Coach issues - wwyd?

[Anonymous]

Starting a new thread on this from the earlier one on track.

Dc has long complained, the last year especially, that his HS track team and coaches are long distance focused and the sprinters like him don’t see any improvement under them. It’s a very important time for him as he’s a junior and the recruiting process is starting. He’s received some interest from schools, but feels there’s a gap in what he’s capable of with the right training.

In addition to summer training at a few camps, he has been skipping pre season trainings at HS to work out with this coach at a speed club whose specialty is sprints. Seems to be really happy and says this is the right training for him (albeit no official times to show for it). I’ll admit this coach seems like the bomb, he is helping with form and picking up things that the other coaches didn’t.

Dc finally talked to his HS coach and my it could not have gone more poorly, according to dc. The coach totally flipped. He basically threatened to ruin him, or at least that’s what he hinted at. ‘You’ll never run again if you don’t do what I say and get back to training only with our team’.

Wwyd??

I want to talk to the coach with dc but not sure that will fly with dc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Starting a new thread on this from the earlier one on track.

Dc has long complained, the last year especially, that his HS track team and coaches are long distance focused and the sprinters like him don’t see any improvement under them. It’s a very important time for him as he’s a junior and the recruiting process is starting. He’s received some interest from schools, but feels there’s a gap in what he’s capable of with the right training.

In addition to summer training at a few camps, he has been skipping pre season trainings at HS to work out with this coach at a speed club whose specialty is sprints. Seems to be really happy and says this is the right training for him (albeit no official times to show for it). I’ll admit this coach seems like the bomb, he is helping with form and picking up things that the other coaches didn’t.

Dc finally talked to his HS coach and my it could not have gone more poorly, according to dc. The coach totally flipped. He basically threatened to ruin him, or at least that’s what he hinted at. ‘You’ll never run again if you don’t do what I say and get back to training only with our team’.

Wwyd??

I want to talk to the coach with dc but not sure that will fly with dc.

I am not sure what the expectations are in HS track. I assume that - like in other sports - the athletes are expected to train with their coach / team. It is likely that the coach noticed that your DS was missing practice. I am not a coach, so I don't know how they react when they hear that you skip HS practices to train with another coach. Without trying to place blame on your DS: is there any reason why he wanted to have this discussion with his HS coach? An insecure coach might feel insulted by an athlete who prefers to train with a different coach. What was his goal / what outcome did he expect?

[Anonymous]

Thanks for replying. I’m new to sports stuff too. It’s not the official season so admittedly ds was sort of hiding it. But the coach knows that any of the more serious runners would be doing pre season training, and so when dc wasn’t showing up, he quickly figured out what was going on and asked to talk to dc. Dc knew it was going to come to a head sooner or later, so we practiced what he’d say at home, how to be respectful about his needs for this extra specialized training etc.

I guess I was naive to think this coach wouldn’t erupt. Sigh

[Anonymous]

^ dc wants to compete for the team when the official season starts but continue training with this other club coach. HS coach said ‘quit now or you’ll never run again’.

[Anonymous]

This is common with a lot of high schools sports IME. A lot of the coaches- well intentioned as they are- really aren’t very knowledgeable.

Your DS should not have said anything. As for preseason workouts- it really depends on team rules/expectations. At our school, preseason workout attendance is expected unless it conflicts with another seasonal school sport.

Your DS should attend preseason workouts, continue to attend private workouts outside of team workouts, and not being any of this up again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^ dc wants to compete for the team when the official season starts but continue training with this other club coach. HS coach said ‘quit now or you’ll never run again’.

Complain to the AD. If there is a race difference, complain to the county. Try to proactively ruin the coach. It's 2024 and this is a track coach. Schools will suspend them pending and investigation and every school fears the retaliation complaint

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for replying. I’m new to sports stuff too. It’s not the official season so admittedly ds was sort of hiding it. But the coach knows that any of the more serious runners would be doing pre season training, and so when dc wasn’t showing up, he quickly figured out what was going on and asked to talk to dc. Dc knew it was going to come to a head sooner or later, so we practiced what he’d say at home, how to be respectful about his needs for this extra specialized training etc.

I guess I was naive to think this coach wouldn’t erupt. Sigh

Why can’t he do outside training outside of team practice times? Coach probably expects him AT practice- and that is the main issue. The coach can’t control what he does on his own time- and if kept quiet coach need not even know. Many HS athletes do private training or lessons- but they don’t miss practice. Those things are in addition to team practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for replying. I’m new to sports stuff too. It’s not the official season so admittedly ds was sort of hiding it. But the coach knows that any of the more serious runners would be doing pre season training, and so when dc wasn’t showing up, he quickly figured out what was going on and asked to talk to dc. Dc knew it was going to come to a head sooner or later, so we practiced what he’d say at home, how to be respectful about his needs for this extra specialized training etc.

