is it just me.....(coaches rant)

[Bernie]

ok, so some of you know i coach both high school track (shot put and discus) and high school football.

i just have one question, is it just me or have high schoolers become less repectful, and less responsible?

ok. so here is the deal. (responsible) I leave it up to the kids, to get our implements to and from meets. they are usually good with it. well yesterday, my girls, no problem. they actually bring two shots, and four disc's. cool. but my knuckleheads....led by Butterfly (will get into my nicknames later).....not so good. first off NO ONE brings any disc's. luckily out opponents coach allowed us to borrow some of their's. ok cool. then the kid who brought the guys shot....WOO HOO someone remembered. well he drove to the meet on his own. and left early......which now that i think of it is a lame excuse, becuase he threw disc too...and that is after shot....great so now he lied to me too......WONDERFUL. well he "left early" so he didnt take it home. and guess what? no one did. so Westview High School has an extra guys shot....and La Costa Canyon is left with....0. thats right. we have no guy's shots. we only had one to start the season, as they lost TWO last year and now we have a track team with no guy's shots. we do have two on order....but i dont know if i want them to touch them except for meet days. im usually a very laid back guy. but i found myself absolutly LIVID today. i sent them home, and then told them not to come back tomorrow either...."see ya guys monday."

well the respect comes in this. ok, a track meet. ok...got it. well they didnt bring food....but they all have money. i swear every last one of these kids has more money then me. its ridiculous. one kid opened his wallett, and he had two hundreds, and a couple of twenties. im like....are you kidding? all drive nicer cars then me.....and this is the high school i graduated from 10 years ago. anyway. literally 200 yards away, there is a Subway, and mexican restaurante. i had at least 20 kids ask if they could go. NO. i tell them no. flat out. as the coaches are fully responsible for the kids until we get back to our school. they are not supposed to leave the track area. well at least half of those kids, decided to ignore me and go anyway. on top of that....it was all of 80 degrees out there. and as we are walking up to the track, Westview has a pool. four or five kids say something about jumping in. i look at them and tell them not to even think about it. 30 min later, two of them come walking down soaking wet. i was heated.

on top of all of this, our best sprinter....did go to the meet....because.....

get this...

He didnt feel like it. he was at school, he was at the school when the buses got back even. but he just didnt want to go to the meet.

what the hell. what is wrong with these kids? and if i make them run, or punnish them in anyway.....guess who gets yelled at by parents, and the athletic director? ME.

when i was in school...it was yes coach, no coach.....yes sir/ma'am, no sir/ma'am. and if a coach told me to do something.....i did it with a smile. or if a coach told me not to do something....the same.

ok, as for the knuckleheads....that is what they are. i think all of them would forget thier brains at home if they where not incased in their heads. and Butterfly. well...i got this one a long time ago. what does a butterfly do? it seemingly wanders around aimlessly, floating here and there. well a Butterfly, is the kid who asks to go to the bathroom and comes back 45mins later. or is throwing one minute, and off talking to the sprinters the next. basically wanders around aimlessly. ugh. sad part is, my Butterfly.....is a 6'3 210 freshman, who is also my best thrower.....double ugh.

i told the kids, i was either gonna shoot myself or become an alcoholic by the end of the year.......im pretty close to the bottle right now....:p

and im the guys who has been drunk a total of 3 times in 28 years of life.

[Shelly]

B

im telling you kids these days have NO RESPECT. the are SPOILED, and are spoon fed...

I know many teachers who say half the time its not the kids, its the parents too.. b. their kids can "do no wrong"

Thats why im scurred to have kids in this society!!!

[Bernie]

the brats at the school i coach at are terrible. i yelled a kid once for screwing around. my head coach had an email the next morning. WTF?

its a scary world out there. our parents where afraid what our geneneration would be like as adults......im sacred fecesless as to what these kids will be like......ugh

[MsGuns]

Just yesterday we had our 4th meet...

Tuesday we had practice after school so field events and hurdles can work on their technique....3 gurls didnt show and didnt tell me they werent coming...

@ 8am Wednesday I asked one of the gurls why didnt she come to practice...she told me she had to go home because her mom was sick...

I was like dont we have a track meet today...she said yes...
So I was like skippin practice to me tells me you dont wanna go...
I asked when did she know she had go home...she told me during athletics...which is from 810 to 948 but she didnt say anything...
I saw her later in the day nothin and I have after school duty near the locker room and she still didnt tell me anything...

So I didnt her on the heat sheets or the sign out sheet..

Why did another coach tell her to get dressed and get on the bus....

Talking about disrespect...Im the freaking 8th grade coach
So when we got to the meet I asked her why she was there she said cause the other coach told her to come....im like wow what the hell am i doing here...the shot had already started and she hurried up and compete b4 i could scratch her...i was soo pissed i went to the coach working the shot and told her do not count her throws...she is not suppose to be here another coach told her to get on the bus when I told her 8am this morning she wasnt going....

Im the new coach and they really treat me like shit...
I cant wait til the season is over...

