The point is, that as a high school coach I am compelled (gifted?) to work with all types of runners. You try to build an inclusive culture. A community of hard work, of passion for the sport, of caring about your performances and your teammates, of representing your school, your coaches, and yourself in a positive, competitive way.
Building a culture around running is hard. Really hard. Especially when working with young people. But encouraging people to do something as challenging as running has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Whether it is putting a medal around the neck of a state champion or giving a high-5 to a young lady who simply didn’t walk during a 5k the upside of coaching is incredible. Developing a philosophy of training and coaching and experimenting with both is one of those processes that is frustrating and gratifying at the same. I would argue that this same definition applies to learning. That is what life is about. Well, partly about. By partly about, I mean the two experiences of encouraging others to be their best and learning. So to those looking to meet a goal or those who have been helped by someone along the way, props to you and props to them. Rise to it.
