CoachJoanHunter wrote:
Can't figure out what you are trying to say here. I think I made the point that we use a patient progression, and that we individualize a kid's volume. We also have very few injury issues, especially on our boys team. We do plenty of supplemental work in an effort to build more durable bodies, in fact, we spend more time on that stuff than we do on our running with most of our team. We emphasize the importance of recovery: sleep, nutrition, and very easy recovery runs. We do non-impact cross training on ElliptiGos for kids who can't run mileage or who have developed the beginning of an injury, or just as a nice break from running for a day or two. Don't have a convenient pool so deep water running is an option only if the kid can get to a pool on their own, but we have had a few who have made that happen.
Definitely don't agree that 'quality' trumps 'quantity'. Too much 'quality' leads to injury and burnout, whereas more easy mileage and fewer hard workouts leads to growth and development over time. Guess I did drink that kool-aid since I observed that it worked, at least here at our school. Most of our kids love running, many want to run at the next level, and are still running after they graduate, even the ones who don't go on to run in college. To me, that is success, growing life-long runners (hopefully, a bit early to know yet.)
I guess I should apologize for JUST being a high school coach who isn't a rocket scientist? You sound like you think high school coaches are somehow an inferior class of coaches. But I'd argue that a successful HS coach has probably developed their skills a bit more than the college coach who has never worked with developmental athletes. We have a much wider range of athletes we have to figure out how to develop. Hope that doesn't offend any college coaches. I know a few who might agree with me.