I ask them to warm up and cool down for their events they look at me crazy...they think its ok to walk around/ no sweats even though they have a track meet...WTF

[MsGuns]

these kids go home and lie on me...

some check out the story....

This gurl told her mom she didnt know why she was failing PE because she always dressed out...I laughed...I said ma'am I have dates of the days you daughter did not dress out....

Parents contact info is not update...I wonder why...

Kids claim they dont know their parents #s...ummm hello what if u have an emergency...lil liars...

I dont know how people retire in education...This is my 7th yr and i am ready to throw in my towel....

[Bernie]

oh yeah...im on the same boat. there was a triple/long jumper, that hadnt been to practice in a week and half. his family went to Hawaii....for no particular reason, during the middle of school......huh....and he got on the bus, and expected to jump yesterday.....

the jumps coach looked at him....and said..."you have got to be kidding me....right?"

though what you are talking about is totaly disrespect.....i cant believe kids. i was spoiled last year. i had two guys who threw shot pretty well, and they each set the school discus record at different times in the season. but they where both seniors...

im only on my second year back. i coached in 99 and 00 at the same school while i was going to JC. and the guy who is the head coach now, knew i could coach throws, i went all through elementary school with his oldest daughter. so i know the coaches, i can speak my mind, and they dont look at me like i am too crazy.......

but the kids this year are killing me. i have 13 guys who throw. 1 senior, 2 juniors, 6 sophomores, and 4 freshman. we are young, yes. but you have got to be kidding me. i only have 5 girl throwers, a senior, two juniors and two sophomores. they are ten times more responsible then the guys.

oh heres another story to tell ya about our kids.

last year at league pre-lims. we had a girl who as a junior and was running the 400...she was a stand starter. she flinched on the first whistle, and went over the line. so she got DQ'd. she threw a fit, and got in the face of the official....and just chewed on him for a good three minutes, before our coach knew what was going on....i was up in the stands......im mean...WTF? who does that? i would have never thought of saying anyting to an official....let alone get in their face......

i do now...but im a coach....HA. almost got tossed from a few football games two years ago. HA

[Bernie]

these kids go home and lie on me...

some check out the story....

This gurl told her mom she didnt know why she was failing PE because she always dressed out...I laughed...I said ma'am I have dates of the days you daughter did not dress out....

Parents contact info is not update...I wonder why...

Kids claim they dont know their parents #s...ummm hello what if u have an emergency...lil liars...

I dont know how people retire in education...This is my 7th yr and i am ready to throw in my towel....


ha...all i do is coach and im going gray at 28....HA.....

kids kill me. i found out the one kid who no showed at the meet. told his dad he went. and then told him he was going to practice today. dad was outside practice looking down at the track...guesss...what? the kids wasnt there.....hopefully he either beats his ass....or at least grounds him......

so they are lying hand over fist to their parents....not wonder they dont respect coaches.

[KP DIVA]

I take my hat of to you and any1 else who works in the school system....i luv kids, but I do not have the patience....it's really sad how bad things have gotten...and what's even worse, is that another coach would tell her to get on the bus. That's been the rule for years.....if you have an unexcused absence, you don't participate....period! You definitely need to let it be known w/ the coach and athletic director...what does that teach the student..that she can do what she wants and is still able to participate.

And then the parents.....don't even get me started on that.

these kids go home and lie on me...

some check out the story....

This gurl told her mom she didnt know why she was failing PE because she always dressed out...I laughed...I said ma'am I have dates of the days you daughter did not dress out....

Parents contact info is not update...I wonder why...

Kids claim they dont know their parents #s...ummm hello what if u have an emergency...lil liars...

I dont know how people retire in education...This is my 7th yr and i am ready to throw in my towel....

[ibarramedia]

Bernie and Ms.Guns i know you guys were venting and rightfully so. However, I think total communication goes to the head coach. He should set the tone and everyone should follow. Each generation, it seems like kids have no respect for authority and others. From the very beginning Discilpline and accountability should be established. With regard to equipment, I have the equipment staff and student managers take care of that. If i was the head coach in ANY sport, I will tell the players that they have to follow the other coaches and if they have any issues to come to me. My policy is also if you don't practice, then you don't play. With exceptions to other individual circumstances that will ultimately be decided by me.

I tell my guys we are a team and we will act as one. Anyone opposed can quit or will be cut. I don't hesitate in cutting people if I think it will be a detriment to the whole team. I really have no tolerance for insubordination. at the beginning of each season, I will hand out and athlete's code of conduct and expectations. This will be read and signed by the student and parent. I will hold the athletes accountable if they fail to live up to expectations set forth. This is not just for the goodness and solidarity of the team. This is also future training for them to become productive members of society. I also insist that we all ride together in games. None of this randonly showing up and then leaving stuff.

As far as participation goes, if they don't want to compete and are uninjured or not in academic trouble, then they forfeit a spot in the team. they will be replaced and cut. By establishing discipline early and setting the expectations as athletes representing the school, it lets them know that it is a priviledge to do so. Win and bring honor and glory to the school and your teammates as well as yourself.

