How to ask a potential future college coach about team injuries?

College Running

2 years ago 01/21/2022 8:35pm EST

I am interested in running cross country and track at a college (it is #1 on my list) but am concerned with the number of injured athletes particularly on the female side of the team. I understand that injuries at the college level are normal and unfortunate but have discovered that the majority of athletes on the team have developed a serious injury upon joining. Is this normal because of the mileage increase from highschool to college? This is a big school and I would like to learn more but also want to be respectful. Should I communicate with members of the team about this issue or have a discussion with the coach? Should I just inquire about training and go from there? Is this a big red flag? Thanks!

2 years ago 01/21/2022 9:14pm EST

re: runner9372

There could be many reasons for the drastic increaed injuries in these female runners. It could very well be from aggressive increases in training load and/or intensity. However in many cases, frequent injuries among (female) runners is a huge red flag indicating the presence of disordered eating and/or RED-S. When you are not getting sufficient calories and nutrients, you body's ability to successfully recover and absorb the training stimulus becomes comprised, thereby increasing risk of injury.

However, you can not be certain that this the case without knowing more evidence. Because you are considering running at this school, it's your right to know this information, as a culture promoting disordered eating is an extremely toxic environment as runner. Because eating disorders are such a sensitive subject, it's EXTREMELY important that you inquire this information in a tactful and polite manner. Perhaps you could do this in an indirect manner, by asking for a visit with the team and observing their behavior. Keep an open mind but if you observe soild evidence of RED-S, you would be much better off going someplace else!

2 years ago 01/21/2022 11:00pm EST

re: jazzytherunner

Make sure you get a meal with the team. It’s usually pretty obvious to tell from a single meal if there an unhealthy team dynamic around food.

I would also ask the coach what expectations and resources are for an injured athlete. Will they still be involved with cross training? Are you still expected to attend practice? Will they connect your to physical therapists? Does the team have its own trainer or is it shared by several sports?

I would also try to observe a workout. Do all the athletes run in the same group or are workouts modified for small groups? Most of my former athletes that got hurt in college were thrown into a one size fits all group and just ran too fast or too much too soon.

2 years ago 01/22/2022 7:10am EST

re: hs girls coach

Thank you so much! I didn’t even consider other factors that could be responsible for these injuries. I will make sure to visit the school and make a good decision from there!

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