Help!

None.

Give polite replies that don't question the wishful thinking element of the parent's message.

"I admire that kind of passion! I'll do my best to help her develop as a runner. Welcome to the team."

Are you able to offer private coaching and make some bank?

Tell her to start running 🏃

Consistent aerobic training.

GnomeBe wrote:

Tell her to start running 🏃

Well said.

Over my head? wrote:

I am a brand new XC coach, and a parent messaged me about her daughter wanting to be a professional runner. She is entering Middle School. What steps should I take?

Send the mother to talk to Coach JS!If the gal has talent he will make her a pro.

GnomeBe wrote:

Tell her to start running 🏃

She is already running and has competed in the half marathon, as well as other distances.

What are your goals for the team, for the individual runners, and for yourself? For middle schoolers, most are new to competitive running and structured/consistent training. Typically we have the main goal as every runner improves throughout the season. We also strive to build teamwork and support every runner. We send faster runners to run in with slower runners and encourage them, help with drills, etc.

This girl is probably going to be your top runner and score low for you in meets. I would try to harness her enthusiasm and direct it toward being a team leader and good teammate.

I would talk to her and her parents together and ask them to not enter any other events during your competition season. It's part of being a good teammate, and she wants to run on the team. So please respect teammates and give us all of your energy during the season.

During practice, my biggest concern would be reining her in on group distance runs. We have volunteer parents that run with our team, but our team is big enough that we often struggle to keep groups together. Let them know that she's got to stick with the group on group runs.

She won't get to me until HS. Her mom trusts me more than her MS coach.

The biggest thing you can tell her is to just keep running and working hard, and to have fun. Shes in middle school. No need to get all serious about it already you want her to love the sport not grow to hate it. She's a kid and needs to go do what kids do. Play outside, have fun with friends. Keep at the running and by the time she grows they will be plenty to work with and help develop in hs

Tell her to f off.

Tell her to do barefoot speedwork.

Tell her to just love running.

Make everything like a game.

The OLD school way of doing 80 billion miles a week? OVER. Now E V E R Y B O D Y ' S going into these lower volume, higher intensity workouts. And look what happens to these fields -- they continue to get faster and FASTER.

Way to bury the lede! If you're not her coach, then I suppose all you can do is wait a few years. Are the parents asking you for advice on how to help her become a professional runner? If that's the case, then I would try to channel some energy into the non-running aspects of being successful - core, flexibility, drills, good nutrition and sleep. Educate them on how rest is a vital part of the training cycle. If they are asking you to be her coach or for training advice, then that's a different story.

Over my head? wrote:

She won't get to me until HS. Her mom trusts me more than her MS coach.

Great coach wrote:

Over my head? wrote:

I am a brand new XC coach, and a parent messaged me about her daughter wanting to be a professional runner. She is entering Middle School. What steps should I take?

Send the mother to talk to Coach JS!If the gal has talent he will make her a pro.

You are not a great coach, Jan. You are an idiot.

barefoot runner wrote:

Tell her to f off.

I'm ashamed that this made me laugh out loud.

The girl is just entering middle school so doesn't have any history with the middle school coach yet and the parents are seeking out advice from an insecure newbie high school coach. Run! They're already playing you against the middle school coach. Expect a lot of trouble in a few years.