I've changed my tune on Bobby Kersee completely

Yup. Most people worth their salt recognize that he’s all about winning the big meets. Unfortunately this doesn’t grow the sport as much as people would like, but it’s his prerogative and he’s been moving the right direction with SML in Grand slam.

I also enjoy the baseball analogy and think it makes a lot of sense.

I think a lot of the frustration people have come from some of his opaque and cryptic statements in terms of what Mu is racing and when. To your point though, his job is to do what's best for his athletes, not necessarily to keep the fans up-to-date on what the specific plan is.

So that should entail SML or Mu going to a random all-comers meet and getting 7th place while feeling thongs out. That's what happens to some MLB contracted pitchers on a minor league assignment--they get lit up by the opponents as their warm up.

The problem is that this is Track, not baseball, so his analogy is irrelevant. Plenty of athletes run high stakes meets year round and do just fine. If it works for her though, so be it.

This is the right outlook.

That would result in an investigation by SafeSport.

but is it the minor leagues or is it actually far lower? it is possible to loose your confidence and edge with competition too soft.

also, deliberately manipulating your athletes around your insecurities is insane. the loss of athing and syd from the 400 because he doesnt want his athletes to race each other is potential thats lost in time now. one of them could be a national champ right. their legacy set in stone by beating the other very best. but no, it makes your coach nervous?

Im inclined to agree with you.

While his athletes have been questioned and even reviled for their non participation or suspected PED use and other things, his actual results are unmatched.

His willingness to make the unpopular excuses also protects his athletes and Mu in particular has

FloJo JJK SML Gail D etc.

The minor leagues are probably about the same level as a Mt. Sac race.

Well all the "suspected drug use" comes from this website and nowhere else so that's not a real issue lol

This is nothing like testing out your fastball in the minor leagues. It's more like pitching batting practice.

What he was doing is nothing like sending your pitcher down to the minor leagues. It is like not using your pitcher all season and only having them pitch in the playoffs. If Michael Jordan or LeBron James had only played the playoffs fans would rightly not be happy either.

Kersee may be a good sprint coach but what has he really done as a mid d coach. Mu is probably the most taleneted mid d prospect ever and in her time with kersee she has brought her 800 pr down less than a second and she has misssed Olympic teams and got hurt a lot and barely raced. I think there’s lots of coaches who could done better with mu. Someone without an ego who could have helped her with hers, and had her races some 400s. It’s cool she ran 403 but not Olympic medal caliber which she is a 400.

Does it really work for her, though? What has been successful about the last couple years with the Limited racing schedule and his overall coaching approach?

Funny to see Kersee use that baseball analogy. Two months ago to this day, I wrote the following in the thread on Mu being entered in the 5,000m at the Mt. SAC Relays:

While I agree Kersee's job is to do what's best for his athletes (although I disagree with him about what's best for Mu), I think part of the responsibility of being a professional coach and athlete is communicating with the media and fanbase to keep followers of the sport updated on a regular basis. Kersee and Mu could do sooo much better at that.

If all top runners raced as rarely as Kersee has had Mu race while posting social media updates and granting interviews as rarely as they do, the sport would wither and die. Fan engagement is important. I'm glad Kersee did the interview with Gault. Kersee didn't share as much details as I would have liked, but he finally threw us a bone.

Nothing unfair about it. These two women are fantastically talented and people want to see them run. The fact that they don’t is their choice. Maybe it’s the best thing for them, I don’t really know. But I don’t think we can say they’re being treated unfairly. Both of these ladies have accrued substantial benefits from their talent. At every stage of their life, they’ve had people ready to help them to unlock their gifts, and pay them large amounts of money to display them. It’s not unfair, it’s part of being great.

His genius failed to prepare Athing for the Olympic Trials.

Hard to say what success means without knowing the full story on why she isn't competing. Likely what Jersey is protecting her from.

She fell? What are you babbling about?