Trying to stay afloat
I’m not sure what is the most stressful thing in my life:
Moving.
Selling house.
Daughters (both!) are graduating.
Track Season.
I would say Track Season. I think after five years of being head coach that a few things make sense. It’s all Power Laws, first and foremost. I can bring 100 kids to a meet, but only a few score. And, those are also the kids that never miss practice, meetings, due dates and all the rest. Having a dozen kids in the track program would be as invigorating as a hundred. And, easier on the mind. The more I coach, the more respect I have for myself as an athlete. It is amazing to think that years ago I was “in the dumps” from throwing in the 160s. I would every meet that I coach at now with my worst days “back in the day.” Not trying to go all Bruce Springsteen “Glory Days” on you all, but it is funny to think that mediocre stresses me out! I get a lot of joy out of watching a kid develop himself over a four year span. Practically every kid I know can make all-state in track in Utah in something. Seriously. It just takes the effort.
Ah, I’m just rambling. I think the point is important: success is an inside job. I can only do so much for you and you can only do so much for me. You gotta spend the hours alone mastering the craft. And then…people will tell you how “easy” you make it look.
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Dan John
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April 20, 2010
Its amazing how that works. I tell my kids all the time that it’s up to them. I have one that is getting it right now. He will be a double state champ this year.
April 21, 2010
Your next job will be working with beach bums. Who knew?
April 21, 2010
As a 25+yr coaching veteran I came to realize that what we as coaches have our players do in practice is just the minimum…it is what the athlete does on his/her own that makes the difference….the athlete who can get themselves out of bed and go workout on their own is the athlete that typically is the state champion.
April 21, 2010
Jan Desoto and I wonder about this too. The Top 10 list in the Shot (in the North Coast / Santa Rosa region) used to require a 50′ throw back in the early 70s. Now maybe 1 or 2 kids a year exceed that and the population has at least tripled. My league record from 1973 still stands! WE used to climb the barbed wire fence to go throw the discus in the middle of the summer…..because it was fun! (Not the climbing…the throwing)
April 22, 2010
an article in our local paper talks of the lack of throwers. “is the shot kaput” was the title. sugar coat saying what you all have said.
April 23, 2010
Honestly, when I was working w. HS swimming teams, it was PAINFUL to watch sometimes – especially when I would see some athletes get WORSE from year to year as their poor technique went unaddressed because they achieved a measure of success as underclassmen (i.e. they “went to state”) and the injuries started to accumulate…
I think I could do a better job of helping now, but there’s only so much you can do w. 2 hours/week dryland vs. the other 10+ hours in the water… sometimes it just ended up being damage control.