Rumor out of Virginia is the Marc and Joan Hunter have stepped down as the Indoor Track Coaches at Loudoun Valley High School.
LCPS went against a recent VHSL ruling and implemented that all runners must run with mask on, while training and racing, indoors and outdoors. It is said that the Hunter's disagree with the stance taken by the school system, citing athlete safety and have decided to step away until the situation is resolved.
Sources say that LCPS have made no effort to explain the decision and have not answered to why they went against the governing body of sports in Virginia.
This is a sad situation and one that will need to be watched going further.
Hunters Out at Loudoun Valley....????
High School Running
Distance
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They probably didn't get enough transfers this year and this is a good excuse to quit.
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My understanding is that they stepped aside, details are still emerging.
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For what it's worth, the VHSL rescinded their mask mandate while running. It's only mandatory when not doing an activity. Also, chances of having a state sanctioned indoor track season in VA are very, very slim.
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VA Coach wrote:
For what it's worth, the VHSL rescinded their mask mandate while running. It's only mandatory when not doing an activity.
This statement from VA Coach -- "It's only mandatory when not doing any activity" -- is pure nonsense. What??? A mask is only mandatory when not running??? Holy bejesus, is that person a wackjob, since he or she, if really a Virginia coach, should comprehend the truth!
Despite the VHSL (the VA public high schools governing body) rescinding their mask mandate, LCPS (Loudoun County Public Schools) still mandates that all runners must wear masks when running -- indoors or outdoors, racing or training.
At least one other LCPS indoor high school sport, boys wrestling, is exempt from such stringent rules. The rules are not equally applied, in other words. Naturally, wearing a mask while wrestling -- a close-contact sport, and a strenuous activity -- would not work, but the idiots at LCPS don’t even begin to understand the relationship between mask wearing and intense running.
Here’s what the Mayo Clinic’s website says about masks and exercise:
What should happen when exercising with a mask on?
In most situations, you should expect to experience an increase in your heart rate while exercising with a mask on. Because of this, people often experience a perceived increased rate of exertion and decreased performance during resistance training and aerobic exercise. This feeling is similar to the physical and psychological effects experienced while training in locations at higher altitudes.
Before you exercise with a mask on, consider decreasing your exertion level ― that means weight with resistance training or mileage in aerobic activities, like running and biking ― to a lower level than you would have done when not masked.
If you wear a mask while exercising, be aware of:
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscular weakness
• Overall discomfort
• Shortness of breath
If you experience these symptoms, stop and take a break until they subside. If able, remove your mask and try taking a few calming breaths. This can restore your breathing levels, and reduces the stress on your heart and lungs. If these symptoms continue or worsen, stop the activity. In serious cases, seek medical help.
Sure, all track & field athletes can successfully drape a mask over the ears to cover the nose and mouth. However, if any runner reading this, particularly a distance runner, has tried to wear a mask during all-out efforts, even one of the best masks available, the lack of oxygen becomes obvious. The heat generation and expelled air lead to rapid moisture buildup, which makes breathing even more difficult. Less oxygen = a worse performance, and maybe even worse physical problems, like wooziness and even collapsing.
And masks get clogged by sweat and so forth. Do you expect runners to change their masks in mid-race? Yeah, everyone else should slow down to allow this necessity!
I'm not talking about jogging. Think, instead, of strenuous training and racing. Imagine trying to run a 1600 when not able to breathe properly, and/or in a race with kids from other schools who are not required to wear masks. Not only is a mask a disadvantage, but also the mask is a health risk. Not to be forgotten is the fact that some runners would be so intensely focused upon the competition, the clock, and the goal that they would likely not even know the trouble they were getting into. Think of Alberto Salazar in 1978’s Falmouth Road Race, when he was read the last rites after collapsing with a body temperature of 108°. He wore blinders while fiercely competing, sometimes ignoring the conditions, such as the heat and humidity at Falmouth, MA in that race.
