On 6/25/08, Cliff wrote:
> On 4/20/08, Paco wrote:
>> On 4/19/08, Sheila wrote:
>>> Hi - I have a 15 year old who has the potential to be an
>>> elite runner ( cross country , 1 mile, ). He is also an A
>>> student and a sophomore. He is not tolerable of pain and
>>> has tightness in right quad/hamstring. MRI shows no
>> tears,
>>> breaks. How do I instill in him that he could have a
>> great
>>> track future with his running potential and his grades but
>>> that sometimes he needs to run through pain and suck it up?
>>> Thanks, Sheila
>>
>> I think I know the attitude you're talking about and I
>> believe (as do most coaches I know) that you are born with
>> it. You can't make someone 'want it'.
>>
>> Also, playing through pain is somewhat of a myth,
>> perpetuated by what we see in big time sports on TV. They
>> risk everything, including their health, to get back on the
>> field and make the bucks. It is big business. Youngsters
>> must be very careful about playing through pain. They must
>> know the difference between injury and discomfort and
>> sometimes it is hard for them to know the difference. But
>> you can't know it for him. He could have a muscle imbalance
>> between the quad and thigh. Check with a PT. Don't push
>> him too hard, give him time to mature into an intense
>> competitor, if it is to be. Outside pressure can be a
>> negative and push him away from the sport. Most athletes
>> who rise to a higher level, love what they are doing. Don't
>> take that away. Sorry to be so long-winded.
>
> I have been coaching XC and Track (distance runners) for 17
> years. I have never subscribed to the "born with it"
> philosophy but for a while I did believe you could not make
> someone want to win. Now I believe with the proper support,
> modiviation, self-confidance, and perserverance anyone can be
> a top athlete. My most recent success is a boy who was
> running an 8 min mile in 6th grade, is now running 4:38 as an
> 8th grader, and is hoping to run under 4:10 by his senior
> year. He truely loves what he is doing, but started working
> with me because I did not cut anyone from the team. I focus
> on the intrinsic values gained from the hard work and efforts
> and believe this is why my athletes try so hard and love to
> compete. It sounds as if your son already has a leg up on the
> competition and could have a bright future as a runner. Find
> a coach who emphasizes improvement over winning and is very
> familiar with sport realted injuries and pain. Be sure to let
> the coach do his/her job, but ask questions and bring up
> concerns. Any coach who is not approachable or is unwilling
> to discuss things with parents is not worth having. As for
> the aches and pains. there are some aches and pains that are
> appropriate for this type of activity, but many need to be
> carefully scrutinized. The last 10 sentences from the
> previous reply are right on (except the last one.) I suggest
> you don't look for a coach who has the "best" athletes, look
> for one who's focus is on (all) the athletes and is happy to
> work with all levels of ability. I have only met a handful of
> these people in 17 years, so good luck.

I grew up going up to the schoolyard and playing all kinds of
sports. You played for the intrinsic value. You are right that
very few understand how important that is -- playing for the
love of it instead of championships and trophies. Those should
be a by-product, not the main focus. I applaud your focus on
physical and emotional development. Kids are lucky to have you
as a coach.

P.S. I also think it is easier to improve an athlete physically
than mentally, because there are more variables to the mental
part of participation. Your thoughts?

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