Stay With Your Coach (If You Can)
Stay With Your Coach (If You Can)
Stay With Your Coach (If You Can)
Remember the days when you left your comfortable high school team and then got your rear whooped on a college team? What about when there was a coaching change at your school?
These changes can be very difficult. I went through 4 different coaches in successive years from ages 16 to 19. At the time I was an average runner who knew nothing, but the changes were still challenging. What happens when a stud at the top of the competition switches coaches? These type of changes can be career altering. And then there is Ryan Vail.
In my recent interview with Vail, he attributed much of his current success with is continued association with coach Dave Smith at Oklahoma State (they are now in their sixth year together). He talked about how he is keeping his philosophy the same, for the most part, in terms of training and racing. Though Vail is in Portland, he communicates regularly with Smith and does a significant amount of training alone.
After the interview I realized that very few pros talk about how they still work with their college coach. From what I know of the rules, college coaches are allowed to work with their alums for five years after eligibility has run out. Why do so many runners leave the coach that made them successful?
I spoke with a top college coach about this recently. He was disappointed that a few of his alumni athletes decided to exercise their freedom and pursue other guidance after they ran very well under him. There is proof in this coach’s post-collegiate success because he still works with athletes that have improved since graduation.
It seems that runners want to break the chains of the college system and jump straight into the professional ranks, which is actually quite different that the three-season NCAA structure. Most domestic pros run a few indoor races in February and March, a couple of domestic meets before USAs in June, and hopefully land a plane ticket to race in Europe during the summer. Those who remain healthy might run a road race or two in the fall and then get back to base training. The NCAA season has more down time built into the summer and winter. Trying to be successful as a pro under a new coach, with these changes, is very difficult.
This professional changes in racing also means an adjustment to training programs. If that is done under a new coach, this combination of changes can take years to get used to. I wish more athletes would follow a path similar to that of Garrett Heath. Unfortunately an injury cut into his 2011 season, but Garrett has progressed nicely since graduation from Stanford in 2009. He made the world indoor team in 2010, had a few nice races in 2011, and has already run 3:55 and 7:45 indoors this year. During this time he stayed in Palo Alto under the guidance of Cardinal distance coach Jason Dunn.
One challenge for athletes is having a coach that can handle additional responsibilities. My guess is that most collegiate coaching contracts are not renewed based on an alum's performance at USAs. All efforts of the coaches must go into NCAAs. Sometimes athletes have no choice but to move on.
Ryan Vail seemed quite comfortable with his college coach. It is not that he is unable to leave the nest in which he was raised. Rather, the best route for him is to keep doing what made him good. This seems pretty simple to me. There are so many changes for a runner as they transition into post-collegiate life that the best bet for many is to keep the coaching familiar, if possible.
Spring graduation is quickly approaching. So is the end of eligibility for some big time seniors. I hope they take a page out of Ryan Vail’s book and continue good coaching relationships. Just ask Meb. After nearly 20 years, 3 Olympic teams, and countless top 5 marathon finishes, a relationship with coach Bob Larson is proof that the same can definitely be the best thing.
These changes can be very difficult. I went through 4 different coaches in successive years from ages 16 to 19. At the time I was an average runner who knew nothing, but the changes were still challenging. What happens when a stud at the top of the competition switches coaches? These type of changes can be career altering. And then there is Ryan Vail.
In my recent interview with Vail, he attributed much of his current success with is continued association with coach Dave Smith at Oklahoma State (they are now in their sixth year together). He talked about how he is keeping his philosophy the same, for the most part, in terms of training and racing. Though Vail is in Portland, he communicates regularly with Smith and does a significant amount of training alone.
After the interview I realized that very few pros talk about how they still work with their college coach. From what I know of the rules, college coaches are allowed to work with their alums for five years after eligibility has run out. Why do so many runners leave the coach that made them successful?
I spoke with a top college coach about this recently. He was disappointed that a few of his alumni athletes decided to exercise their freedom and pursue other guidance after they ran very well under him. There is proof in this coach’s post-collegiate success because he still works with athletes that have improved since graduation.
It seems that runners want to break the chains of the college system and jump straight into the professional ranks, which is actually quite different that the three-season NCAA structure. Most domestic pros run a few indoor races in February and March, a couple of domestic meets before USAs in June, and hopefully land a plane ticket to race in Europe during the summer. Those who remain healthy might run a road race or two in the fall and then get back to base training. The NCAA season has more down time built into the summer and winter. Trying to be successful as a pro under a new coach, with these changes, is very difficult.
This professional changes in racing also means an adjustment to training programs. If that is done under a new coach, this combination of changes can take years to get used to. I wish more athletes would follow a path similar to that of Garrett Heath. Unfortunately an injury cut into his 2011 season, but Garrett has progressed nicely since graduation from Stanford in 2009. He made the world indoor team in 2010, had a few nice races in 2011, and has already run 3:55 and 7:45 indoors this year. During this time he stayed in Palo Alto under the guidance of Cardinal distance coach Jason Dunn.
One challenge for athletes is having a coach that can handle additional responsibilities. My guess is that most collegiate coaching contracts are not renewed based on an alum's performance at USAs. All efforts of the coaches must go into NCAAs. Sometimes athletes have no choice but to move on.
Ryan Vail seemed quite comfortable with his college coach. It is not that he is unable to leave the nest in which he was raised. Rather, the best route for him is to keep doing what made him good. This seems pretty simple to me. There are so many changes for a runner as they transition into post-collegiate life that the best bet for many is to keep the coaching familiar, if possible.
Spring graduation is quickly approaching. So is the end of eligibility for some big time seniors. I hope they take a page out of Ryan Vail’s book and continue good coaching relationships. Just ask Meb. After nearly 20 years, 3 Olympic teams, and countless top 5 marathon finishes, a relationship with coach Bob Larson is proof that the same can definitely be the best thing.
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