Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s high school coach recommended that she not run VA Showcase her junior year. I think he was worried about burnout. This was very bad advice (great coach actually, but chill about recruiting/college). She ran anyway, and D1 coaches started calling (and D2 and D3). Many of the college coaches watch the livestream or replays of the meet.
YMMV though. College athletics is in a time of transition, and that transition may be cruel to track & field. Things were always tougher for boys, and that may get even worse.

??

I think what this person is saying that the recent changes could impact track teams- either by reducing roster sizes, fewer opps for walk-on athletes and potentially cutting track and field at smaller schools. But you could say this about most college sports that are not football or basketball.

The SEC - the richest conference in the country - has gone to 10/35 for roster spots in XC and track. I was a 4:06 high school miler in the 70’s and was highly recruited and went to one of the best academic schools that offered scholarships. Today I would likely only get a roster spot - and perhaps not even a guaranteed roster spot at an Arkansas or Villanova. 10 spots in XC means barely able to field a full team with injuries. That is if you can run XC. Great mid distance guys often can’t. A 30 min 10k in XC put you in the top 5 in a Power conference in my day. I was talking to the recent ACC champ who is a great kid and he told me he would be thrilled with a top 5 finish in the league. I was over the moon when I did it. I boldly told him he was better than I was and he could win it. A 3:57 high school miler from Pennsylvania, he proved me right and won the conference. But note he was the number one runner in high school in the country. Today you better run sub 29 or the 8k equivalent (4:36 mile pace). Given the new roster limits, D1 coaches have no luxury to develop. I was a poor kid who could not get financial aid because of my father’s income (he wanted nothing to do with me and thought I was a dumb loser). Not sure what I would have done - I did get in West Point and as a low mileage athlete who did not get injured that may have worked. But you don’t go to the service academies for sports success. In any event, the sport has changed. The 3:55 miler recruit from Europe or Africa is going to be the prototype D1 track athlete. Florida recruited such a kid from India with a devastating kick who won the SEC. He got popped for drugs and his career is over. But Florida isn’t giving up those points (the SEC and NCAA champion). This is what recruits are up against. I agree with the above the landscape is changing.

Curious, why does everyone only talk long or mid distance when they discuss track? I rarely see anyone on here who discusses sprinting. Is it just not as popular?

NP - I think it probably has to do with the demographics of who uses this platform, I don't know for sure, but I would guess it leans heavily to white middle/upper class and generally you see less sprinters coming from those families. (I fall into this category with a son who is a middle/long distance runner and currently the only white kid on his indoor track team, I have learned a lot about the culture of track in general)

Yeah, I guess that’s sort of what I’m curious about. Why are white MC and UMC kids not sprinters? This is my kids complaint. That his coaches (in our fairly white HS) only know how to train distance or middle distance and they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to sprinting. My kid can be a Prima Donna, so I take everything he says with a grain of salt… 🤪

PP - I am not in the DMV so I can't help you find the right coaches, but I will say we stumbled upon a unicorn of a club team and feel very lucky. It's run by 2 brothers who were top D1 runners and beyond - one specializes in sprints and 1 in distance, they are both black. They have a 3rd coach that does hurdles and jumps, etc. Even though this wasn't the reason why we ended up there, I can see now after going to so many meets that, in general, the inner city teams are the sprinters and the suburban teams are distance. MANY of the kids on DS' team also play football and this is how they are getting faster as a RB, TE, WR, etc. The parents openly discuss their D1, and beyond, football plans. Find a team full of football players and your DS will fit right in.

Anonymous wrote:*Sigh,* our track friend is back.

Sounds like a great meet ... have fun, OP!

Op- it does! I’m so excited for the kids! Although realistically, I know the kids from our HS probably won’t do that well considering the competition… but I can’t say that IRL!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s high school coach recommended that she not run VA Showcase her junior year. I think he was worried about burnout. This was very bad advice (great coach actually, but chill about recruiting/college). She ran anyway, and D1 coaches started calling (and D2 and D3). Many of the college coaches watch the livestream or replays of the meet.
YMMV though. College athletics is in a time of transition, and that transition may be cruel to track & field. Things were always tougher for boys, and that may get even worse.

??

I think what this person is saying that the recent changes could impact track teams- either by reducing roster sizes, fewer opps for walk-on athletes and potentially cutting track and field at smaller schools. But you could say this about most college sports that are not football or basketball.

