Also horrible idea giving a high schoolers his own account when his coach is a clown and will be posting on the threads
Also horrible idea giving a high schoolers his own account when his coach is a clown and will be posting on the threads
I mean he’s technically not wrong but come on your the coach you should be talking up the guy who does the running , get over yourself that 1:48 will move on and probably run faster nobody’s gonna remember you were his coach so at least have some class.
Sad to see a little bit of hate here. Actually I applaud him for his honesty. Too many times poor coaching gets in the way of a true runner's ultimate abilities.
I was lucky that in my last 6 months of high school I went out and found a decent coach and it has been what it has been. Now that was way back in 85/86. Coaching matters.
coahc wrote:
Sad to see a little bit of hate here. Actually I applaud him for his honesty. Too many times poor coaching gets in the way of a true runner's ultimate abilities.
I was lucky that in my last 6 months of high school I went out and found a decent coach and it has been what it has been. Now that was way back in 85/86. Coaching matters.
Coaching matters but this kid is a better athlete than Ozzie is as a coach. Ozzie might be a good coach but this kid is a great HS 800m runner. This coach probably knows this.
This thread was entertaining for a couple of days, but I was hoping to see it drop off the front page by now. It's gotten close, but then it gets another response, and that's how it goes. So to clarify, of course I meant the quoted piece of the article as a joke. I thought the sentences that followed it made that clear, but I guess not. Oh well. Thank you for the nice things you have all had to say about John and more importantly to me, that you didn't have anything negative about John. Not that there was any reason to, but I've visited this site long enough to know what can happen. That was really the only reason that I've continued to follow the thread and I am appreciative that it didn't go there and my only request is that it doesn't go there. Ok, as you were.
Yea and every coach knows that the talent of your athlete makes all the difference but....well you have to nurture it and develop it. If you have never done that then you will never know. Sorry but that is the truth and for those that state that high school coaches don't make a difference or that we are somewhat inferior to the so called elite coaches well that doesn't always add up.
Ozzie wrote:
This thread was entertaining for a couple of days, but I was hoping to see it drop off the front page by now. It's gotten close, but then it gets another response, and that's how it goes. So to clarify, of course I meant the quoted piece of the article as a joke. I thought the sentences that followed it made that clear, but I guess not. Oh well. Thank you for the nice things you have all had to say about John and more importantly to me, that you didn't have anything negative about John. Not that there was any reason to, but I've visited this site long enough to know what can happen. That was really the only reason that I've continued to follow the thread and I am appreciative that it didn't go there and my only request is that it doesn't go there. Ok, as you were.
Ozzie, I applaud you for having the courage to face these mostly anonymous cowards. You're a great coach and your kid is doing awesome. At the end of the day, that's all that matters. The haters can keep typing cause that's all they do here.
get the joke, clowns wrote:
If you could read, you would notice the sarcasm here.
“I think part of the reason that you sent me these questions is because you want to get a better sense of what makes John so good. But you never asked that. First, John is good because he was born with some talent. You don't run 1:48 ever, much less as a 17 year old if you don't have some talent."
In telling a joke, this is called the staging...
"But not everyone who can run 1:48, does."
That is the setup...
"So the most important thing is that I'm his coach. Simple as that.”
That is called a punch line.
And if you took the time to read the rest of the interview, you would notice the obvious self-effacing tone of this coach--his humility--and his repeated directing of all credit to everyone other than himself--his athletes, his mentors, his teammates.
Reading comprehension lesson concluded. Clown.
+1
Ozzie wrote:
This thread was entertaining for a couple of days, but I was hoping to see it drop off the front page by now. It's gotten close, but then it gets another response, and that's how it goes. So to clarify, of course I meant the quoted piece of the article as a joke. I thought the sentences that followed it made that clear, but I guess not. Oh well. Thank you for the nice things you have all had to say about John and more importantly to me, that you didn't have anything negative about John. Not that there was any reason to, but I've visited this site long enough to know what can happen. That was really the only reason that I've continued to follow the thread and I am appreciative that it didn't go there and my only request is that it doesn't go there. Ok, as you were.
Great job in your coaching Jason! Most internet forums are cesspools, so I'd only listen to a fraction of what is said.
KomensWhiteJasaris wrote:
Fantastic response and he’s 100% correct! The guy knows his stuff. It’s sad when you see potential stuck with mediocre coaching. There’s no shortage of that!
High school coaching is quite often mediocre.
One good athlete might make a reputation, but if his entire team were running fast his claim to be a great coach might be warranted.
High School coaching is grossly over rated. It is a period of time where athletes mature mentally and physically and get better despite the 'genius' of the coach.
High school is the end of more careers than the beginning
I want to add my congratulations to you, Coach, and your athlete, John Lester. A low 1:48 in a high school race is astonishing and a credit to both of you, since it obviously takes a great talent, great perseverance and toughness, good health, and great coaching to produce one of the best twenty performances in the 800m in American high school history, and in a junior! (On track and field news's list, there are ten guys who have run sub 1:47.80, only one of them a junior).