I guess I was naive to think this coach wouldn’t erupt. Sigh

Why can’t he do outside training outside of team practice times? Coach probably expects him AT practice- and that is the main issue. The coach can’t control what he does on his own time- and if kept quiet coach need not even know. Many HS athletes do private training or lessons- but they don’t miss practice. Those things are in addition to team practice.

running at track practice and doing private coaching seems like it would invite stress and overuse injury

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ dc wants to compete for the team when the official season starts but continue training with this other club coach. HS coach said ‘quit now or you’ll never run again’.

Complain to the AD. If there is a race difference, complain to the county. Try to proactively ruin the coach. It's 2024 and this is a track coach. Schools will suspend them pending and investigation and every school fears the retaliation complaint

This is insane. You cannot possibly be serious.

The coach has every right to require attendance at practice, and every right to make preseason attendance a factor. This is how it is for most sports. The AD is going to back up the coach on that one.

I don’t believe the coach has a right to dictate what workouts her DS does on his own time, but I could be wrong. That would be an issue to take to the AD.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for replying. I’m new to sports stuff too. It’s not the official season so admittedly ds was sort of hiding it. But the coach knows that any of the more serious runners would be doing pre season training, and so when dc wasn’t showing up, he quickly figured out what was going on and asked to talk to dc. Dc knew it was going to come to a head sooner or later, so we practiced what he’d say at home, how to be respectful about his needs for this extra specialized training etc.

I guess I was naive to think this coach wouldn’t erupt. Sigh

Why can’t he do outside training outside of team practice times? Coach probably expects him AT practice- and that is the main issue. The coach can’t control what he does on his own time- and if kept quiet coach need not even know. Many HS athletes do private training or lessons- but they don’t miss practice. Those things are in addition to team practice.

running at track practice and doing private coaching seems like it would invite stress and overuse injury

That would be an issue to take up with the private coach. Most should be accustomed to balancing private training with HS team requirements.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^ dc wants to compete for the team when the official season starts but continue training with this other club coach. HS coach said ‘quit now or you’ll never run again’.

Complain to the AD. If there is a race difference, complain to the county. Try to proactively ruin the coach. It's 2024 and this is a track coach. Schools will suspend them pending and investigation and every school fears the retaliation complaint

This is insane. You cannot possibly be serious.

The coach has every right to require attendance at practice, and every right to make preseason attendance a factor. This is how it is for most sports. The AD is going to back up the coach on that one.

I don’t believe the coach has a right to dictate what workouts her DS does on his own time, but I could be wrong. That would be an issue to take to the AD.

The coach threatened to ruin the student. Coaches can't threaten in 2024. Let the coach explain what the meant by that threat. If you've formally complained about the coach and they bench him for a slower runner, then there is retaliation which is much easier to prove than the underlying complaint, but the original complaint needs to be on record. A coach threatening to ruin a student has probably said enough to fill out a complaint for harassment, bias...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is common with a lot of high schools sports IME. A lot of the coaches- well intentioned as they are- really aren’t very knowledgeable.

Your DS should not have said anything. As for preseason workouts- it really depends on team rules/expectations. At our school, preseason workout attendance is expected unless it conflicts with another seasonal school sport.

Your DS should attend preseason workouts, continue to attend private workouts outside of team workouts, and not being any of this up again.

Well, he was basically confronted and wasn’t going to lie. But he can’t really work with this coach and also do pre season. I mean, I guess he could do a session here and there, but he’s been going 5 days a week for hours at a time. This is his thing. I wish the coach wouldn’t take it so personally.

[Anonymous]

If he's not practicing with the team, what are you looking for? Not everything should be about college. Get more private sessions and stop complaining as he isn't willing to work with the coach and you and him are 1/2 the problem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for replying. I’m new to sports stuff too. It’s not the official season so admittedly ds was sort of hiding it. But the coach knows that any of the more serious runners would be doing pre season training, and so when dc wasn’t showing up, he quickly figured out what was going on and asked to talk to dc. Dc knew it was going to come to a head sooner or later, so we practiced what he’d say at home, how to be respectful about his needs for this extra specialized training etc.

I guess I was naive to think this coach wouldn’t erupt. Sigh

Why can’t he do outside training outside of team practice times? Coach probably expects him AT practice- and that is the main issue. The coach can’t control what he does on his own time- and if kept quiet coach need not even know. Many HS athletes do private training or lessons- but they don’t miss practice. Those things are in addition to team practice.

Just posted. He could try, of course, but he’s been doing very intensive training with this other coach/ club. He would have to scale way way back. There are not enough hours in the day. And as someone else pointed out, there could be coaching differences that could be problematic.

I don’t know. I feel bad for the kid. He wants this so bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he's not practicing with the team, what are you looking for? Not everything should be about college. Get more private sessions and stop complaining as he isn't willing to work with the coach and you and him are 1/2 the problem.

There’s always a poster like this in every bunch