This is typical. I don’t know if it’s worth fighting anymore. If you find a youth coach who follows CF type methods then you are a lucky one and have found the minority.
“She actually exceeded my expectations in terms of where she placed among the other competitors.”
I’m no expert, but one of the first things I learned with my young daughter about track is that where “she placed” is not important. What is important, how did she run compared to her PR (Personal Record) her PR and not that of others is the only thing important. As for my daughter, yes, she loves to win, but what is most important is how she ran, what she did right, what can be improved…it’s like a race with yourself, and the others around you are only props to give you an extra push.
When my daughter races, if/when she gets 1st, yes, she is very happy, but, in any race, if she can beat or match her PR, whether she got 1st or not, we REALLY get excited!
At this point, neither of you have really much idea of her potential…like others have said, just go with it, let her learn and enjoy.
I have a 13 year old daughter, and we both had to learn to slow down, and just do it as you can, and if it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.
Just my 2 cents…
I wish your daughter the very best, you both will have a great time with this…who knows, next year track may be her favorite sport!
Rick
Thanks. The reason I said where she placed was because she has no times (even in practice) and I kind of thought her times might actually be a little better than they were. Now she has times and can focus on that.
Is it necessary to run track at all? This coach sounds like injuries and slowness waiting to happen. Special endurance and even speed endurance aren’t needed for softball, which is her primary goal, right?
I enjoyed Speed Trap a lot. I know how important recovery is but I was a little surprised to see the emphasis that was placed on massage. I’ve been fortunate enough to find a chiropractor in our area that is also certified in ART. She says that she feels a tremendous difference immediately after treatment. Too bad we can’t have him come along to meets.
I would confirm if the coaches “hard” and “easy” days are the same as Charlie’s “Hi/Lo” approach. Sounds like these coaches may equate harder with longer distances.
20 years ago I would have agreed with you, PR/PB(personal best).
if a pb is achieved every second time she runs it may take 4 or 5 years before she will finish before the gun goes off.
It is physically impossible so my suggestion is to enjoy for the sake of enjoying.
From what I was told today should have been a hard day. It consisted of 2 minutes of continuous jumping on to a 14" mat, mountain climbers, 50 bodyweight squats, planks, standing with one foot on a mat while cycling the other, and doing a few sets of bounds over a 60 foot distance Lasted just about an hour.
Well, she likes to compete and stay busy. I’d like her to have something to do after school. She made the observation that her only teammate on both track and softball was faster than her at the beginning of the last softball season during conditioning sprints. Her teammate had run track immediately before the softball season while my daughter had played basketball. Three weeks into the softball season she was faster than her teammate.
Well, she likes to compete and stay busy. I’d like her to have something to do after school. She made the observation that her only teammate on both track and softball was faster than her at the beginning of the last softball season during conditioning sprints. Her teammate had run track immediately before the softball season while my daughter had played basketball. Three weeks into the softball season she was faster than her teammate.
I’m not being disrespectfull or anything like that, but I have no idea what you just said or meant?
I would appreciate if you don’t mind rephrasing?
Thank you…
Rick
No sprinting? No running? I think her coaches need to be directed to this site and Charlie’s resources.
I’d really like to do that but don’t think it would be received too well. Not too sure about how this experience is going to be for my daughter.
I’m not Stilljd, but, i read it as:-
If she keeps improving in every 2nd or 3rd race, eventually, after 4-5yrs of doing so - she will finish before the Gun even goes off.
What he is saying - PB come and go - if all you are chasing is PB - one day they will run out, and the only way to run a PB is beat the GUN…
Or reduce the amount of PB’s being achieved, which means, if you only LOVE pb’s, you’ll no longer Love the sport.
That is how i read it 
Well said…
Please read my post again, as you are condensing it into something I didn’t say, or mean…it’s context with the post answered is not considered…and it’s like you only read a sentence if it.
Rick
Didn’t mean to offend you.
Of course not offended…I just think you misunderstood what I said or meant.
Rick
Rick,
In the position I am in I get up to a 1,000 kids a competition call into the Kings Sport Store, some of those kids are really disappointed because they do not beat their pb, those that do have a smile that is better than a medal. To those that are disappointed I usually say “If you beat your pb every time you run pretty soon you will finish before the gun goes off”. I usually go on to say that I hope the kid that won thanked you for being in the race because without you and all those other kids that didn’t win they would be there on their own and it’s not much fun racing no one. If you come back next time I will put your photo in the front window.
pb’s and records happen, if you are not in it you will do neither, just remember to thank everyone in the race because one day you may be the one in front and it will be pretty sad if you run on your own.
I understand…
And much of what you said is the same as the meaning of my post, thank you for your explaination and inspiration.