Or think of how he ran himself ragged (and never ran as well again) when battling Dick Beardsley to win the 1982 "Duel in the Sun" Boston Marathon.
Try to imagine him running and training with a mask on, as mandated by his school’s governing body.
There will frequently be runners on a team who have asthma or other bronchial issues. It may be difficult enough to run without a mask in some conditions for these kids, such as those with cold temperature-induced asthma. Forcing a mask over their airways can have further serious consequences.
I wouldn't want to be a high school coach responsible for the potential physical harm that can happen and the decreased performance that will happen to a kid as a result of mask wearing, not that a terrible case will result every time. A coach is in command of young lives, and there is a moral responsibility here.
So the Hunters are stepping aside? I DON’T BLAME THEM! GOOD FOR THEM THAT THEY MADE A DECISION BASED ON THEIR CONCERN FOR THE KIDS' WELFARE! -
thoughtsfailure wrote:
Holy Moly.....This Can't Be wrote:
Rumor out of Virginia is the Marc and Joan Hunter have stepped down as the Indoor Track Coaches at Loudoun Valley High School.
LCPS went against a recent VHSL ruling and implemented that all runners must run with mask on, while training and racing, indoors and outdoors. It is said that the Hunter's disagree with the stance taken by the school system, citing athlete safety and have decided to step away until the situation is resolved.
Sources say that LCPS have made no effort to explain the decision and have not answered to why they went against the governing body of sports in Virginia.
This is a sad situation and one that will need to be watched going further.
If it's true, it's not a sad situation. It's a STUPID situation. Sounds like they are dirty conspiracy theorists that think COVID is a hoax. I bet they are anti-vaccine too.
Scum of the earth, they have no business being in education in any way, shape, or form.
Tough words spoken anonymously from a basement..... -
thoughtsfailure wrote:
Holy Moly.....This Can't Be wrote:
Rumor out of Virginia is the Marc and Joan Hunter have stepped down as the Indoor Track Coaches at Loudoun Valley High School.
LCPS went against a recent VHSL ruling and implemented that all runners must run with mask on, while training and racing, indoors and outdoors. It is said that the Hunter's disagree with the stance taken by the school system, citing athlete safety and have decided to step away until the situation is resolved.
Sources say that LCPS have made no effort to explain the decision and have not answered to why they went against the governing body of sports in Virginia.
This is a sad situation and one that will need to be watched going further.
If it's true, it's not a sad situation. It's a STUPID situation. Sounds like they are dirty conspiracy theorists that think COVID is a hoax. I bet they are anti-vaccine too.
Scum of the earth, they have no business being in education in any way, shape, or form.
Or, they think some of the responses to Covid are dangerous and harmful. But you’re a pathetic little Democrat who buys in to all the propaganda because you feel safe when big brother is taking care of you. -
I can count all the people that have caught COVID from people running outdoors on zero hands.
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If you care about WHO perspective on this matter -
https://twitter.com/WHO/status/1278262917360693248/photo/1 -
huh what wrote:
I can count all the people that have caught COVID from people running outdoors on zero hands.
+1 -
My questions would be simple.....How can LCPS go against the wishes of the governing body ?
What is the point of having a governing body if you ignore the guidance they set forward ?
Where is the support from the school from the Hunter's ?? They put that school and system on the map...you would hope they get support from the athletic department and principal.
Hope it all gets cleared up. -
Yea, stepping away really helps the kid.
Stepping away helps them, they were GOOD coaches when they had good kids and transfers, not so much anymore.
They stepped away because they wanted out, this was the excuse they were looking for. -
LappedMiler wrote:
VA Coach wrote:
For what it's worth, the VHSL rescinded their mask mandate while running. It's only mandatory when not doing an activity.
This statement from VA Coach -- "It's only mandatory when not doing any activity" -- is pure nonsense. What??? A mask is only mandatory when not running??? Holy bejesus, is that person a wackjob, since he or she, if really a Virginia coach, should comprehend the truth!
