When I first started coaching I was the quintessential know-it-all. I thought I knew everything about track and field. I had some small success coaching the kids at Parkway South Jr High,so naturally I thought I was GOOD. From there do something. I became the consummate student of the sport. I watched countless hours of video,read every book,listened to every great coach and asked endless questions.I thought I was soo good I started my own AAU/USATF team -The RENEGADES-in 1996. When a couple of my kids didnt make the nationals,I became the consumate student. I read every book,watched every video by every great track and field coach. By the time I started coaching high school track in 19998, Mr Know -it-all re-surfaced.I was at Rosati-Kain,Incarnate Word Academy and Webster Groves-and was successful as all get out,the kids and their parents loved me but hatas do come out and play. It wasnt until I arrived at Marquette High School,did I realize that I needed to take my game to the next level and get real serious and professional about my coaching.
The thing that disturbs me now,is all of these Carbon Based life forms out there who know absolutely nada about how to teach/coach track and life lessons,but still keep a position. Sectionals are this week in Missouri,and some CBLF is gonna mess a kids life up. We put our kids at risk, mentally and physically ,letting people like that coach. AD's would NEVER let a unknowledgeable person be the Basketball,Football,Baseball or any team sport coach for that matter,but track -WTH....I know of a school where the head track coach played baseball(and its a college ) I feel every person who coaches this sport should have at the least USATF Level 1 certification( not a guarantee they will be good) and in order to be a head coach should have the USATF certification plus certification from USTFCCCA( which is the much better course...lets call it USATF 1.5). When I took the USTFCCA course a couple of years ago there werent that many coaches from the metro area. The same can be said for attendance at the USATF annual meeting-it was just me and my buddy Hosea.
One of the things that taints this sport is the CBLF,that say" This is how we do things here. We did it like that when we won the state championship in 1980"..........well bubba the times and technology have changed and as Vern Gambetta said" Are you a dinosaur or a cockroach".........and if you dont get what he meant,I already know what you are.......see ya in a couple...ciao
No comments:
Post a Comment