Tony's Take: The Arkansas 2.0 Explained

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As another track and field season is set to begin, I start to turn my attention to coaching and the delightful feeling of early dividends being paid out. For two months since the end of the cross country season, the boys have training in earnest on their own. They all know the prescription to success: self accountability, hard work, and dedication day after day. 

It's now January and the official season is set. January 16. 

As usual around this time, I discuss with many coaches about their upcoming seasons. I began to think about my own team. Just like all coaches who dream and have reality perspectives of their season goals so do I. For those who may not know I coach at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago. I have been a coach just about 20 years- all in the CPS. In my early years I will be the first to admit that I was coaching strickly from the hip. I thought being a former standout runner was all you needed to produce good athletes and a quality program. Nope. After many trials and errors I was finally able to garner some success.

Pavlo Hutsalyuk, Christian Badillo, Jon Vara, and David Schmieg were like piranhas when they stepped on the track

For many years the honor system did not work for me and I needed something in place as a deterrent to the lost cross country training and winter conditioning laziness. One day back in 2001 I made a call to the legendary University of Arkansas coach John McDonnell. I noticed at the time he had won 30+ national championships in three sports (xc, indoor, outdoor). I asked Coach McDonnell how he maintained his program at such a high level year round. He told me that winter training was the most important season because it was a time where breaks, finals, and down time interfere with direct coaching. "There is a time where I cannot be there and that is usually around the winter holidays," he said. The Razorbacks are on their own on breaks with workout sheets. They are treated like adults and the honor system is in play. So, when the first official day back from break he has a lengthy workout to find out who is in training shape: scholarship and non-scholarship athletes together. The idea is not to punish any kids but rather hold them accountable.

My eyes lit up when Coach McDonnell mailed me his winter shape training program. On the last page was the "shape up" workout and it read: "2k, 1m,1500,1200,1100,1000, 900,800,700,600,500,400,300,200." Yikes! The next year in 2002 I surprised the guys and girls with a moderate form of this. They all ran horribly. The proceeding years, I issued a proclaimation after the xc season: "make sure you get your work and runs in by the first official day of the season." We start at 6:00 mile pace and drop down along with the rest. Nothing revolutionary. It is just as Coach McDonnell stated: accountability. In retrospect, it has to be the best thing we could have instituted. Accountability works. We ran 8:03.5 for the 4x8 in 2004- the first time running under 8:10 during my stint. Over the next 10 years we have broken 8:00 numerous times, 3 state titles (1 relay, 2 individuals), 2x Illinois #1 in 4x8, 2x state relay medalists, 1x All-American medalists (NBON).

First boys relay team from Chicago to earn All-American honors in the 4x800 at the 2014 New Balance Outdoor Nationals. They ran the #1 time in the state and #8 in the country w/6th place- 7:39.76. Each one of them can attribute their success to the "Arkansas"