Despite the VHSL (the VA public high schools governing body) rescinding their mask mandate, LCPS (Loudoun County Public Schools) still mandates that all runners must wear masks when running -- indoors or outdoors, racing or training.
At least one other LCPS indoor high school sport, boys wrestling, is exempt from such stringent rules. The rules are not equally applied, in other words. Naturally, wearing a mask while wrestling -- a close-contact sport, and a strenuous activity -- would not work, but the idiots at LCPS don’t even begin to understand the relationship between mask wearing and intense running.
Here’s what the Mayo Clinic’s website says about masks and exercise:
What should happen when exercising with a mask on?
In most situations, you should expect to experience an increase in your heart rate while exercising with a mask on. Because of this, people often experience a perceived increased rate of exertion and decreased performance during resistance training and aerobic exercise. This feeling is similar to the physical and psychological effects experienced while training in locations at higher altitudes.
Before you exercise with a mask on, consider decreasing your exertion level ― that means weight with resistance training or mileage in aerobic activities, like running and biking ― to a lower level than you would have done when not masked.
If you wear a mask while exercising, be aware of:
• Dizziness
• Drowsiness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Muscular weakness
• Overall discomfort
• Shortness of breath
If you experience these symptoms, stop and take a break until they subside. If able, remove your mask and try taking a few calming breaths. This can restore your breathing levels, and reduces the stress on your heart and lungs. If these symptoms continue or worsen, stop the activity. In serious cases, seek medical help.
Sure, all track & field athletes can successfully drape a mask over the ears to cover the nose and mouth. However, if any runner reading this, particularly a distance runner, has tried to wear a mask during all-out efforts, even one of the best masks available, the lack of oxygen becomes obvious. The heat generation and expelled air lead to rapid moisture buildup, which makes breathing even more difficult. Less oxygen = a worse performance, and maybe even worse physical problems, like wooziness and even collapsing.
And masks get clogged by sweat and so forth. Do you expect runners to change their masks in mid-race? Yeah, everyone else should slow down to allow this necessity!
I'm not talking about jogging. Think, instead, of strenuous training and racing. Imagine trying to run a 1600 when not able to breathe properly, and/or in a race with kids from other schools who are not required to wear masks. Not only is a mask a disadvantage, but also the mask is a health risk. Not to be forgotten is the fact that some runners would be so intensely focused upon the competition, the clock, and the goal that they would likely not even know the trouble they were getting into. Think of Alberto Salazar in 1978’s Falmouth Road Race, when he was read the last rites after collapsing with a body temperature of 108°. He wore blinders while fiercely competing, sometimes ignoring the conditions, such as the heat and humidity at Falmouth, MA in that race.
Or think of how he ran himself ragged (and never ran as well again) when battling Dick Beardsley to win the 1982 "Duel in the Sun" Boston Marathon.
Try to imagine him running and training with a mask on, as mandated by his school’s governing body.
There will frequently be runners on a team who have asthma or other bronchial issues. It may be difficult enough to run without a mask in some conditions for these kids, such as those with cold temperature-induced asthma. Forcing a mask over their airways can have further serious consequences.
I wouldn't want to be a high school coach responsible for the potential physical harm that can happen and the decreased performance that will happen to a kid as a result of mask wearing, not that a terrible case will result every time. A coach is in command of young lives, and there is a moral responsibility here.
So the Hunters are stepping aside? I DON’T BLAME THEM! GOOD FOR THEM THAT THEY MADE A DECISION BASED ON THEIR CONCERN FOR THE KIDS' WELFARE!
I had cold temperature induced asthma which was lessened by wearing a mask in the winter. I wonder what the Mayo clinic says about exercise in very humid weather. Nevertheless coaches have athletes train in all conditions. -
northern exposure wrote:
Yea, stepping away really helps the kid.
