Charlie,
Right now I am facing one of the hardest decisions in my running career. As a member of the Springfield College track team, I have recently won the New England Division III 55 and 200 meter dashes. My personal bests this season have been 6.52 in the 55 and 21.90 (indoors). These accomplishments have been greatly due thaks to CFTS. My coach does not like me doing my own program and has decided to give me the choice of either doing his program or not running for the team. My coach has been coaching here for almost 35 years and has never porduced any great sprinters. His program involves runnning 6 miles on some days 600, 800, and 1000 for the sprinters. It is a long to short porgram going as low as 150s for “speed work”. The next best sprinter on the team runs a second slower than me in the 200 and 2 tenths in the 55. I have been at Springfield for 3 years now and in that time, no sprinter has really improved upon their time besides myself. Have any of you ever experienced this sort of situation and if so, what was the outcome. Thanks.
I think the AD will back the coach. In the institutionalized world of academia, results do NOT speak for themselves, seniority and bureaucratic interia do. Your coach has been there for 35 years, no one will allow a kid to show him up. The administration will see it as a matter of everyone learning their proper place, and in their view the proper place for an athlete is subordinate to the coach. Also keep in mind that you’ll be gone in a year, but the coach will still be there and the AD has to maintain a professional relationship with this guy.
My advice is to go off on your own. You’ve done your bit for your college, more than anyone else, and it’s their fault for not appreciating it. If they do appreciate your accomplishments, then wait for them to ask you back, but don’t hold your breath.
Firstly I would do what Clemson says.
You are probably no win case either way. If the AD (I guess that means Academic Dean) backs coach fine. I had a school teacher who said I didn’t know how to throw in school and 4 years later she came to one of coaching sessions for teachers.
If the AD backs coach you possible have no choice. Sounds like alot of school coaches are similar to yours.
Find somebody at the school or around who understands you and the training methods for support, you will need it.
By the way congratulations on your efforts
Regards
Darren A
AD stands for Athletic Director, they control scheduling and other stuff for all sports at the university or high school. I think u should train on your own! Your coach can’t deny u access to the track, so u will still be able to train and if u still want to compete u could register for local meets.
Vincente you know what you have to do to be successful… “The bringer of new light” Drop the nuke… you know what I am talking about
Everyone who responded,
Thank you for your comments and support. I really appreciate them. I feel like my coach is taking away a lot of things that I have worked for, outdoor nationals and the chance to really put my school’s name (and myself) out there. You see, Springfield College has never produced a sprinter on the National level and I would have been the first (God willing) to do so. Can any of you imagine performing your A skips and B skips, etc… and having someone come up to you and tell you that what you are doing is wrong and that you should flick your foot out to open up you stride, when you know in your heart and knowledge that what you are doing is right? It is so frustrating for me. I have listened diligently to the posts that people have made everyday on this site. I have read Charlie’s books and so many things have worked for me. But to have someone tell you that either you do their program and run slower or leave is devastating. I think every sprinter realizes at some point in his or her career that time is of the essence. We chase it every day we are out there on the track or in the weight room and yet it is always one step ahead. For most of us, we don’t have time to waste. We must be patient with are running but any wasted movement, breath, thought, or action can be deadly in its cost. All of you have given me a great experience and have really helped me take things to the next level. I am going to join a club like the Greater Boston Track Club. My good friend Stanley Egbor runs for them so it wouldn’t be so bad. Or maybe find a good coach who was willing to help me fight battles beyond the horizon. I know that either way i’m ready. Ready to do what we sprinters are born wanting to do…fly.
Well I have posted before I had to leave my coach and it wasnt really that hard of a decision for me. I have always been about improving my time and nothing else. My friend made all-american in division 1 and he keeps his certificate under his dirty underwear in a dusty old draw. Its crinkled and ripped and not important to him. He doesnt care. His goal is to be the fastest sprinter in the world and a certificate of all american means nothing. I recently had to come to this conclusion myself. You have to ask yourself do you want to go to the nationals for divisioin 3 or do you want to be a world class sprinter. Then if you want to run proffessionally on what level. If you want to go to the division 3 nationals you can either transfer or do your coaches program. Most coaches will not let you train on your own while running for their college. In track we have the option of running unattached however. If you can hold out one more year then I would because your times are fast especially for 200m in div. 3. If you want to be a world class sprinter then you have to do what it takes to be a world class sprinter. I suggest reading speed trap. Ben never ran college track!!! Just my thoughts though.
Thanks Timothy for your thoughts. We do think alike. The 21.90 that I ran in the 200 was almost a month ago. I haven’t been able to really run on any fast tracks since then. My coach took away the chance of running at Boston University (fast track) and has also taken away ECAC which is a big meet this weekand. Its sucks because I haven’t gotten a chance to see what I could have done in the 200 indoors this year. I’m just really thankfull to be able to run because I made it this far on my own without any of the resources that the other sprinters on my team have been given. I have just gone out there and trained harder and smarter than any of my competition with the little that I do have.
Vicent why did he take these chances away. Alot of coaches spend their money foolishly then when its time to run meets they dont have enough money to enter their athletes in the meets. The NCAA should pay more attention to this. If I told you what my coach did with the money, I could right a book on it.
Vicent prove your coach wrong this guy seems like he is out to get. Let us know how your training is going. I hope you win the div 3 nationals and shove it in his face. lol. But seriously though. There are alot of people here who could help you. Goodluck.
vincente… are you jason jackson… if so we.ve raced b4 im jason form cortland (3rd last year 100 200 ecac’s)… anyway bro i knwo how u feel… althoguh im not competeing this year because i am recovering form injury i realized everyitng my coach is doin is wrong after reading charlies books. but the thing our new head coach which is the distance coach knows all about charlies methods and agrees with everything… so as of now i am working with him. but i hear you. your coach is stuborn and as you can tell from his athletes performance curves he does not know what hes doing and has not had sucess. if you havent yet noticed many coaches are like that. anyway… just wanted to drop u a line and say whas up and good luck in whatever you decide to do… just remember do what is best for you and no anyone else.
Vincente,
Sounds like a tough situation. I dont think putting the coach on the defensive will work. You need to sit down with him privately and work out a plan that meets your needs and satisfies his ego. Most coaches (hell, all) coaches like to take some credit for their athlete’s accomplishments, so if he knows you dont listen, he will cut you off. It is merely human nature. You need to make him think that his ideas are being considered and he has input. With your accomplishments, it should not be hard to work this problem out. Kill 'em with kindness 