where would you send you child for track

[Rich Hoffman]

And probably after Wooden didn't make it to the championship game for a 2nd straight year, he'd be gone too. I seriously believe, and I rant to friends about this all the time, we have lost perspective. If the only reason we play the game or run the race is to win, and if we lose sight of the true functions of these endeavors, then what do we have left when we do lose? In my view, not much.

Josh - I like your concept, and it is essentially what I like to do too. If I'm reaching them during the week, and doing a good job, then they will be able to pull it off on meet day. it starts to give them some autonomy and some responsibility, which will hopefully transfer into other areas of their life. I tell the parents and others, 'I just try to get them to the meet on time, and the rest is in their hands' . If I'm hovering and fussing, I think it makes for a much more tense group. I've also found that by standing back in the shadows, you start to see your leaders and those who 'got it' or those who have been listening, emerge. It also allows you to see more clearly who needs to work on what things. I have actually gone to meets, when I was coaching college, and purposely made myself scarce and watched from afar. I told them in advance that was my plan, but it was a good learning experience for everyone.

Of course, this has backfired on me, but not on purpose. The year before I got out of the college scene, I was coaching track and field with no assistants. So, at meets I was scrambling from event to event when we had people competing to try and be supportive. I was never at the 'team camp'. At the end of the season on my valuations, one of the athletes complained that I was never around at meets! Of course, I was around, it's just that I was around at 18 different events and not just in 1 spot. Sometimes you just can't win...

[Flatulence]

Rich,thanks for the explanation because as soon as I read "elegant" my immediate thought was that was never going to be me. Josh, the thought of the kids going out and getting it done on their own is something I have always believed. My job is to prepare them - their job is to compete. When working with vaulters - we all know how high strung they can be - they will get all nervous about some situation and ask some questions that they KNOW the answer to and I tell them, " I am not the one on the pole, nor am I the one carrying it down the runway, so what is ti you are doing that is making it different?" Invariably, everyone of them will have the answer, take off and correct it. That is what you are to do in practice - repetition - repetition and repeat the fundamentals incessantly. It does sink in, but the athletes have to think for themselves when in competition and be prepared to react to what it is that is being thrown at them. On game day they must be prepared to be gamers.