Two Quick Tips: One for Your Athletes, One for You

Published October 23, 2024 

I know this is a busy time of year, so today's email is short and sweet. I’ve got one piece of advice for your athletes and one piece of advice for you.

Here we go...

One Piece of Advice for Your Athletes

I shared the following on ​Instagram​ and I think your kids may benefit from it...

One Piece of Advice for You

As you head into a big meet, remember this advice I received during my first month as a junior college coach from the most successful coach at the school—the baseball coach:

"For better or for worse, they’re going to emulate you."

You want your athletes to be calm, confident, and ready to execute the race plan.

To make that happen, show them that same calmness, confidence, and belief in the plan when you speak to them.

It’s simple but not always easy, especially when you’re just as excited as they are about the race as they are.

Be Mindful of Tone and Posture

Pay attention to your tone and how you carry yourself. Speak with confidence and stand tall. It might feel like a lot, but as my college coach would say, "The hay is in the barn," meaning there isn't any more training you can squeeze in.

You can’t change their fitness at this point but what you can do is reassure them that they’re ready for a great race, which will allow them to race to their fitness level.

If your team is competing this weekend, I’m wishing you all the best.

And if your athletes’ season is already over, there are two articles you can share with them today. I'll cover them in more detail in future emails.

•  ​Taking Time Off After Cross-Country​ 
•  ​Training For NXR/Footlocker​ 

Bonus

 ​This video is truly inspiring​ (make sure to unmute it)

I had the good fortune to be coaching at the University of Colorado on this day and got to witness the culmination of a hard-earned build-up—starting with humble pool workouts in the summer that lead to this incredible victory.

Seeing these two guys battling for a LONG way always gets me fired up. It might do the same for your athlete.

It’s hard to find a more motivating cross-country race video for your athletes.

Let's go!