Private coaches

I'm not a fan of private coaching, as often they put empesis on the individual interest rather than the team. But as long as the coach is hands off and she is at practice there should be no problem. If a parent came to me as a coach and asked I'd be in full support, I just don't have time to do it all and welcome the help.

Seen it all before wrote:

I'm not a fan of private coaching, as often they put empesis on the individual interest rather than the team.

So you don't care about the kids you coach only about the team. It's what they can do for you and not what is best for them.

Please share what with the board which school you coach at so we can keep our kids, far, far away from themand your socialistic mentallity.

Rather than being an obstruction to instruction, I would suggest that both coaches get on the same page (communication) for the benefit of the student-athlete.

If either one is unwilling to do so, you know/have found out who has the best interest of your kid in mind and who does not.

Socialism Doesnt Work wrote:

So you don't care about the kids you coach only about the team. It's what they can do for you and not what is best for them.

Please share what with the board which school you coach at so we can keep our kids, far, far away from themand your socialistic mentallity.

Yeah! Who cares about the team! The kids should get to do whatever events they want and only those events! Why should the "coach" get to tell them what to do. No other sport does the coach get to boss people around like that! No, I am not being serious.

Does anyone complain about kids getting outside tutors? How about orchestra members getting private lessons outside of school? Why should it even be an issue if someone gets advice from an outside expert?

Of course many of those private coaches are terrible and pretty much just scamming kids, but if someone decides to waste their money why make their life even more difficult?

As long as the kids are showing up to practice and participating as a member of the team, and are open with the team coach about what they're doing I just don't see why this is an issue.

That "open with the team coach about what they're doing" should be optional too. I don't think there should be any obligation to be open and honest--just that they're probably screwing themselves and making it nearly impossible for the team coach to properly help them if they're not open and honest.

there are big name coaches out there, some write books, give talks at coaches conferences, post youtube clips and then there are a whole lot that don't. If the kid can relate and learn and grow than it's worth the money and this coach may not be their first coach or their last coach. Look at the U.S. Olympic Trials back in Houston in January. Of those hundreds of athletes that reached that level and competed there were hundreds of coaches who influenced and mentored those runners. Some were their h.s. coaches, college coaches, club coaches, sponsor assigned coaches and secondary coaches. It's okay to get a second opinion. There will be hundreds in Eugene this summer, it's a perfect opportunity for runners to learn and for coaches to learn. Some part ways because of money or personality or distance. A lot of national and international coaches are miles apart or oceans apart and coach via e-mail.

This AD is being close-minded and territorial. They are convinced it is their way or the highway and that there couldn't possibly be a better coach than the one they hired to do the job. So, if word gets out that runners at this private school are getting better not through the assigned school coach, but from outside help it will diminish their standing. Your daughter looking good and improving makes them look bad and they just can't have that tarnishing their ego or reputation.

Personally I agree that outside coaching can, and often does, interfere with what a coach is doing. My first priority is the individual. Keep them healthy, find the workouts what works best for them etc. In turn this strengthens the team. But I cannot have a selfish, self-centered individuals on my team who comes to practice thinking that my training methods are "dumb" because of someone else outside our program who works with them once a week. Just in the same way you cannot have a selfish running back who always wants the ball we cannot have individuals who disrupt our team's focus.

I firmly believe that as individuals we will strive beyond what we are capable of when we run for someone or something else. It might be to win a team title or the goal to go to state. Only when unified fighting together will they rise beyond what they are capable of. Of course there are the few individuals who strive for a medal or the win because they are gifted, motivated and have bought in. But for the majority of the team they must believe that while they are #4 or #5, we are all in this together and just as important as the other.

So I will care and train for you as an individual but we will run as a team and for the team.

Private coaches should be the only coaches.

There is nothing in the kids best interest when you already have a system set in place, right?

They were put into your system, the school system, the state series system, the team system...

I recommend mentoring before run coaching.

Teach them how to put on socks, put on shoes and stand straight before throwing an advanced subject such as running to their unawakened nervous system.

I completely agree. Also, if the school's coach is crafting workouts with the big picture in mind, the extra work might hinder the kid's progression toward that goal, either due to fatigue or injury. So in that respect, it's different than a cellist or a math tutor (although I acknowledge you could injure yourself playing the cello or doing math, too).

Yep. One of my guys showed up injured on Monday because his private coach who I just learned about was having him practice hard corners on the track with his mild peroneal tendonitis that is no longer mild. Looks like the money paid off.

I always do a bunch of early season strength work and then fall back into the speed training. The guys hardly run on the track in the early season.

I get criticism every year from anyone who has an opinion. Then late in the season we are beating everyone around. Then the thought is that I'm blessed to be working with talent and I'm finally doing the proper training when they are sharpening.

Sorry, I'm just venting. Private coaches suck! To justify their existence they love to beat up on programs in their area. It makes parents feel like they are doing the right thing by hiring them.

I find no matter what my level of success I must be doing something wrong!

A good private coach won't pave over a school program. Sounds like two power trips going on here.

On the other hand if an AD or any teacher was harassing my kid, I would put a stop to it immediately by talking to the principal or whomever the person in charge is.

Had Some Myself wrote:

As long as the kids are showing up to practice and participating as a member of the team, and are open with the team coach about what they're doing I just don't see why this is an issue.

As a former athlete that had a teammate who trained with his private coach 5 days a week, I would like to agree with this point. An old teammate of mine, who was a spectacular runner, showed up to maybe 1 to 2 practices a week. Yet the coaches were split on giving him spots into invitationals and big weekend meets. The head coach wanted the points and recognition and allowed him to run the meets. Distance coach and the rest of the distance squad, not so much. It always meant 2-3 of us were going to be left off the race sheet even though we showed up to practice every day(the HC would enter him in the 8/16/32, and he would run two, skip the other). No one on the team respected him or would even talk to him.

One or two parents made calls to the AD to handle the situation, but he didn't care. If he showed up to practice, half-assed it or even just worked on drills or something, nobody would have cared. Just show up.