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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.