The SEC - the richest conference in the country - has gone to 10/35 for roster spots in XC and track. I was a 4:06 high school miler in the 70’s and was highly recruited and went to one of the best academic schools that offered scholarships. Today I would likely only get a roster spot - and perhaps not even a guaranteed roster spot at an Arkansas or Villanova. 10 spots in XC means barely able to field a full team with injuries. That is if you can run XC. Great mid distance guys often can’t. A 30 min 10k in XC put you in the top 5 in a Power conference in my day. I was talking to the recent ACC champ who is a great kid and he told me he would be thrilled with a top 5 finish in the league. I was over the moon when I did it. I boldly told him he was better than I was and he could win it. A 3:57 high school miler from Pennsylvania, he proved me right and won the conference. But note he was the number one runner in high school in the country. Today you better run sub 29 or the 8k equivalent (4:36 mile pace). Given the new roster limits, D1 coaches have no luxury to develop. I was a poor kid who could not get financial aid because of my father’s income (he wanted nothing to do with me and thought I was a dumb loser). Not sure what I would have done - I did get in West Point and as a low mileage athlete who did not get injured that may have worked. But you don’t go to the service academies for sports success. In any event, the sport has changed. The 3:55 miler recruit from Europe or Africa is going to be the prototype D1 track athlete. Florida recruited such a kid from India with a devastating kick who won the SEC. He got popped for drugs and his career is over. But Florida isn’t giving up those points (the SEC and NCAA champion). This is what recruits are up against. I agree with the above the landscape is changing.

Curious, why does everyone only talk long or mid distance when they discuss track? I rarely see anyone on here who discusses sprinting. Is it just not as popular?

NP - I think it probably has to do with the demographics of who uses this platform, I don't know for sure, but I would guess it leans heavily to white middle/upper class and generally you see less sprinters coming from those families. (I fall into this category with a son who is a middle/long distance runner and currently the only white kid on his indoor track team, I have learned a lot about the culture of track in general)

Yeah, I guess that’s sort of what I’m curious about. Why are white MC and UMC kids not sprinters? This is my kids complaint. That his coaches (in our fairly white HS) only know how to train distance or middle distance and they don’t know what they’re doing when it comes to sprinting. My kid can be a Prima Donna, so I take everything he says with a grain of salt… 🤪

*Sigh,* our track friend is back.

Sounds like a great meet ... have fun, OP!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s high school coach recommended that she not run VA Showcase her junior year. I think he was worried about burnout. This was very bad advice (great coach actually, but chill about recruiting/college). She ran anyway, and D1 coaches started calling (and D2 and D3). Many of the college coaches watch the livestream or replays of the meet.
YMMV though. College athletics is in a time of transition, and that transition may be cruel to track & field. Things were always tougher for boys, and that may get even worse.

??

I think what this person is saying that the recent changes could impact track teams- either by reducing roster sizes, fewer opps for walk-on athletes and potentially cutting track and field at smaller schools. But you could say this about most college sports that are not football or basketball.

The SEC - the richest conference in the country - has gone to 10/35 for roster spots in XC and track. I was a 4:06 high school miler in the 70’s and was highly recruited and went to one of the best academic schools that offered scholarships. Today I would likely only get a roster spot - and perhaps not even a guaranteed roster spot at an Arkansas or Villanova. 10 spots in XC means barely able to field a full team with injuries. That is if you can run XC. Great mid distance guys often can’t. A 30 min 10k in XC put you in the top 5 in a Power conference in my day. I was talking to the recent ACC champ who is a great kid and he told me he would be thrilled with a top 5 finish in the league. I was over the moon when I did it. I boldly told him he was better than I was and he could win it. A 3:57 high school miler from Pennsylvania, he proved me right and won the conference. But note he was the number one runner in high school in the country. Today you better run sub 29 or the 8k equivalent (4:36 mile pace). Given the new roster limits, D1 coaches have no luxury to develop. I was a poor kid who could not get financial aid because of my father’s income (he wanted nothing to do with me and thought I was a dumb loser). Not sure what I would have done - I did get in West Point and as a low mileage athlete who did not get injured that may have worked. But you don’t go to the service academies for sports success. In any event, the sport has changed. The 3:55 miler recruit from Europe or Africa is going to be the prototype D1 track athlete. Florida recruited such a kid from India with a devastating kick who won the SEC. He got popped for drugs and his career is over. But Florida isn’t giving up those points (the SEC and NCAA champion). This is what recruits are up against. I agree with the above the landscape is changing.

