One of the pillars of my Cross Country team’s training is a weekly conditioning workout that incorporates everything from plyometrics to gymnastics to bleachers to holds. And the are brutal. These are the workouts that set us apart from the other sports at my school. It is these workouts that have made other students, teachers, and coaches take notice. They are the reason we are respected as a sport. And the runners have a love-hate relationship with them. These workouts hurt. They require mental toughness. They turn boys into men. They are the reason I am called ‘mean’, ‘cruel,’ and ‘sadistic.’ New runners think I’m crazy, but it doesn’t take long for them to see their value. These are the days that teach a kid how strong he really is, how much he can endure; these are the workouts that bring confidence.
My veteran runners have caught on to this and are now asking to design one of our workouts, which they submit to me for approval. And though their workouts might not hit the right muscle groups in the right order for that day or may be too long; I have to say I’m impressed. I realized today, my coaching is teaching kids how to coach themselves. I’ve promised them we will do their workouts at some point this season. The kids loved writing a workout and I’m not surprised. This is one of my favorite coaching tasks. I get to be creative, use problem solving, address certain weaknesses. I get a sense of accomplishment when a design goes according to plan. I love the challenge of it. And I can honestly say our weekly conditioning is one of the main reasons we are undefeated so far this season.
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