Another thing that is not often done is listening. Now I in no way shape or form say that you guys don't listen to the athletes. i'm merely stating that whether it is in coaching,teaching,at work, etc,etc... It is sometimes a one sided situation. "Do what i say and it will work" and sometimes disregarding what the other person or party may have to say. It is still good to listen to what one has to say before dismissing it. Being organized, being disciplined and having the athletes accountable does not have to be as draconian as it sounds. I won't be like Coach Tom coughlin who will fine players for not being 5 minutes early to a meeting, I won't intimidate or play mind games like coach Parcells. I try to pattern my style like that of Coach Joe Gibbs who respected his players, demanded total commitment to the team and practices and games. A very nice guy but not a push over. And organizationally like Coach Bill Walsh. That is my take on how I would do things. I don't have all the answers or the solutions. Each of your probably have unique situations within your own organizations. My brother and I helped out briefly after high school. My 2 sisters were successful high school volleyball coaches for a good number of years almost 10 years. And they did fine. I hope this helps. It was not my intention to preach to the choir or sell my system. Just an opinion and maybe a few ideas to help.

[Bernie]

Bernie and Ms.Guns i know you guys were venting and rightfully so. However, I think total communication goes to the head coach. He should set the tone and everyone should follow. Each generation, it seems like kids have no respect for authority and others. From the very beginning Discilpline and accountability should be established. With regard to equipment, I have the equipment staff and student managers take care of that. If i was the head coach in ANY sport, I will tell the players that they have to follow the other coaches and if they have any issues to come to me. My policy is also if you don't practice, then you don't play. With exceptions to other individual circumstances that will ultimately be decided by me.

it would be nice if i had and an equipment staff that traveled with us....and would be nice if we had a student manager. but we have neither. so it up o the kids to get shots and disc's to meets. for football we can do that to a point. they are still responsible for bringing their own equipment. i had a kid forget his shoulder pads on an away game....guess what? he didnt play.

as far as missing practices and stuff...that is our rule. but not all the coaches follow it. some of our coaches are afraid of parents. my school has been in existance for 11 years, and has had 6 head track coaches. you piss off parents there, and you get rolled. its that simple.

I tell my guys we are a team and we will act as one. Anyone opposed can quit or will be cut. I don't hesitate in cutting people if I think it will be a detriment to the whole team. I really have no tolerance for insubordination. at the beginning of each season, I will hand out and athlete's code of conduct and expectations. This will be read and signed by the student and parent. I will hold the athletes accountable if they fail to live up to expectations set forth. This is not just for the goodness and solidarity of the team. This is also future training for them to become productive members of society. I also insist that we all ride together in games. None of this randonly showing up and then leaving stuff.

we have a code of conduct, for both football and track.....but those are only good if the head coach actually enforces them on all the kids.....and they dont. and at our school....we cant force them to ride the bus if they have a car. there is an $100 tranporation fee. if they cant pay it, we cant force them to. and if they dont pay it, they cant get on the bus.

[QOUTE]As far as participation goes, if they don't want to compete and are uninjured or not in academic trouble, then they forfeit a spot in the team. they will be replaced and cut. By establishing discipline early and setting the expectations as athletes representing the school, it lets them know that it is a priviledge to do so. Win and bring honor and glory to the school and your teammates as well as yourself.[/QUOTE]

once again good......if te head coach actually enforces it. it is a rule, but i have never seen it enacted. i bet they just dont let the kid run next week. and that will be all they will do.

Another thing that is not often done is listening. Now I in no way shape or form say that you guys don't listen to the athletes. i'm merely stating that whether it is in coaching,teaching,at work, etc,etc... It is sometimes a one sided situation. "Do what i say and it will work" and sometimes disregarding what the other person or party may have to say. It is still good to listen to what one has to say before dismissing it. Being organized, being disciplined and having the athletes accountable does not have to be as draconian as it sounds. I won't be like Coach Tom coughlin who will fine players for not being 5 minutes early to a meeting, I won't intimidate or play mind games like coach Parcells. I try to pattern my style like that of Coach Joe Gibbs who respected his players, demanded total commitment to the team and practices and games. A very nice guy but not a push over. And organizationally like Coach Bill Walsh. That is my take on how I would do things. I don't have all the answers or the solutions. Each of your probably have unique situations within your own organizations. My brother and I helped out briefly after high school. My 2 sisters were successful high school volleyball coaches for a good number of years almost 10 years. And they did fine. I hope this helps. It was not my intention to preach to the choir or sell my system. Just an opinion and maybe a few ideas to help.

i was a JV head football coach for one season a few years back, i have been a position coach all the other years i ahve coached. trust me, i listen. heck, when i was running our offense, i would let the QB call plays from time to time. so see if he could come up with something that worked. plus the one i had was heady enough that he understood the flow of the game. but they also need to know who is in charge.

i always listen to my kids. i may not always agree with them, i may not always like what they have to say. but i will listen.