Quantum theorem wrote:
Ozzie wrote:
This thread was entertaining for a couple of days, but I was hoping to see it drop off the front page by now. It's gotten close, but then it gets another response, and that's how it goes. So to clarify, of course I meant the quoted piece of the article as a joke. I thought the sentences that followed it made that clear, but I guess not. Oh well. Thank you for the nice things you have all had to say about John and more importantly to me, that you didn't have anything negative about John. Not that there was any reason to, but I've visited this site long enough to know what can happen. That was really the only reason that I've continued to follow the thread and I am appreciative that it didn't go there and my only request is that it doesn't go there. Ok, as you were.
Great job in your coaching Jason! Most internet forums are cesspools, so I'd only listen to a fraction of what is said.
If it were as easy as you say to train athletes, you'd surely not see the enormous differences between national and bad local programs every year. At bad local programs, you may never get anyone running under 4:30, and that's most programs. At adequate programs, you'll get several running sub 5 every year and rarely, a sub 4:20 athlete who is usually leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else on the team. At top national programs, you get multiple sub 4:20 runners every year and regularly get sub 4:10 guys. Jesuit, the Woodlands, York, F-M, Great Oak, and Newbury Park have been among them. Coaching makes an enormous difference.
Compare to the Florida State qualifiers in a recent year in Class A and 4A.
In neither was there a single sub 4:20 qualifier for 1600m. In 4A, there were 18 sub 4:30, with the best at 4:23. In 1A, there were just 2, a 4:21 and a 4:25 guy. In California, southern section, by contrast, there were 23 guys sub-4:20 just in the prelims. So, whether that's just coaching or coaching and culture, you can see that there's a huge difference.
If he does read these boards, hopefully he cares less what a bunch of keyboard dimwits write.
zxczxcv wrote:
If it were as easy as you say to train athletes, you'd surely not see the enormous differences between national and bad local programs every year. At bad local programs, you may never get anyone running under 4:30, and that's most programs. At adequate programs, you'll get several running sub 5 every year and rarely, a sub 4:20 athlete who is usually leaps and bounds ahead of everyone else on the team. At top national programs, you get multiple sub 4:20 runners every year and regularly get sub 4:10 guys. Jesuit, the Woodlands, York, F-M, Great Oak, and Newbury Park have been among them. Coaching makes an enormous difference.
Compare to the Florida State qualifiers in a recent year in Class A and 4A.
In neither was there a single sub 4:20 qualifier for 1600m. In 4A, there were 18 sub 4:30, with the best at 4:23. In 1A, there were just 2, a 4:21 and a 4:25 guy. In California, southern section, by contrast, there were 23 guys sub-4:20 just in the prelims. So, whether that's just coaching or coaching and culture, you can see that there's a huge difference.
Read between the lines Leon, read between the lines----J. Black
Yes, it is as easy as I say. With a bonehead coach who gets thrown into a high school program because the Principal makes him (yes, this happens) of course not.
Anyone who knows a lick about running knows that in high school it's mainly talent that gets you there. Take the average coach with decently talented kids, those kids will run very close to their potential unless they get the tennis coach who was forced to make a change;)
I know a Coach who was a super nice guy. He had an athlete who was as sophomore, female, do 10 by 800...she got the most obvious injury (think) that can come from workouts of that type for a high school runner. She ended up doing fine but lost the latter part of that season. If a top tier high school coach would have coached her, she may not have gotten injured...but she was only going to be so good in high school.
Are there exceptions, YEP;), but overall a talented runner is going to shine and get closer to their potential in high school than most think. These days, it's even easier. It's not too hard to find out the workouts that your competition is doing and what they've produced because of it.
Regardless, I understand your point, but...I respectfully disagree. By buddy went 1:51.2 for the 800 in high school and was a state champion, Class A. He had no special workouts from the rest of us. He may have gotten faster with them or he may have gotten injured. I think he was happen with the results and that he didn't risk his youth running years with questionable or over-excessive workouts. Burnout and injuries are not a fallacy, they get many as face it, running is HARD on the body.
For every 1:48 guy there's another 10 that didn't get there for a variety of reasons. You knuckleheads keep weighing talent of athlete and coaching knowledge. The truth is when the two come together, it's fun for everyone. Otherwise, they go out for/Excell at another sport, get bored/burnt out with track, can't pass their classes, get sick or injured at the worst time, parents don't support, and a million other reasons. The point is, you should just celebrate the performance, those that helped and encourage the athlete to continue as they get physically, emotionally and mentally more capable. There are so many variables that can't be controlled. Just celebrate the fact that a performance of they level is rare and worthy of attention. Most of the responses here are ego driven, judgemental, armchair advise etc... Problem is, most of you will never truly understand because you will never be in that position to experience it. And thats ok, just stop acting like you do and enjoy/celebrate your own enjoyment of your experience.
That is so wrong! The high school coach is the most important coach most runners will ever have, and the only coach for many.
The biggest accomplishment I have had as a coach is that many of my kids are still running, or have become coaches themselves. The number one job of a coach is to instill a love of running.
The most important lessons kids get from running is to take responsibility for their rest , eating habits, staying eligible, and all of the other little things that make up a successful athlete. Personal accountability is key.
Another valuable lesson is the value of delayed gratification. Working hard in July brings results in November. There is a lot to be said for kids to learn how the value of hard work=results.
Being a high school coach was the most rewarding experience of my life. Too many people on this board criticize High School coaches who have never coaches themselves, while at the same time trying to squeeze money from your AD.
Big ego!