Stepping away helps them, they were GOOD coaches when they had good kids and transfers, not so much anymore.
They stepped away because they wanted out, this was the excuse they were looking for.
That's a good one.....obviously you didn't watch this past "season" their girls team was easily the best team in the SE and would have been a contender to fight for a top 5 to 10 at NXN if it had been held.
If the stepped away because they thought the ruling was unsafe and put kids in a dangerous position, then I applaud them. I can tell you from what I have heard, most of the distance team has joined them in leaving the team also. So they have the support of the athlete's and their parents, which says something about how those kids and parents feel about the ruling and how the Hunter's are approaching it. -
FACTS:
1) LCPS mandated masks for all activity unless athletes stay 10 feet apart at all times. Impossible while doing track workouts, distance runs, and races.
2) Hunters were part of a fall club with over 350 athletes who trained and raced over 5 months, at several locations. ONE kid got COVID during that time, and not at practice. They followed the rules of masks on arrival and departure from practice, or while talking close together with friends. They took temperatures. They kept kids 10 feet apart during warmup routines. Kids ran in ability groups.
3) Hunters are not anti-vax conspiracy theorists.
4) Hunters care about kids being safe and do not think training hard and certainly not racing in a mask is safe. They also care about not spreading COVID. What they did during the fall was effective and reasonable.
5) Hunters don't recruit athletes for all you a**holes who continue to spread that rumor.
6) Hunters will continue to write training for their kids and hope to continue with a club model this winter if they can. They did not "take their ball and go home." They just disagree with the county's masking rules that are inconsistent and unfair and unsafe for their athletes. Let's not forget that they gave up several thousand dollars worth of income by stepping aside. -
Interesting Questions wrote:
Where is the support from the school from the Hunter's ?? They put that school and system on the map...you would hope they get support from the athletic department and principal.
Hope it all gets cleared up.
They may have put the school "on the map" among a tiny group of very loyal high school XC fans, but people even within the county have no idea of their success.
Loudoun County Schools has 18 high schools (94 total schools) in one of the most weathy counties in the nation, so to say the Hunters "put it on the map" by coaching a XC team is a bit of an overstatement. -
Interesting Questions wrote:
northern exposure wrote:
Yea, stepping away really helps the kid.
Stepping away helps them, they were GOOD coaches when they had good kids and transfers, not so much anymore.
They stepped away because they wanted out, this was the excuse they were looking for.
That's a good one.....obviously you didn't watch this past "season" their girls team was easily the best team in the SE and would have been a contender to fight for a top 5 to 10 at NXN if it had been held.
Are we talking about the girls team with 4 transfers in its top 7? -
thoughtsfailure wrote:
If it's true, it's not a sad situation. It's a STUPID situation. Sounds like they are dirty conspiracy theorists that think COVID is a hoax. I bet they are anti-vaccine too.
Scum of the earth, they have no business being in education in any way, shape, or form.
You don't have to be a COVID denier to think that specific rules regarding COVID are ill-conceived. COVID is serious. Wearing masks while running outside is pointless. Both of these things are true. -
Are we talking about the girls team with 4 transfers in its top 7?
From looking at the roster, I'm not sure where you get the number 4 ?
Ava Gordon - transferred from Rock Ridge and Ally Talley moved from California, all other athlete's listed have attended Valley for all the years they have been in high school.
Why so jealous, I keep seeing this transfer stuff. If kids and parents want the best coaching and a place their kids can be successful so be it. Sounds like a lot of sour grapes from other coaches in the County that can't get the job done. Can't beat them so attack them, in a forum where you can remain anonymous.
This post isn't about that....but it seems the bitter people in the room want to make it about that. -
Let's be the real. The mask lovers aren't in it for slowing the spread.
I mean they aren't even hiding the agenda anymore.
https://twitter.com/AlecMacGillis/status/1340038519830552576?s=20
