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It
has been awhile since I've written in this space. It doesn't mean I haven't
had anything to say. It is just a sign that I neither had the time, nor the
proper words to express the things I've had on my mind. Now I'll try to plug
through two topics. The first is identification – the second is “comebacks”.
It is no secret that coaches have either overt or subliminal preferences when
it comes to events. Most will look at Coach Paul Travato at Franklin and say
he favors the 400M. He ran it – he loves it – and if you can run
it he'll put you there. At least that's what most of us think. When Latif Thomas
was at Foxboro, he was sure to push his most talented athletes to the sprints
(100M to 400M). It is easier to coach the events you are most personally familiar
with. Many of the Hock coaches have a distance background, thus it is no surprise
that many of the most elite athletes from our league will be showing up in events
from the 800M to 2 mile.
There was a time when it would be said that Coach Estey had a preference for
the high jump. I admit that even though I was a “straddler”, far
different from the Fosbury Flop that burst onto the scene in the late 60's,
I always take pride in the team's ability to provide at least one jumper that
can soar over 5' with their back to the bar. Since 1979 we've failed to do that
just a couple of years.
But something funny happened since those early days of coaching. It seems nobody
can quite put a handle on my favorite event. North Attleboro's signature event
for the last 7 years has been the 4X100, where the red and white has made it
to the New England Championships for seven straight years – twice gaining
state championships on the way. But anyone at last spring's Hockomock Championship
would look at the distance triple crown (league champions at the 800, mile and
two mile) and think we stressed endurance over speed. The truth is, my favorite
event is the one that holds athletes of commitment.
That's certainly true of the 4X1, where the athletes start thinking of “next
year” on the trip home from New Englands. It's true of the hurdlers who
have a history of drilling until their legs fall off – where the only
way I can stop practice is by stealing the blocks when their backs are turned.
It's true of the throwers who ask me in December if they can borrow a javelin,
and who are tortured when I say no. And its true of this years distance crew,
who despite struggling with injuries and sickness, continue to increase their
mileage in hopes of turning their luck around.
The bottom line is – it isn't possible to have a favorite event when there
is such dedication and excitement no matter where I turn.
But when it comes to identification, watching Brett Badger brings back memories
of my own high jump past. He's a blue-collar athlete who takes more jumps than
anyone else I know. That's not necessarily a good thing, but it works for him
and shows how much he loves to defy gravity. Back in the day when the bars were
metal and the landing pit could be anything from sawdust to loose pieces of
foam, at least once a week during my senior year I'd do my favorite 60-jump
workout. That started with 10 jumps at 5'2, and with each 2” increase
in height I'd add another 10 jumps. The workout topped off with 10 attempts
at 6'. The incentive to not miss was great. First of all, I jumped in an enclosed
area with a concrete floor, so if the metal bar fell off the sound was deafening.
And since I often practiced alone, a series of misses meant constant disruptions
to my rhythem as I replaced the bar. But on days when the springs were there
I'd be clean until 5'10, landing quietly on the pit (NA had real foam), rolling
off, walking back to my spot, and when reaching it – never stopping –
breaking into my next approach.
The practice defied training logic, something I was blissfully content to ignore.
For me, it was the typical high jump mantra of “Please, just one more”.
Brett's a blue-collar type of guy, a tool belt/chain saw work junkie that reminds
me of my own days growing up on a farm. The farm was a place where repetition
was more persistent than any workout a coach could derive. A day could involve
hours of lifting hay bales (500 reps was probably an average afternoon) and
throwing them onto a trailer, only to unload them back at the barn. No wonder
60 jumps didn't seem like much.
Enough reminiscing – now onto the subject of comebacks.
When I think of the qualities that go into making a great athlete, the first
word that pops into my mind is dedication. I can't say that it is always the
most important one – just one that is necessary. You can't be the best
at something if you don't care enough to invest yourself fully.
But sometimes, even dedication isn't enough. The longer I coach, the more I
appreciate how critical resilience is to the process of an athlete's evolution.
I choose those words carefully. An athlete evolves. Competition isn't just winning
and basking in glory. Athletes are sometimes exposed to harsh conditions (illness,
injury, loss, fatigue, disappointment, criticism – I could go on and on).
Those conditions affect them in ways that force them to adapt or they don't
survive in the athletic arena.
For those who are thinking of going on to college athletics - as any of you
that have been through the process may know - freshman year is often the most
difficult. Chances are you don't immediately enjoy the same level of success.
Practices are harder and longer. Competition is tougher. Coaches can be seemingly
less understanding (Again, carefully chosen words). During this transition period
performances often suffer. Add injury to that equation and you've found the
formula to a high dropout rate.
That's my lead-in to a Jenna Banks update. Jenna was a three-sport captain,
cross country Globe All-Scholastic and Hock mile champion both indoors and out.
She is just one of many talented Hock track athletes who choose to continue
running in college. After an intense summer of training Jenna entered UMass
Lowell with high aspirations. Practice was going well. Inexplicably, in her
first race she “crashed and burned”. It turned out that she was
severely anemic. Jenna was forced to cease running – the activity that
has arguably been the center of her world the past few years.
During the holiday break I met up with her. She was back to running and feeling
good. But it was also obvious that her competitive confidence had taken a serious
hit. Jenna faced the same doubts about her abilities that plague many, and she
was facing her first race back with some trepidation. That race was a 5:43,
not vintage Jenna but a serious effort that showed she was back to racing.
Now here came the next critical factor of any comeback – faith. Faith
that you can get back to where you want to be. It's really pretty simple. When
Jenna was first running in high school, she was unable to break 6 minutes. On
this comeback she had to re-cover old ground, but she wasn't really starting
at the beginning. What she needed to realize was that she had passed this way
once, and she could find her way once again.
So while she might not have been excited with a 5:43, she had to make sure it
didn't discourage her. I'm happy to report that things continue to look up.
A few weeks ago she got a chance to run against an old rival, Kate Rizzolo.
They worked together, Kate out-sprinting her at the finish, both finishing in
5:23. Just this past weekend Jenna ran her indoor PR of 5:20.4 at the Terrier
Classic.
This is a great comeback story, but sport is full of them. Caitlin Hurley just
ran her indoor bests at the Terrier Classic, a 7.20 55M and a 25.46 200M, after
sitting out an entire year to injury. D-Y's Colleen Wetherbee is still on her
way back after fall surgery. Her 8 th place in 5:00 at the Boston Indoor Games
high school mile is still short of her sub-4:50 PR of last spring, BUT - she's
headed in the right direction, with a resolute determination.
In a few weeks I hope to bring you the story of Lynn Liberatore's two-year struggle
against injuries at Holy Cross. Her inner strength was finally rewarded with
a school record in the 10K as she became the first female winner of the Patriot
League Scholar-Athlete Award.
No one said sport would be easy. It isn't always fun. But the rewards can be
great.
Resilience.