Coaching cross country is a rewarding experience.
Coaching a high school cross-country team is a challenging yet rewarding experience. You must be motivated, energetic, and be able to develop a good rapport with high school students. The first year on the job as a coach may involve long work hours as you learn recruit and train runners, keep detailed records of mileage, injuries, and progress, and develop effective yet varied training plans. In short, your track stars will look to you for running guidance. As a coach, you will want to set a good example of sportsmanship both on and off the trails.
Instructions
Familiarize yourself with running basics
1. Know the different types of running drills.
Familiarize yourself with different types of cross-country running plans. For example, a tempo run -- a run in the woods that involves holding a certain pace for five to 10 minutes at a time -- is different from an interval run, which involves fast sprints on flat and hilly surfaces. Because cross country involves running at quick speeds on rough terrain, you will want to know when to incorporate various types of workouts, such as tempo runs, intervals, fartleks, long runs, sprints, hills and easy days. This is where your running log comes in handy. Spread out the different types of runs based on the desired skill you wish to increase in your runners. For example, if most of your team has mastered sprints for the final kick in a race, but are are unable to maintain pace in the middle of a long run, you may incorporate more mileage in the workouts or have your team sprint during the middle of a race rather than the end. Generally speaking, you don't want to incorporate the same type of workout on consecutive day as that will exhaust certain muscles groups. If you do a 10-mile run on a Wednesday, do only four on Thursday and tack on a few hill runs.
2. Familarize yourself wtih local running trails.
Find local running courses near the high school. Before sending your students out on the trails, go for a run yourself to get a feel for the course and note any safety concerns. In addition to scouting your own trails, ask other local cross country coaches what trails they recommend. Runners who actually train in the woods or open fields --as opposed to a track -- will be better prepared for races that occur on similar terrain.
3. Make a workout plan.
Make a workout plan for your students to hang on the wall of the locker room or to post on the team webpage. On Sunday, email your students the weekly plan so they can get mentally prepared for the workouts ahead. Your workout plan should include the daily workout, the location, personal and team goals that you deem important, upcoming race meets and other events. Spiff up your workout plan by adding inspirational quotes by other runners or athletes.
Get to know your runners
4. Get to know your runners by joining them on runs.
5. Take your team out for dinner.
Take your team out for dinner after practice or a meet. They will appreciate the chance to socialize off the running trails.
6. Provide academic and supportive assistance to your runners.
Assist runners who may be struggling both on and off the team. If you have runners on the team who are struggling to meet a personal record or juggle the demands of being in school and a sports meet, set aside some extra time to help them. Offer to help them find tutoring services or tutor them yourself.
Tags: workout plan, your runners, your team, different types, your students