[MsGuns]

I am the head coach but I am also the NEW coach and they dont think they have to listen to me. Also, the other coaches dont enforce the skip practice rule or anything. We even have a policy if you quit one sport you cant do the next- the 7th grade coach allowed 2 gurls run track after they quit the basketball team.

I had to stand over them today after they jogged a warm up lap. After 1 min of talking they said they were ready...no drills no stretching. They did this after I told them you guys need to warm up- jog a lap, do your drills and stretch.

[Bernie]

oh and what i didnt mention....

yesterday when i was at practice. ugh....

ok. so there was a girls lacrosse game. when they play we cannot throw disc. as our sector bisects the girls lacrosse field. so i tell the kids that if they hear there is a home game, to get down there asap and start throwing. so, ok, the get down there, and are throwing when i get to practice.

practice is supposed to be 2:45-4:45/5. so we have to be off disc by like 3:30....so that is when the kids headed over to shot.

when i get over there. and found out they forgot the shot. i told them all to go home. i wasnt too happy. i start walking aways, and i heard them bickering. so i turned around and said, "are you all deaf? go home." i walk a few more steps.....they are still fighting over whos responsibility it is to bring back the shot. and i hear my senior girl yelling at one of my guys. i stop. turn around. "you know what guys....go home. when you are all coaches you can fight over this crap. and you know what......dont come back tomorrow. see you all monday."

i just didnt feel like dealing with them today, so i told them not to come to practice. if i did show up, i have a feeling they all would have been running til i got tired of watching them......

i have done that football before. but that was another story.

[ibarramedia]

oh and what i didnt mention....

yesterday when i was at practice. ugh....

ok. so there was a girls lacrosse game. when they play we cannot throw disc. as our sector bisects the girls lacrosse field. so i tell the kids that if they hear there is a home game, to get down there asap and start throwing. so, ok, the get down there, and are throwing when i get to practice.

practice is supposed to be 2:45-4:45/5. so we have to be off disc by like 3:30....so that is when the kids headed over to shot.

when i get over there. and found out they forgot the shot. i told them all to go home. i wasnt too happy. i start walking aways, and i heard them bickering. so i turned around and said, "are you all deaf? go home." i walk a few more steps.....they are still fighting over whos responsibility it is to bring back the shot. and i hear my senior girl yelling at one of my guys. i stop. turn around. "you know what guys....go home. when you are all coaches you can fight over this crap. and you know what......dont come back tomorrow. see you all monday."

i just didnt feel like dealing with them today, so i told them not to come to practice. if i did show up, i have a feeling they all would have been running til i got tired of watching them......

i have done that football before. but that was another story.

Since you guys don't have equipment managers and such, do you have a checklist of who is supposed to bring what? If there isn't any. Making a checklist would help get organized and give someone ownership of a task. I really don't know what to say. i'm not privy to the day to the day to day ,year by year operation you guys have there. And I'm only reading on side of the story. And From what i've read, i'll chalk it up to a bad day.

I might have had to have individual conversations with these people. I would be stern but not raise my voice there as it might make them defensive and argumentative. From what I've read , you were angry and frustrated. I don't know if it will work if i made them run 10 miles as punishment. That's just me. I would not send them home early instead i'll subject them to a brutal training camp like scenario. Good thing you guys vented and I'm here to listen. Good luck to you guys.

[Bernie]

i was upset, but perfectly calm towards them at first. told them to go home. they started bickering amoungst themselves....thats when i started getting pissed. after telling them to leave a second time, and they where still there fighting with each other, is when i got really pissed and told them to go home and not come back til monday.

oh and on the first thing. this school has NEVER had equipment managers for track. and we have never ever really had a problem with transporting equipment.

we lost one shot last year, and i have no clue how. i, myself locked up three shots on a friday, and when we got back to school on monday there was only two. then we locked two up at the end of the season, and when we came back this year there was only one. i have coached track at this school four years. 99 and 00 then last year and this. and this is the first time we have left anything anywhere. one kid takes the stuff tuesday after practice, then brings it back on thursday. for some reason, the kid responsible for disc's didnt take them tuesday, and the kid responsible for bringing the shot home didnt. its a lack of respect for the school property, and a lack of responsibility. plain and simple.

and making them run as punnishment is almost never the answer. it makes them hate you. good coaches have the respect of their athletes, not fear or hate. you send them home, take away practice they know they need, and they generally come back with better atitudes. with these kids......that is what i am praying for. but im expecting them not to learn the lesson at all. they are all spoiled brats.

football players...you can run them to the ground and if they want to get better, they will keep going, and keep coming. it almost hurts worse to get kicked off the field....i know, i have had it happen to me as a player. it works. as far as track kids....at least throwers.....running them doesnt work. most if not all of the kids i have are the lazy kids, that are out there becuase it looks good on a high school transcript when applying for college. its that simple. i know who i have, i know what i have to work with. and its trying. i have said many times to my other coaches, this year i will really be earning my money. i have to find ways to motivate these kids, to want to get better......trust me....this season is taking every ounce of coaching ablility i have......and we have only had three meets so far........

