Being A Student-Athlete in College
It was difficult to make the decision to move my life overseas aged 21 when I felt comfortable in Australia with my coaching set-up and university team there. However, I felt like I needed to take on a new adventure.
The Training
The training is slightly different from home, which is to be expected with any new coach and program. We keep with the standard recovery run, 2x workouts a week for the most part (including fartleks, tempo runs, track sessions, grass sessions), a mid-week longer run, a sprint session, and a weekend-long run to finish off the week. The main differences for me were the addition of pre-cross country season altitude training up in the hills and ski resort in the warmer months, the team-based focus including groups for workouts, and a very season centered workout approach (Outdoor, indoor track, and cross country).
I think this works well, but it depends on what background and previous coaching you've come from.
Team Focus
There is no denying that team camaraderie and a team-based focus is crucial to student-athlete life. One cross-country season at Boise State was enough to show me the immense importance of working as a team in what is often regarded as an individual sport, and as a result, I have friends and training partners for life, all around the world. In cross country, it is so important that the team finish as high as possible, so we need the whole team to perform at their very best, to place well in meets. To do this, we must work together in race scenarios to optimize the result at the end. It is also important to mention that I love having people to run with all the time. I can choose whether I go solo on some days, but for the most part, it is nice to know that I always have friends up for a jog.
In terms of what might be wrong - I think coaching when you are the right athlete-coach-school fit, works out well. The athlete must choose a program that suits them and buy into it to be successful. However the restrictions the NCAA place on athletes, such as name and likeness to earn income, job restrictions etc is not so fun.
I wrote a whole article on being a student-athlete in college, including my personal experience and what to expect. Click to read more:
https://larahamilton.com/being-a-student-athlete-in-college/