Just read a lengthy tweet by Lee Troop saying that he is no longer coaching.
What about his athletes? I know that Laura Thweatt Dnf’d in Chicago. Seems like he should fix things before he walks away.
Just read a lengthy tweet by Lee Troop saying that he is no longer coaching.
What about his athletes? I know that Laura Thweatt Dnf’d in Chicago. Seems like he should fix things before he walks away.
Boulder TC wrote:
Just read a lengthy tweet by Lee Troop saying that he is no longer coaching.
What about his athletes? I know that Laura Thweatt Dnf’d in Chicago. Seems like he should fix things before he walks away.
You know that he did not discuss with his athletes or are you making an assumption?
What a trooper.
Boulder TC wrote:
Just read a lengthy tweet by Lee Troop saying that he is no longer coaching.
What about his athletes? I know that Laura Thweatt Dnf’d in Chicago. Seems like he should fix things before he walks away.
Fix what? Seems that after an athlete died that he was coaching, he is trying to work through life!
This message stings - but it is with sadness, that today I told my team, I will be taking a break from elite coaching at the end of the year.
This year has been a testing and trying time for me and with Jon’s death, I have really struggled to find my composure with life and in particular coaching. My athletes deserve better, and to be in an environment that will allow them to be the best that they can be for the sacrifices they are making.
Over the last 8 years, I set up the Boulder Track Club to be a resource for our community to cater for all, from youth through to Elite. It was my passion project and to coach as many people as I did from all different walks of life and levels of ability, was amazing! To work with young men and women, who have the same passion and desire to achieve what I once did in running, has been something that I never took for granted. It is what motivated me and fueled me to sacrifice my own complete retirement from the sport and to keep living the dream through them, work for them, bleed for them and hope that one day, they too achieved their own “holy grail” of running dreams as I once did.
Over this journey, I have coached some amazing athletes, that I enjoyed getting up and training at 6am in the dark and snow with, and then traveling all over the country to see them race. The best part of coaching my elite athletes, has been seeing them grow as caring, compassionate, and productive community people first and athletes second. Every athlete I coached, I treated them as if they were my own kids. I gave them everything I had, and they always came first and sometimes selfishly, before my own family.
To all my past and current athletes, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your journey. You have always been the driver, while I was only the navigator to help steer you on the best possible path I could find. You were all different and had a unique quality within you that stood out as to why I coached you. My payment was blood, sweat and tears! Everything was worth sacrificing and my life is forever changed positively because of it. As a coach you experience the good and the bad, but all of it is “life” that you navigate through as best as you can and learn from every experience.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank so many people that made this journey great, and especially my fellow coaches who always lent an ear to listen and help guide me. This whole experience has made me a better person! The last and biggest thank you is to my family. Your unconditional support meant I could do what I really loved to do and I’m forever grateful ❤️
Sounds smart to me
Lee is very passionate about the sport and he is also high strung. He puts it all out there. I'm sure he will find a good path forward and will continue to contribute to the running community.
Who was Jon? His brother? Athlete? Sounds like he's exhausted emotionally. Wish him the best.
jkjk wrote:
Who was Jon? His brother? Athlete? Sounds like he's exhausted emotionally. Wish him the best.
You definitely don’t follow distance running in the US.
jkjk wrote:
Who was Jon? His brother? Athlete? Sounds like he's exhausted emotionally. Wish him the best.
Jon Grey, elite runner, coached by Lee, who took his own life earlier this year.
BTC runner wrote:
Lee is very passionate about the sport and he is also high strung. He puts it all out there. I'm sure he will find a good path forward and will continue to contribute to the running community.
I listened to a podcast where he was interviewed for about an hour. For sure this guy is high strung. Very high strung and very dramatic. Not that this has anything to do with the situation at hand. Suicide is a big deal for anyone.
Out of touch wrote:
jkjk wrote:
Who was Jon? His brother? Athlete? Sounds like he's exhausted emotionally. Wish him the best.
You definitely don’t follow distance running in the US.
Was this helpful? Think of the actual subject matter involved here - don’t you think this would have been an appropriate time for an act of kindness? To just answer the question. Anyway, don’t worry, someone else did what you were unable to do.
It may not be entirely what it appears to be. It looks pretty bad, more like he has to face the music and get a real job that pays real money.
He probably lost his shirt in shutting down his running store and that must have eaten through much if not all of his family's savings. Their home has been on the market since the summer and isn't selling, even at a reduced price.
He's both Thweat's coach and agent and she hasn't exactly been bringing home race winnings this year. In fact, her marketability as an athlete is so low right now that it wouldn't be any surprise if her contract isn't renewed by Saucony after this year, unless maybe she moves to Boston to join Broe's group.
None of his other current athletes are really turning in what you'd consider elite performances, either. His top athletes, other than Thweat, jumped ship in the wake of the Jon Grey's suicide and the rest keep getting injured or see their performance stagnate with him as coach.
He must be feeling depressed, should be seeing a counselor.
You should apply for the job of pulling the youngest children away from their parents and locking them in cages at the southern border. You're perfect for it.
Laura left him.
Thanks, Rizzo. wrote:
It may not be entirely what it appears to be. It looks pretty bad, more like he has to face the music and get a real job that pays real money.
He probably lost his shirt in shutting down his running store and that must have eaten through much if not all of his family's savings. Their home has been on the market since the summer and isn't selling, even at a reduced price.
He's both Thweat's coach and agent and she hasn't exactly been bringing home race winnings this year. In fact, her marketability as an athlete is so low right now that it wouldn't be any surprise if her contract isn't renewed by Saucony after this year, unless maybe she moves to Boston to join Broe's group.
None of his other current athletes are really turning in what you'd consider elite performances, either. His top athletes, other than Thweat, jumped ship in the wake of the Jon Grey's suicide and the rest keep getting injured or see their performance stagnate with him as coach.
He must be feeling depressed, should be seeing a counselor.
You sound like a miserable jerk.
Lee can step away from the sport if he chooses but he will always remain running royalty. Athletes that don’t get along with Lee are athletes that have a tough time looking in the mirror.
Running Royalty wrote:
Lee can step away from the sport if he chooses but he will always remain running royalty. Athletes that don’t get along with Lee are athletes that have a tough time looking in the mirror.
Everyone left him, it would be an amazing coincidence if all those athletes had "a tough time looking in the mirror."
Just another ex-athlete that couldn't hack it as a coach. NEXT!
A couple bad apples in every group. Certainly no reflection on Lee’s knowledge and experience. Always will be a legend.
Schadenfreude is alive and well in Boulder. Seems nobody is immune.
Well written but .... wrote:
Laura left him.
When first saw the tweet, I wondered if this, in fact, happened.