[MsGuns]

ha....talking to them quietly doesnt help because their teammates egg them on afterwards...

one gurl told me yesterday im getting mad for no reason...
so its ok to go to practice and not warm up, do drills and stretch?
so its ok for me to repeat myself several times (more than 3) to a bunch of 8th graders?
so its ok to ignore the coach and do what you like?

i mean come on who wouldnt be mad, frustrated at that point.

i am so done w/ them...district is on monday and i am not giving anymore directives...obviously they know more than thier coach who was ranked #2 in the nation my senior yr in HS, who had a full scholarship to the U of Houston, who was coached by the same coaches who coached Carl Lewis and who was a 6 time All American.

Ive set expectations all season...this is very frustrating.

[Bernie]

im only half way through the season......and i cant wait for it to be over.

[MsGuns]

Im am glad its almost over...
I have 2 gurls who got hurt Wednesday night...do you think they been to the doc...as of Friday no and prelims is monday and one gurl is in 5 events...3 relays and 2 field...the other one is in 3 running events...neither one of them hasnt placed lower than 3rd in all 4 meets...w/out them we wont be top 5...the last 3 meets we have gotten 2nd...wednesday we finally won and that was a good indication how we were going to perform at district...all I ask is for them to do their part...but that too much according to them...I cant wait til they get to HS and see how things are...they think im mean and strict wow...

im only half way through the season......and i cant wait for it to be over.

[anglicanbeachparty]

Well, here is a short post, thanking all who work so hard at a thankless task like coaching kids at Track & Field.

It is ironic to me that my father was a track coach for years, and so was my father-in-law ... I had everything at my disposal to be one of the greats in this sport ... except for a total (and I do mean total) lack of all talent!

Fortunately, both our kids are adopted, and so did not inherit my lousy genetics for the sport. Below is a short video of my son Eliot winning a 100m heat race last year (he was in 7th Grade). That's my wife yelling his name on the audio track.

But I think the real sprinting talent will be seen next year when my daughter hits the 6th Grade. I don't know much about how to judge what event a young athlete will excel at, based on how they are physically built, but I have to think that Eliot will eventually be moved over to the throwing events sometime in high school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvDc2bL6PXQ



Anyhow, thanks to all you Coaches!

[anglicanbeachparty]

Well, here is a short post, thanking all who work so hard at a thankless task like coaching kids at Track & Field.

It is ironic to me that my father was a track coach for years, and so was my father-in-law ... I had everything at my disposal to be one of the greats in this sport ... except for a total (and I do mean total) lack of all talent!

Fortunately, both our kids are adopted, and so did not inherit my lousy genetics for the sport. Below is a short video of my son Eliot winning a 100m heat race last year (he was in 7th Grade). That's my wife yelling his name on the audio track.

But I think the real sprinting talent will be seen next year when my daughter hits the 6th Grade. I don't know much about how to judge what event a young athlete will excel at, based on how they are physically built, but I have to think that Eliot will eventually be moved over to the throwing events sometime in high school.

Link to video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvDc2bL6PXQ)


Anyhow, thanks to all you Coaches!

[MsGuns]

Eliot was running...I luv his stride...Dad you never know...does he like running...has he tried the 400m, 800m or the mile?

Your wife sounds like how my mom sounded every track meet in HS...lol

My freshman yr in HS I beat a senior on my team and I was in amazement while on the track at the finish line...my mom on the other hand was screamin like she won the lottery...lol


Well, here is a short post, thanking all who work so hard at a thankless task like coaching kids at Track & Field.

It is ironic to me that my father was a track coach for years, and so was my father-in-law ... I had everything at my disposal to be one of the greats in this sport ... except for a total (and I do mean total) lack of all talent!

Fortunately, both our kids are adopted, and so did not inherit my lousy genetics for the sport. Below is a short video of my son Eliot winning a 100m heat race last year (he was in 7th Grade). That's my wife yelling his name on the audio track.

But I think the real sprinting talent will be seen next year when my daughter hits the 6th Grade. I don't know much about how to judge what event a young athlete will excel at, based on how they are physically built, but I have to think that Eliot will eventually be moved over to the throwing events sometime in high school.

Link to video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvDc2bL6PXQ)


Anyhow, thanks to all you Coaches!

[anglicanbeachparty]

Eliot was running...I luv his stride...Dad you never know...does he like running...has he tried the 400m, 800m or the mile?

Not so far. He doesn't like to go more than 200m. I think he could do it, but he thinks it is too much work. We'll see - for now, I'm just glad to see him involved in it, and having fun!

[MsGuns]

I waited ONE hr for a parent to pick up their child...I 915 the boy coaches told me to go hm since they had a lot of boys to wait on....

I wanted to post this yesterday...

All 3 relays made it back to the finals...
4x100 is ranked 2nd- a sleeper got us yesterday...
4x200 is ranked 3rd...1st 3 meet never got a time...always DQed..out of the zone or dropped the baton...
My 400m gurl (my race) is ranked 2nd...its going to be a good race 2morrow..TOP 5 range from 61-65...
100m hurdle gurl could go faster if she didnt run w/ her arms across her body...
800m runner is going into the meet in 6th...

