team. Unless Prutz is plotting to take that over too.
I am sure that the pressure to replace Andy is coming from the school admin. Yes, I would also expect the track to go the same way just not as soon. All this stuff about plots and subterfuge just is not there except in the minds of those who want it to be there. It is just a guy who is an on campus PE teacher that was approached and encouraged to replace Andy.
It probably goes like this:
School administrators are catching crap from union officials about the non-union / non-teacher coaches in People's Republic of San Francisco schools. Fearful and spineless administrators cow to union pressure and make Prutz new XC coach. To avoid lawsuits and media firestorm, they temporarily keep Leong as track coach...for the time being.
This probably boils down to one thing: the teacher's union wants ALL coaching salaries paid ONLY to members of the union. They don't care about Leong, the kids, the program's history. They just want their tentacles firmly grasped around EVERY aspect of public education.
I know for a fact it is not coming from the Union.