The Best Coach Ever.

Over my three years of cross country season, I have had three coaches. The first two were decent; average training plans, moderate motivation. The third was an unexpected gift. He was a two time cross country champion in our state and was obviously a knowledgeable runner. On the first day of practice, he told us, "We are going to win this season. It will take some work, but we will win. Because I don't like losing." At first, some of my teammates were baffled. Our top runners had previously been some very talented girls who were simply unwilling to work hard. But to me, his message was what I desperately needed to hear. Prior to this season, I was the eighth runner both times. I had trained hard this summer, running doubles and fifty mile weeks, so I was not sure how I would live up to his expectations. I surprised myself. I ran a PR almost every meet, even winning two. The secret to this success is all due to my coach. On weekends, he took myself and a few other girls on insane hilly long runs. His expectations for us were high, and he believed in us. He knew what being a champion felt like and was determined to make us champions too. He would follow us around in his car when we ran, telling us where to go and yelling out things like, "Let's go! Bring it in! Run faster! Do you want to be a winner or not?" This was so useful in making sure that we weren't mentally tired. I could always rely on my coach to provide that extra push to finish a workout or run a time I wanted. Perhaps the best thing he told me that I have continued to carry through the indoor and outdoor season is, "Don't set goals. Just run as fast as you can." He taught me that running is all in your attitude. If you are positive and believe that you can, you can. And I did.

- Anonymous