Field events stunk it up 2day...
1 out of the 6 shot and discus place and it was a surprising 1st
My triple and long jumper placed I believe...


Im am glad its almost over...
I have 2 gurls who got hurt Wednesday night...do you think they been to the doc...as of Friday no and prelims is monday and one gurl is in 5 events...3 relays and 2 field...the other one is in 3 running events...neither one of them hasnt placed lower than 3rd in all 4 meets...w/out them we wont be top 5...the last 3 meets we have gotten 2nd...wednesday we finally won and that was a good indication how we were going to perform at district...all I ask is for them to do their part...but that too much according to them...I cant wait til they get to HS and see how things are...they think im mean and strict wow...

[MsGuns]

MS is the time for them to explore...
My fast 100/200 gurl didnt make it to the finals 2morrow because she gives up when she is getting beat but she WON the shot put day...go figure...

Not so far. He doesn't like to go more than 200m. I think he could do it, but he thinks it is too much work. We'll see - for now, I'm just glad to see him involved in it, and having fun!

[Bernie]

Well, here is a short post, thanking all who work so hard at a thankless task like coaching kids at Track & Field.

It is ironic to me that my father was a track coach for years, and so was my father-in-law ... I had everything at my disposal to be one of the greats in this sport ... except for a total (and I do mean total) lack of all talent!

Fortunately, both our kids are adopted, and so did not inherit my lousy genetics for the sport. Below is a short video of my son Eliot winning a 100m heat race last year (he was in 7th Grade). That's my wife yelling his name on the audio track.

But I think the real sprinting talent will be seen next year when my daughter hits the 6th Grade. I don't know much about how to judge what event a young athlete will excel at, based on how they are physically built, but I have to think that Eliot will eventually be moved over to the throwing events sometime in high school.

Link to video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvDc2bL6PXQ)


Anyhow, thanks to all you Coaches!

thank you...first off...

and he looks like he does have a good stride....but he does look like he has the perfect build to be a discus thrower....what i would give for someone built like that.....

[Bernie]

I waited ONE hr for a parent to pick up their child...I 915 the boy coaches told me to go hm since they had a lot of boys to wait on....

I wanted to post this yesterday...

All 3 relays made it back to the finals...
4x100 is ranked 2nd- a sleeper got us yesterday...
4x200 is ranked 3rd...1st 3 meet never got a time...always DQed..out of the zone or dropped the baton...
My 400m gurl (my race) is ranked 2nd...its going to be a good race 2morrow..TOP 5 range from 61-65...
100m hurdle gurl could go faster if she didnt run w/ her arms across her body...
800m runner is going into the meet in 6th...

Field events stunk it up 2day...
1 out of the 6 shot and discus place and it was a surprising 1st
My triple and long jumper placed I believe...

been there on waiting for the parents. I HATE THAT.

what i hate worse....is the bus turnaround at our school is super narrow...and parents think it is ok to park in it. so when we get back to the school. the buses cant park half the time.....it annoys the hell out of me.

and congrats. sounds like your kids kicked some booty. and to my joy...i was told some random girl picked up a disc on friday....the day i told my kids not to show......one of them did. but anyway.....she picked up a girls disc and threw it just as far as all but one of my varsity throwers. and the girl is a freshman. thing is...she long, and triple jumps. does the 200 and is on the 4x400...so guess who doesnt get her?

that would be me

[MsGuns]

Im like its 830 @ night u havent seen ur child since 7 sumthin this mornin...

Thx....Im only taking people who made it to the finals...so many of them wont be getting on my nerves...the 4x100 is the 1st race and Im nervous 2night...lol

Man...I luv the versitile kids but then sumtimes I wish they werent so damn talent on and off the court, track, field and in and out of the class room...

been there on waiting for the parents. I HATE THAT.

what i hate worse....is the bus turnaround at our school is super narrow...and parents think it is ok to park in it. so when we get back to the school. the buses cant park half the time.....it annoys the hell out of me.

and congrats. sounds like your kids kicked some booty. and to my joy...i was told some random girl picked up a disc on friday....the day i told my kids not to show......one of them did. but anyway.....she picked up a girls disc and threw it just as far as all but one of my varsity throwers. and the girl is a freshman. thing is...she long, and triple jumps. does the 200 and is on the 4x400...so guess who doesnt get her?

that would be me

[anglicanbeachparty]

thank you...first off...

and he looks like he does have a good stride....but he does look like he has the perfect build to be a discus thrower....what i would give for someone built like that.....

Thanks ... he is a pretty big kid. But, then, they are making 8th Graders larger than they used to!

He is right around 6 feet, 170 pounds now. With a huge "wingspan".

From my informal observation, it seems like our middle school coaches reserve the throwing events for the overweight kids.

One really cool thing about the program here is how many girls come out for track ... a lot! I tend to think that having girls present makes the Middle School boys work a bit harder than they otherwise would.

[ibarramedia]

Thanks ... he is a pretty big kid. But, then, they are making 8th Graders larger than they used to!