Curious, why does everyone only talk long or mid distance when they discuss track? I rarely see anyone on here who discusses sprinting. Is it just not as popular?

NP - I think it probably has to do with the demographics of who uses this platform, I don't know for sure, but I would guess it leans heavily to white middle/upper class and generally you see less sprinters coming from those families. (I fall into this category with a son who is a middle/long distance runner and currently the only white kid on his indoor track team, I have learned a lot about the culture of track in general)

Anonymous wrote:Teams from 24 states and Jamaica will be at VA showcase.

Here are “races to watch”

https://va.milesplit.com/articles/354645/10-events-you-cant-miss-at-the-va-showcase

Does anyone happen to know what Quincy Jones is running other than the 500? I’m trying to figure out if he’s doing 4 by 4 or possibly SMR.

The HS coaches are interesting. Some are good (I am looking at you South Lakes and West Springfield) and some are terrible (I won’t name names here but there are some coaches who say things like “I don’t care about the distance runners!”)

Anonymous wrote:This guy shows up with his rambling irreverent stories from the 70s on every track thread.

I haven’t seen a lot about sprinting either. I think a lot of kids do cross country and then have success in track distance.

Sprinting is almost an entirely different sport vs distance. Mid distance is very different too

Op here. Ha, I’ve seen that poster. I find his stories and info interesting but yes, maybe not so timely

Yes, sprinting does seem very different, different training etc. My kids a sprinter and I’ve posted on here about his coach drama and his coach not knowing how to train him (or so he claims, idk!).

Anonymous wrote:You shouldn’t be looking down at Arkansas. One of the best track and field programs last year for women.

Believe me I respect Arkansas. They beat me by 10 yards in the Championship of America relay at the Penn Relays because they were better athletes. That 10 yards might as well have been 100. Making that team in 2025 however - even as a 4:06 high school miler - is really difficult. And the women have the same challenge. I get your point though, most DCUM types dont have any idea how good and disciplined one has to be to make it at Arkansas. They just dismiss the school as lost in flyover country. One of their best runners after retiring took a job as a police officer. A sub 3:50 miler. An immigrant’s kid. Anyone who competed for Johnny Mac learned how to lead and win. He is now one of the leading officers in the state and the most respected too. You could count hundreds of success stories from Arkansas. I used to hear from athletes at snobby schools like mine running down Arkansas. This was ludicrous. Arkansas was better than anyone because they worked harder than everyone and had a terrific championship mindset. I once asked them if it was true they lived like clocks and never ate past six pm. They laughed and said you don’t? No drinking either. This applied to the 27 foot long jumper (a friend from Chicago) and the NCAA Champ XC team they had. Only elitists could look down at these kids.

I have long been a supporter of D111 athletics and have coaching friends in those ranks. Yet most often the P4 has won in recruiting because of you can just compete you can run top 25 times as a frosh. But the times have changed. It makes more sense to look at D111 today, where top flight high school athletes can expect to still be developed. This applies to sprints and field events too. If you can afford a place like Carleton or Williams, look at them seriously. A four minute mile doesn’t care about the color of your uniform.

D11 gives scholarships and should be attractive. But their 300 plus schools are often in less populated places. So the kids from the metropolitan areas just don’t seek out the Adams States of the sporting universe. D11 is just often a difficult fit. I suspect these schools will become popular but they are difficult to describe in terms of academics (Colorado School of Mines is an exception).

This guy shows up with his rambling irreverent stories from the 70s on every track thread.

I haven’t seen a lot about sprinting either. I think a lot of kids do cross country and then have success in track distance.

Sprinting is almost an entirely different sport vs distance. Mid distance is very different too

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s high school coach recommended that she not run VA Showcase her junior year. I think he was worried about burnout. This was very bad advice (great coach actually, but chill about recruiting/college). She ran anyway, and D1 coaches started calling (and D2 and D3). Many of the college coaches watch the livestream or replays of the meet.
YMMV though. College athletics is in a time of transition, and that transition may be cruel to track & field. Things were always tougher for boys, and that may get even worse.

??

I think what this person is saying that the recent changes could impact track teams- either by reducing roster sizes, fewer opps for walk-on athletes and potentially cutting track and field at smaller schools. But you could say this about most college sports that are not football or basketball.

