Three hours now until our first practice gets under way at 2:30. I can't recall when I've had more questions or concerns going into a season. How many kids will report? Will they all be eligible to practice? Will there be any surprises? Good or bad? Have the athletes been preparing as suggested? Many, many more . . .
What about today's rain? Does everybody know we practice in the rain? How will the weather impact the workout planned? How will the weekly training plan be impacted? Many more . . .
Do I have all the roster information? Is it accurate? How do I handle those situations where there is a conflict between information I've been provided and what is claimed by the student-athlete? More . . .
Will everybody be dressed appropriately? Will worn or inappropriate footwear be an issue? Are there health issues which I have not been made aware of? How can I avoid injuries getting started? The list goes on and on . . .
But here's the story. Practice will be held at 2:30. We held a mandatory meeting in June for anybody (other than incoming Freshmen) having had an interest in running XC in the fall. The Athletic Director and the coaches have published the requirements for participation many times. We've held voluntary strength and conditioning classes all summer and all the coaches have been available any time for questions. To quote two individuals you all probably know: "The longest distance between two points is the distance between talking about doing something and doing it." (AD Bob Rodgers). And from former NFL Coach Bill Parcells, "It is, what it is." Perfect.
The time for talk is over. My questions should be answered by 5:00.
POST SCRIPT - 8/23 - 8:45AM
Our first day of practice went smoothly. 22 Boys, 14 Girls. We'd love to have more, but we focus on those HERE, not those who ARE NOT. The rain was refreshing on a warm afternoon, and everybody did well as we went through warmup drills, easy running on the home course, strides, core and stretch. It seems all that worrying, all those questions . . . wasted time. Great job kids. Tuesday Coach S and Coach Coletti will lead you at practice getting under way at 1:45.
No comments:
Post a Comment