Many of last year's 3A 4x4 medal winners benefitted from their high school and club systems
The older I get and the more coaches I speak with whether its club or high school, I have come to realize that no matter what level of coach, what color they are or where they live -- amazingly nationwide -- they all say and deal with the same issues.
This past weekend I was invited to speak at the Inaugural Illinois Youth Track and Field Coaches Conference at North Central College. As I finished speaking, the coaches chimed in on what can we do as coaches to make Illinois a power in track and field? It was amazing to hear how all these club coaches approached junior high and high school coaches and tried to volunteer their time to help not one kid, but all the kids on the team. ALL of them were turned away by the head coaches. The question then came up as to why they were turned away? The answer that most came up with was that we as coaches or a knowledgeable parent was a threat to the head coach. Each coach wanted no part of being the head coach otherwise they would've applied for the job. These were all certified, knowledgeable coaches who wanted to pass on what they knew and help out.
A big issue was the lack of junior high coaching and how the kids didn't stretch and the coaches knew nothing about track and field. The coaches were placing kids in events like the hurdles a day or two before the meet but the kid had never practiced the event. I say the hurdles, because it was told to me that a kid actually was placed in the event with no experience, tripped over the first hurdle and fell face first to the track. I'm sure statewide there are some good junior high coaches. But for the most part they are teachers who work in the building. It seems like track has just become an after school activity. The kids learn very little.
In my community my club kids for years have been asked by the head coach if they would teach the other kids how to come out the blocks. This just happened again as of last week. My answer to my kids over the years has been, "only if they pay you" and "you aren't going to do their job for them and teach the kids what I taught you for free." If they want to learn what to do, then come run summer track just like they did.
An even bigger issue especially at the high school level is how long does a club coach wait to step in after watching a high school coach ruin the athlete they have put time, effort and personal money into? I spoke on this in my blog (Club Coach vs. High School Coach). This was a heated discussion among the coaches at the round table because they had tried to work with, talked to and even tried to volunteer only to be turned away. There were coaches who said they try to abide by the IHSA rules, but one coach had to step in. Because he did, his athlete will be attending college next year. When one does step in, or a parent seeks outside help from a private coach, you instantly become the bad guy. It's a very thin line and I personally feel you must step in. If you don't step in you are pretty much turning your back on the athlete who wants and shows they want to be successful. This is a subject I'm sure won't be going away anytime soon.
Calabar, Jamaica HS holding COA 4x8 plaque at Penn Relays. This is testiment of strong club system in Jamaica
I have talked with coaches all over the U.S. and some great club/high school coaches in our state. The one thing we all agree on is the youth of today are totally different than when we were running. Now this can't be applied to all of them but for the most part the work ethic isn't close, the desire to succeed isn't the same. The time of sprinters isn't even close to what they used to be. Coaches find themselves having to coach at the level of the era. I was asked years ago by my club athletes as to what they had to do to be like I was? I said" there' nothing you can do." 'You don't want it as bad as I did." I went on to say you don't have to be like me, because the same scholarship I got is easier to get now. A college can't recruit a 10.20 sprinter, if nobody is running 10.20. If 10.50 is the fastest time, then that's who they have to recruit and that's who will get the scholarship.
The old school coaches can't believe how as a country we turned into the "everybody's a champion" mentality. What year this happened I don't know. Everyone isn't a champion because if they were everyone would go D1. Colleges would recruit everybody that participated in the sport. I told one of my sprinters a few years ago when our state went to the three-class system. "When the 100m is over and if you should be blessed enough to win the 2A title if the 1A or 3A champion has a faster time than you, you aren't THE state champ." "You are the Class A state champ within our state."
If a college looked at the results and the other two classes were faster. Guess what? You are the third best athlete in the event in our state.
I think as a state we are still considered to be one of the power house states for club and high school track. But it isn't at the level the old school coaches, parents and fans are used to and it's hard for us to accept mediocrity as great today.