Anonymous wrote:he got 2nd!! crazy

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the link! Now I just have to find what times everything is…

Anonymous wrote:

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:

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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.

Oh wow, interesting to hear. Can you share where you are? We are not DMV either. I posted about my kids saga a little while ago, so apologies if I’m repeating it here, but my kid did find a club that had a sprinting focus that he was starting to train with pre season (my dc had played fall football but dropped it this year to try to train on sprinting) and his HS coach went NUTS. Was very threatened.

We are in the midwest.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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!

Yes. Just to prepare you -- even if college coaches are there, most recruiting for track takes place through persistent, consistent communication with coaches. At a big event like this, they probably only want to talk to the superstars. Doesn't mean the "good" runners can't also find a place in college.

Anonymous wrote:

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:

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.

Oh wow, interesting to hear. Can you share where you are? We are not DMV either. I posted about my kids saga a little while ago, so apologies if I’m repeating it here, but my kid did find a club that had a sprinting focus that he was starting to train with pre season (my dc had played fall football but dropped it this year to try to train on sprinting) and his HS coach went NUTS. Was very threatened.

Anonymous wrote:

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:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

He is running the Boys 500 Meter Dash Fri Invite, Boys 1600 Sprint Medley Invitational and Mixed 4x400 Meter Relay Invitational
(which is like at 10:30 pm on Saturday)

https://va.milesplit.com/meets/592932-the-va-showcase-2025/entries/1111458

The schedule is post on milesplit too and you can watch live online.

Anonymous wrote:

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.