A note about the future and Final thoughts on 2016 Cross Country....

Before I even begin to put a wrap on our  2016 season in words I want to very strongly encourage some thought about our future.

Much like a ship captain who inspects his ship to see if it is seaworthy, I have put a ton of thought and "inspection" into our ship in its current state. As we sit in port awaiting our 2017 Track and Field season and our 2017 Cross Country season, upon inspection and thoughtful consideration, I have found some cracks in the hull of our ship. That is to say...we have some problems we need to address. My aim here is to encourage everyone to deeply consider their actions, behaviors and attitudes and contemplate how they can improve them for betterment of the team.

 The cracks in our hull are most notably centered around our character, both individually and collectively. We are young and wildly talented in running, but we are also quite in need of a character check. With youth and lack of maturity comes issues of character. I have been through seasons where this immaturity and lack of character have ruined opportunities for success. With so much on the line for us in the coming seasons... I feel as this ships captain that I must begin to address these issues in a general sense with everyone.

Your Character Matters.

Who you are to each other and who you are to your community at large is of vital importance. The actions you take, the words you use, the attitude you communicate must improve. It has come to my attention in various ways throughout this year that we are in need of a a course correction with WHO we are. I won't go into specifics. The bottom line is that I am raising the bar on the most important element of success for our program. That is to say that I expect everyone to take a long look in the mirror and consider how you are treating your teammates, coaches and community at large. Saying it even more sharply...the number one priority for any organization or group is safety...do the members of the organization feel safe?  All I can say is that I get the sense that not everyone on the team feels safe. Parents, I encourage you to talk with your kids about this issue of character. Ask your kids how they conduct themselves in school and on the team. It is a incredibly important personal reflection and conversation for them to engage in. It is my hope that through that conversation and self reflection that we can begin to grow together and mature into a team of character that we can all be proud of.

and now a wrap on the season in my words....

What Drew Valerio taught me about coaching....

There is a certain beauty in being wrong. That beauty has to do with the symmetry between our being wrong and the learning and personal growth that happens upon recognizing our wrongness.

I was wrong about Drew Valerio and it reminded me that despite my best guesses, analysis and thoughts, kids will prove me wrong in the blink of an eye when given the opportunity. Therefore...no matter what the odds...

As much as I wanted Drew to break 18 minutes in Arizona, I was barely optimistic about his chances going into the race. Having missed workouts and having run a terrible hard mile effort the Tuesday before the race I really didn't think he could do it. Under the best of circumstances on race day, meaning a fast grass surface and running the race in a way to give himself a "chance" I figured he had a 1% chance of running 17:55. On sheer hope and prayer I "predicted" him at 17:55. I felt I was being tremendously optimistic with that and as I predicted it typing it into my phone, I said a little prayer hoping to speak/pray his race into existence. All this to say...I really felt like I was lying to myself and that in reality he was going to run 18:30 at best and potentially based on his mile on Tuesday 19:15!!!

As the boys came racing down the final home stretch last Saturday...There was Drew Valerio...reaching deep into his reserve of will power to prove me wrong. His 17:49 and Simon Castagneri's personal best 17:42... put a cap on an incredible season for the 15 boys who finished their season in Arizona. Those 15 had made it an intention to get everyone under 18 minutes for the year..a Dakota Ridge school record. In 20 years...this school has never had a boys team put 15 guys UNDER 18 minutes. It is a testament to their belief in each other and their hard work that goes back to June when they started running together in full.


Why Ainsley Hecox and Garick Howard are the story of the year.....

It's easy to get lost in hyperbole on the seasons put together by Michelle Renner and Austin Vancil. Without question they get the credit they deserve amongst us. We also get lost in the same way when we look at our freshman boys team and when we continue to shine light (good or bad) on Tony and Braden because they often SEEK the attention. However, upon reflection of our year...I asked myself....

What two kids in 2016, boy and a girl embodied the spirit of Dakota Ridge Cross Country and overall the spirit of distance running the most?

The answer in my opinion was Ainsley Hecox and Garick Howard.

Continuing with the "Never tell me the odds" line of thinking...I never would have guessed that Ainsley Hecox would run at the State Cross Country meet..and yet she did. Ainsley embodied the spirit of the sport in ways that are both beautiful and fantastic this year. She is the model by which I hope we can continue to grow as a team. Ainsley showed up daily, (came to Saturday runs even!), created a personal intention, fought for that intention, competed with heart and soul and in the end found herself racing the final 200 meters in Arizona trying to achieve her vision...break 22 minutes. The essence of the sport is the undeniable challenge the clock gives us. Like it or not, it is the measure by which we define success or failure most often. So much goes into achieving personal best times in this sport. When they happen they are usually beautiful and compelling stories of perseverance, good fortune, hard work and a myriad of other themes we could mention. In Ainsley's case, its the hard work done in relative anonymity that paradoxically stands out to me. Having personal motivation and collective (team) motivation is ultimately how individuals improve performance in this sport. Every team needs a grinder who shows up everyday and works hard drawing on that dual motivation. For us in 2016 Ainsley was that student-athlete. The example she set this year is one we should all look at and emulate going forward.

Garick Howard's story is in the same book as Ainsley's with one exception. Garick made an incredible effort ALL year to come from Warren Tech and oftentimes run alone when others were done. Garick strived to become great in his final year here. He set out in search of his best. He pushed off from shore, into an unknown. He had no guarantee of success. He found success early on this season in Alamosa, and found complete heartache when he was our eighth man going into League. I wondered how he would rebound and I watched over the last month to see what happened. What Garick Howard did was provide us with one of the great stories of our season over the last month. He certainly could have called it quits in October when he was our eighth guy and not able to race Varsity League and subsequently Regionals and State. Instead of packing it in mentally and emotionally, he reinvested. He fought harder. He capped his Senior year with a month of heartfelt effort and a Personal Best 17:14 as compelling as any I have seen. You see.. its when the chips are down you see the true character of someone. Garick fell short of some of his goals this year and he was rightfully disappointed "the chips were down".... however...when it mattered most...when he could have packed it in...he kept sailing, kept fighting, he kept running.

  Running...I hope...  for as long as you can do it is a safe haven of ritual you all can fall back on in good times and bad. There is nothing like the earth spinning below your feet, your lungs and heart pumping, your brain and soul churning out ideas, hopes and dreams while you run. It is the greatest and most challenging of all sports and you all should be proud of participating in it.  

I am so very thankful for ALL (parents, coaches, student-athletes) of you and for the effort you gave us this year.

It was a memorable and tremendous Cross Country season everyone. Let's take that momentum forward as we move into Track and Field.