From my informal observation, it seems like our middle school coaches reserve the throwing events for the overweight kids.

One really cool thing about the program here is how many girls come out for track ... a lot! I tend to think that having girls present makes the Middle School boys work a bit harder than they otherwise would.


I guess the coaches stereotype the overweight kids as better and stronger throwers..... And Yes having girls around does make the boys work harder than they otherwise would because of bragging purposes or pride. When i was younger, i was always focused and intense but when the girls were out, especially the very attractive ones, I-we all stepped it up a notch with playoff like intensity to they would notice us. Sometimes to the point of almost hurting ourselves. I know, all for the wrong reasons, but we were young....

[anglicanbeachparty]

Well, you know, first of all, there is just the simple joy of attending a track meet (haha ... I mean as a spectator, not if you have to coach or run). The weather was a bit cooler than I would wish, but nice when the sun broke through.

The man from A.T.O.M (http://atomofficials.com/1.html). who ran the meet was the same guy from last year, and did a very efficient job.

Eliot's new coaches this year are not the same husband-and-wife team from last year, but instead it is the Middle School football coaches who are coaching track as well.

Holy cow, our school's turnout for track is huge! Sometimes, there had to be a 2nd and 3rd heat for some of the events, and both of those heats were filled with all runners from Eliot's school. Just roughly, it seemed like his school had 80 athletes, at least half girls, while the other school (I felt sorry for them) had about 15 kids. They didn't even have any kids running in some of the events.

When they have more kids than are allowed to run for points, the "extra" kids go into Exhibition (non-points) heats ... is that typical? Anyhow, Eliot was scheduled to run the 400m for points and the 100m Exhibition. But, somehow, they lined him up for the Points race in the 100m, and it was a good thing, because he finished 2nd overall (to another guy on his team). This other runner has the oddest running style I've seen, I think. I wanted to take a video of this boy running, because it is hard to describe, but the batteries on my video camera were dead. He runs with his arms stiff and almost fully extended. I guess he must be doing something right, because he won. Question for coaches: When a kid has this sort of oddball style, do you try to coach them out of it, or just let them do what they're doing, if they are fast?

When the 400m came around, I predicted to my wife what Eliot's time would be, and I was within 2 seconds. I'm not gonna embarrass him by posting it here, but I'll just say that I think I can equal that time, and I'm a slug. Still, he beat about half the kids in the heat, and it's early in the year ... plus, he missed the first week of practice with bronchitis.

After the 400m, Eliot was sad that he had no more events to run, so he asked the coach whether he could run the 200m, as Exhibition. As it turned out, there were not enough athletes to necessitate an Exhibition heat, so they let him run in the Points heat, and he finished 3rd (behind 1 runner from his school and 1 runner from the other school).

If you could see my son at home, and how loathe he is to stop playing games on his playstation, or how he sits for hours with his laptop, you can guess how happy it makes me to see him not only enjoy track so much, but to actually beg to be in an extra race. Thanks to all coaches for making this possible!

And another cool thing is that he has more friends on the track team than in his classes. What I mean is that he is more popular on the team than in the classroom.

[MsGuns]

WOW CONGRATS to Eliot!!!!!

At our track meets we have several heats but they are all scoring heats...the 1st heat is normally the fastest. Ive never heard of exhibition...what state is this?

Sounds like Eliot had a good day!!!

What's A.T.O.M?

I work on form but some athletes think they know what they are doing and because they are fast they really dont need to change...oh ok...smile

Eliot is a go getter...he will go far in life.

Well, you know, first of all, there is just the simple joy of attending a track meet (haha ... I mean as a spectator, not if you have to coach or run). The weather was a bit cooler than I would wish, but nice when the sun broke through.

The man from A.T.O.M (http://atomofficials.com/1.html). who ran the meet was the same guy from last year, and did a very efficient job.

Eliot's new coaches this year are not the same husband-and-wife team from last year, but instead it is the Middle School football coaches who are coaching track as well.

Holy cow, our school's turnout for track is huge! Sometimes, there had to be a 2nd and 3rd heat for some of the events, and both of those heats were filled with all runners from Eliot's school. Just roughly, it seemed like his school had 80 athletes, at least half girls, while the other school (I felt sorry for them) had about 15 kids. They didn't even have any kids running in some of the events.

When they have more kids than are allowed to run for points, the "extra" kids go into Exhibition (non-points) heats ... is that typical? Anyhow, Eliot was scheduled to run the 400m for points and the 100m Exhibition. But, somehow, they lined him up for the Points race in the 100m, and it was a good thing, because he finished 2nd overall (to another guy on his team). This other runner has the oddest running style I've seen, I think. I wanted to take a video of this boy running, because it is hard to describe, but the batteries on my video camera were dead. He runs with his arms stiff and almost fully extended. I guess he must be doing something right, because he won. Question for coaches: When a kid has this sort of oddball style, do you try to coach them out of it, or just let them do what they're doing, if they are fast?

