POST COLLEGIATE GROUPS

2008

olympians

madison

teg

bairu for canada

jon rielly

Mammoth

meb

deena

halls

fleshman

gabe

ian

oniells

all have a good chance

Ohio

ollinger

meyers

portland

gouchers

hansons

snell i think

boulder

torres

ritz

Sully's group

lukezic

burley

Just out of curiosity, why is your name Osaka bound?

There needs to be a collabrative organization of post-collegiate groups that work together, share resources and help support and grow the sport in various ways. Some of that is starting to happen, but it will be interesting to see what happens and what new groups pop up over the next few years. I have personally talked to three or four others who are talking about starting up groups.

MUSTS

1. Free Housing

2. Free Health Insurance

3. Athletes that train together on a daily basis YEAR ROUND. Otherwise it is a camp and not a group.

I think that the Zap and Hansons are the only groups that can even continue to the other MUSTS.

4. Free Pysical therapy.

5. A shoe deal.

6. Coaching.

7. Travel stipends.

8. Regular Massage.

Team California is the largest Scam as most of their athletes no longer even live in the same area. Year round Housing is not always available and Health Insurance is the responsibility of the athlete. It is sad that athletes of the quality of MEB and Deena are not better taken care of.

Free health insurance doesn't help if it's shitty insurance and the athlete ends up paying thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Why on earth would you feel sorry for Meb and Deena? They are well taken care of. I agree that Running USA California is a sham. When athletes leave (Fleshman and Buttry, for instance), they keep their names on the website which overstates the number of athletes actually in the training group.

what constitutes a group? wrote:

MUSTS

1. Free Housing

2. Free Health Insurance

3. Athletes that train together on a daily basis YEAR ROUND. Otherwise it is a camp and not a group.

I think that the Zap and Hansons are the only groups that can even continue to the other MUSTS.

4. Free Pysical therapy.

5. A shoe deal.

6. Coaching.

7. Travel stipends.

8. Regular Massage.

Team California is the largest Scam as most of their athletes no longer even live in the same area. Year round Housing is not always available and Health Insurance is the responsibility of the athlete. It is sad that athletes of the quality of MEB and Deena are not better taken care of.

The Gags OTC program has all of these, a big step up from the farm team situation. Like you say, team usa isnt a team, it is individauls, most of the time in different cities doing different workouts but getting the same funding.

If someone was looking to start a group:

You would need someone with the monetary ability to buy a house or two.

Preferably, he/she owns a business or bas access to health insurance for the athletes.

Can pay some expenses for the athletes so they can seek out quality competition.

Would this be a good start?

Someone once asked me about how to get a group going (in Upstate New York). I had no clue.

Housing is very cheap in this part of NY.

There are enough tracks- a few high schools and two colleges within a few miles of each other.

There are some trails for warm weather training. The roads are fine for inclement weather- not too much traffic.

Now all we need is someone with the resources to buy 2 houses at about $80,000 each.

If you really look at all the training groups out there ZAP Fitness has the best set up. They provide free housing, insurance, travel expenses and gear. The housing has a chef, a lab for testing and a weight room. Outside of their facility it is great weather much of the year, they send their athletes to Florida for a little while during the winter for better weather training and there are 50+ miles of trails right out their door. It is a distraction free lifestyle. While it hasn't produced the same results as a Hansons or Team USA, it really is the best model for others to work from. If there were 12-15 ZAP Fitness type setups around the U.S., U.S. distnace running would be in much better shape. All it will take is 10 individuals are so to band together and start something like this. It will take time and money, but it can be done.

On Flocasts today Stephen Haas talked about the post collegiate group being set up in Indiana.

They have free housing from the university for 8 people in grad student apartments, free utilities, free access to track, weight room and coaching. They can also use the training room. Their school is sponsored by adidas, and they are looking to get them to sponsor anyone in the group who does not have a contract.

Um, they're listed on USATF's site and there's no one "best" group for anyone and everyone just like there's no one "best" running shoe for anyone and everyone, you illiterate hack.

And who the fukc are you??????

Dr.S wrote:

I am in the process of trying to get together a team for the future. I'm a newcomer to the whole post-collegiate team sponsorship - and it will probably be a few months till things are ready.

The goal is state of the art training and evaluation headed by a group of people experience in distance running performance (from the scientific and coaching standpoints), and those resources are already in place. Obviously, as a startup group, we will not likely be taking on Hansons or Nike or anything like that to start as that would be unrealistic - but if we have some initial success and can put more money into it, we'll start thinking on a larger scale.

But if you are interested and have not been recruited by anybody else, send me an e-mail.

Naw, the top marathoners don't all run in the Olympics.

There are new training groups popping up all over. Both Robert Gary and Robert Chapman are starting up groups, as stated. Other college coaches are doing similar things. However, does this really solve the lack of post-collegiate groups problem? College coaches have a responsibility first to their athletes on the college team, not their post-collegiate athletes. While I am sure guys like Gary and Chapman provide a lot of time to these athletes, are they getting the full amount of time needed? It would probably take 20-30 training groups in the U.S. to really reach the depth that we should have and the top end talent as well.

Lydiard in training wrote:

On Flocasts today Stephen Haas talked about the post collegiate group being set up in Indiana.

They have free housing from the university for 8 people in grad student apartments, free utilities, free access to track, weight room and coaching. They can also use the training room. Their school is sponsored by adidas, and they are looking to get them to sponsor anyone in the group who does not have a contract.

Its great that another group is starting up!

I am somebody who is trying to make an honest effort to support distance runners. A lot of people on this board talk about lack of opportunities for post-collegiate people, but few people do anything about it. I'm making an effort, starting small and we'll see where it goes.

Everybody has to start somewhere. If you read my previous posts you can see a little more about my background and what I have to offer. I love this sport and am looking to contribute whatever I can now and hope it will grow.

I hear Steve Jones has a group in Boulder that is growing all the time. Pete Julian and Keith Kelly are both in it. Surly having Jonsey in your corner must make for some interesting if not hard training, and some hard drinking sessions!!!!

Dr. S:

Could I get your email address. I would love to get some information and etc. See what ideas and requirements that are needed.

Thank You.