Is it awkward that the "Director of Track & Field and Cross Country hasn't been to one practice but is coming to Nats?

No, it isn't awkward. You obviously have a distance assistant on staff. Head Coaches have meetings at nationals. What would be unusual is if the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country DIDN'T go to nationals to attend those meetings and to watch and evaluate your skinny ass. Now shut up and get your mind on the task at hand.

Rollin' and Trollin' wrote:

No, it isn't awkward. You obviously have a distance assistant on staff. Head Coaches have meetings at nationals. What would be unusual is if the Director of Track and Field and Cross Country DIDN'T go to nationals to attend those meetings and to watch and evaluate your skinny ass. Now shut up and get your mind on the task at hand.

There are no special meetings at nationals for the head track coach or the director who isn't the actual cross country coach. The head cross country coach or assistant who coaches cross country can go to the meetings like any other meet. However, it is not unusual for the "director" to attend championships. It's the norm. But it is annoying that this is often the only time they interact with the cross country team. To me its just a distraction when they suddenly appear for a championship. Either be part of the cross country team or don't. Middle ground stuff is annoying.

Is it awkward that you are awkward around the person that approved your scholarship and allows you to be on the team?

Let me guess? UCONN? Has to get his picture in there somehow.

#1. ncaa creates cross country as an independent sport with it own scholarships (not track scholarships) and those xc runners don't participate in track, then the director of the program wouldn't need to attend.

#2. you give back 2/3 of your scholarship (the track proportion) in exchange for the Director of the program (who allowed your coach to coach you) not to attend.

#3. STFU

If this is trollage, I give it high marks--6/10--and will go higher if there's a more substantial volume of responses.

If, on the other hand, the OP was (semi-)serious:

1. The director of the program--who, believe it or not, may have stuff to do during cross-country practices (like prepping the non-distance folks for indoor season and/or recruiting)--may actually have been showing his confidence in the xc coach by staying the fuck away from cross practice and meets; but:

2. As the actual decision maker for the program, he may be required to attend any coaches' meetings that accompany the national meet--or simply may *choose* to do so, thus freeing the xc coach so that s/he can avoid being distracted by administrative BS and can focus on preparing the athletes for their race; and:

3. The director may be expected (formally or informally) by the athletic dept or AD to attend the national championship, as the official, titular representative of the team, the athletic department, and the college; and/or:

4. Maybe, just maybe, the program director wanted to come to the meet so that the runners could have one more familiar and supportive face, far from home, and one more cheering supporter during the race(s)--despite the admin/coaching/recruiting time that he would lose, as well as giving up yet another potential weekend with his family (in addition to the 20+ absent weekends coming this winter and spring), to root you on and try to help you have the best possible performance and experience in a meet that you'll remember your whole life.

What's "awkward," to my mind, is your having even started this thread. My serious advice: Get off this thread--shoot, get off LRC *entirely*--and focus on the actual *purpose* of the trip until you're back home from it. You need this distraction (and potential disruption) like you need another hole in your ass--though you may be so full of crap that another hole would actually be a help.

In other words: For the sake of your (and your teammates') performance this weekend, try acting like an adult--even if that's going to call for an Oscar®-level performance--for the next three days or so, mmkay?