I am a new track coach at a Title I (low income) urban school. Many of my athletes work after school and can only make practice 2-3 times per week and cannot afford proper footwear. In addition, a majority of my athletes have never done track or any sport before. I am doing my best to make it fun, at the expense of competitiveness. Is there a specific approach to take in a situation like this? Should I let the kids who work stay on the team?
if you are from leadville, just a heads up, that sucks for you. have a friend that was assistant for the wrestling team. started with 4 kids, 3 showed up twice a week but were ineligible anyway, and the only one who had passing grades came to practice once every two weeks...
he wanted to cut them all but then there is no team at all, head coach told him "its leadville, thats just how it is"
not to mention the weather sucks, and there is no facility. better off going 37 miles south to bv and helping the team there
OP a lot of these kids are going to come from abusive single mother households. You're dealing with a lot more CPTSD than you realize.
Just create a peaceful, welcoming environment for these kids, and make sure to praise them for working those after school jobs. Teach them that running can be a lifelong passion that they can fit around their full-time job in the future.
Teach them that running can be a great stress management tool, and you should also incorporate some yoga type breathing exercises into your stretching routine, and tell them that these breathing exercises are also great for stress and anger management.
Think of yourself more as a social worker than a track coach, and you'll provide major, lifelong value to these kids.
Award kids who show up. Don't punish those who are inconsistent. If they are there today, focus on what you can do with them today. No I am not a snowflake, just a realist. You don't have to give them a letter or let them run their favorite event but I wouldn't kick somebody off the team unless they were disruptive.
Focus on getting numbers, varying practice routines, and teaching kids how to compete respectfully. I would train everybody as a 400m runner and emphasize sprint relays.
If you keep everyone safe and identify 2 or 3 legit competitors, you've done your job.