The SEC - the richest conference in the country - has gone to 10/35 for roster spots in XC and track. I was a 4:06 high school miler in the 70’s and was highly recruited and went to one of the best academic schools that offered scholarships. Today I would likely only get a roster spot - and perhaps not even a guaranteed roster spot at an Arkansas or Villanova. 10 spots in XC means barely able to field a full team with injuries. That is if you can run XC. Great mid distance guys often can’t. A 30 min 10k in XC put you in the top 5 in a Power conference in my day. I was talking to the recent ACC champ who is a great kid and he told me he would be thrilled with a top 5 finish in the league. I was over the moon when I did it. I boldly told him he was better than I was and he could win it. A 3:57 high school miler from Pennsylvania, he proved me right and won the conference. But note he was the number one runner in high school in the country. Today you better run sub 29 or the 8k equivalent (4:36 mile pace). Given the new roster limits, D1 coaches have no luxury to develop. I was a poor kid who could not get financial aid because of my father’s income (he wanted nothing to do with me and thought I was a dumb loser). Not sure what I would have done - I did get in West Point and as a low mileage athlete who did not get injured that may have worked. But you don’t go to the service academies for sports success. In any event, the sport has changed. The 3:55 miler recruit from Europe or Africa is going to be the prototype D1 track athlete. Florida recruited such a kid from India with a devastating kick who won the SEC. He got popped for drugs and his career is over. But Florida isn’t giving up those points (the SEC and NCAA champion). This is what recruits are up against. I agree with the above the landscape is changing.

Curious, why does everyone only talk long or mid distance when they discuss track? I rarely see anyone on here who discusses sprinting. Is it just not as popular?

You shouldn’t be looking down at Arkansas. One of the best track and field programs last year for women.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter’s high school coach recommended that she not run VA Showcase her junior year. I think he was worried about burnout. This was very bad advice (great coach actually, but chill about recruiting/college). She ran anyway, and D1 coaches started calling (and D2 and D3). Many of the college coaches watch the livestream or replays of the meet.
YMMV though. College athletics is in a time of transition, and that transition may be cruel to track & field. Things were always tougher for boys, and that may get even worse.

??

I think what this person is saying that the recent changes could impact track teams- either by reducing roster sizes, fewer opps for walk-on athletes and potentially cutting track and field at smaller schools. But you could say this about most college sports that are not football or basketball.

The SEC - the richest conference in the country - has gone to 10/35 for roster spots in XC and track. I was a 4:06 high school miler in the 70’s and was highly recruited and went to one of the best academic schools that offered scholarships. Today I would likely only get a roster spot - and perhaps not even a guaranteed roster spot at an Arkansas or Villanova. 10 spots in XC means barely able to field a full team with injuries. That is if you can run XC. Great mid distance guys often can’t. A 30 min 10k in XC put you in the top 5 in a Power conference in my day. I was talking to the recent ACC champ who is a great kid and he told me he would be thrilled with a top 5 finish in the league. I was over the moon when I did it. I boldly told him he was better than I was and he could win it. A 3:57 high school miler from Pennsylvania, he proved me right and won the conference. But note he was the number one runner in high school in the country. Today you better run sub 29 or the 8k equivalent (4:36 mile pace). Given the new roster limits, D1 coaches have no luxury to develop. I was a poor kid who could not get financial aid because of my father’s income (he wanted nothing to do with me and thought I was a dumb loser). Not sure what I would have done - I did get in West Point and as a low mileage athlete who did not get injured that may have worked. But you don’t go to the service academies for sports success. In any event, the sport has changed. The 3:55 miler recruit from Europe or Africa is going to be the prototype D1 track athlete. Florida recruited such a kid from India with a devastating kick who won the SEC. He got popped for drugs and his career is over. But Florida isn’t giving up those points (the SEC and NCAA champion). This is what recruits are up against. I agree with the above the landscape is changing.

Anonymous wrote:Teams from 24 states and Jamaica will be at VA showcase.

Here are “races to watch”

https://va.milesplit.com/articles/354645/10-events-you-cant-miss-at-the-va-showcase

Thanks!

Teams from 24 states and Jamaica will be at VA showcase.

Here are “races to watch”

https://va.milesplit.com/articles/354645/10-events-you-cant-miss-at-the-va-showcase