When the 400m came around, I predicted to my wife what Eliot's time would be, and I was within 2 seconds. I'm not gonna embarrass him by posting it here, but I'll just say that I think I can equal that time, and I'm a slug. Still, he beat about half the kids in the heat, and it's early in the year ... plus, he missed the first week of practice with bronchitis.

After the 400m, Eliot was sad that he had no more events to run, so he asked the coach whether he could run the 200m, as Exhibition. As it turned out, there were not enough athletes to necessitate an Exhibition heat, so they let him run in the Points heat, and he finished 3rd (behind 1 runner from his school and 1 runner from the other school).

If you could see my son at home, and how loathe he is to stop playing games on his playstation, or how he sits for hours with his laptop, you can guess how happy it makes me to see him not only enjoy track so much, but to actually beg to be in an extra race. Thanks to all coaches for making this possible!

And another cool thing is that he has more friends on the track team than in his classes. What I mean is that he is more popular on the team than in the classroom.

[anglicanbeachparty]

WOW CONGRATS to Eliot!!!!!

At our track meets we have several heats but they are all scoring heats...the 1st heat is normally the fastest. Ive never heard of exhibition...what state is this?

Sounds like Eliot had a good day!!!

What's A.T.O.M?

I work on form but some athletes think they know what they are doing and because they are fast they really dont need to change...oh ok...smile

Eliot is a go getter...he will go far in life.

This is in Michigan (A.T.O.M. is Association of Track Officials of Michigan). It seems like they introduced the Exhibition heats to allow more kids to have a chance to run. Supposedly, they had "tryouts", but they got a very large turnout, and I don't think they cut anyone at all.

(By the way, I just looked at your website ... love it, including the new Flash intro!):respect:

[Bernie]

as far as form goes. well...im a throws coach...and there are some coaches here and there that seem lke they coach out of book.....its like they have a cookie cutter and only teach one way.

as for me, i take what the athlete has naturally, and tweak it to get to the correct form for them. i get a lot of the kids that are there to say they came out for track. so it is my job to make them as sucessful as possible, and let them feel as though they accomplished something. Heck, everyone is built differently, and as far as i am concerned no two people will be able to throw exactly the same way, effectivly.

basically, there are certain things, that need to be done. other then that, it is what works best for the persons frame.

but that is awesome about Eliot.....im stoked for you. its great when kids thrive on something. and want more. he seems to be a coaches dream........any chance you guys are moving to San Diego? :D.....

we allow some exhibition type things. at the freshman and JV level. not at Varsity though. in fact just this past week, we allowed two seniors from the other team to throw as non-scoring JV. technically as a senior you can only participate in Varsity athletics. you know, what the heck....its not like its a life or death thing, and who am i to tell some kid who may not be very good, but wants to be there, he cannot participate?

[anglicanbeachparty]

but that is awesome about Eliot.....im stoked for you. its great when kids thrive on something. and want more. he seems to be a coaches dream........any chance you guys are moving to San Diego? :D.....

Man, I wish ... I love that part of the country!

[anglicanbeachparty]

In the attachments are 2 pictures of my 8th Grade son, Eliot at the League Track Meet earlier this week. The one where he is aimed more at the camera is from the 100m Finals, and the other one is the 200m Prelim.

I never noticed this in the videos of Eliot running, but he holds his head way back at an angle. What's up with that? That can't be good form, can it?

[MsGuns]

In the attachments are 2 pictures of my 8th Grade son, Eliot at the League Track Meet earlier this week. The one where he is aimed more at the camera is from the 100m Finals, and the other one is the 200m Prelim.

I never noticed this in the videos of Eliot running, but he holds his head way back at an angle. What's up with that? That can't be good form, can it?

Nope...he needs to run more relaxed...that is bring up his shoulders which is making his upperbody tight which can slow him down...been there down that but I didnt cock my head back.

[anglicanbeachparty]

Nope...he needs to run more relaxed...that is bring up his shoulders which is making his upperbody tight which can slow him down...been there down that but I didnt cock my head back.

Thanks, that makes sense. I did also notice that he was holding his shoulders way high.

[Lexibeachgrl46]

im a high school teacher in a more urban school and some days i leave literally nauseas from the day...between the language, the disrespecting, attitudes thinking all they need is "bling", its rediculous...granted the homelives of my kids really do stink, but ugh...i ask my students what their summer job is going to be and what they want to do after highschool and they tell me "im gunna be a drug dealer and make more money than you'll ever see"...

rediculousssssssssss

way to coach bernie...im sure you are making a big time impact on these kids!!

[Shelly]

im a high school teacher in a more urban school and some days i leave literally nauseas from the day...between the language, the disrespecting, attitudes thinking all they need is "bling", its rediculous...granted the homelives of my kids really do stink, but ugh...i ask my students what their summer job is going to be and what they want to do after highschool and they tell me "im gunna be a drug dealer and make more money than you'll ever see"...

rediculousssssssssss

way to coach bernie...im sure you are making a big time impact on these kids!!

what town do you teach in????

Im scurred to have kdis the way the world is today!!!:nuts: