Q. What sets you apart from other coaches?

A. Track and field is my full-time job. I am 100% committed to helping my athletes perform to their fullest potential. To do this, I am continually learning, attending conferences, reaching out to experts in the field, involving myself in track and field leadership opportunities to give back to the sport, and honing my skills to ensure my athletes receive the best coaching possible. When you want to be the best, you surround yourself with the best, and that’s what I do. I know enough to know that I don’t have all the answers, but I do know how to find them.

 

Another key difference is that I am more interested in my athletes achieving their goals than in putting feathers in my cap. I don’t beat my athletes into the ground trying to turn them into the next Flo-Jo. I am not Al Joyner, and chances are pretty high that you are not Florence Griffith Joyner. I teach them the sport so they can enjoy long-term involvement. It’s not enough to be able to run fast to succeed. Athletes need to understand race and event strategies, how to compete, how to keep a competitor mindset, how to navigate track meets, what needs to happen off the track (life balance, nutrition, sleep, recovery, etc.,) and the technical aspects of their events. I am a very technical coach, but I am also very focused on the athlete’s whole health. E4 stands for – effort, execution, efficiency, and excellence. If you put effort into execution, you will become efficient and achieve personal excellence. Smiling, healthy, goal-reaching athletes are our biggest accomplishments. Their goals are my goals. We succeed together.

 

Q. How do you feel about strength training?

A. I feel good about it. Kids new to strength training quickly improve once they start the work. I am not a licensed strength coach. I do have knowledge from nearly twenty total years of competing and coaching about sport-specific strength work. We do functional sport-specific strengthening at just about every training session except for pre-meet workouts unless an athlete has their own strength coach or outside program. Training includes body weight, weight balls, plyo, core work, dynamic strength exercises, flexibility, mobility etc.

 

Q. Can you teach them technical work to improve in their events?

A. Yes, that’s my favorite thing to do. I can coach each event except for the pole vault, weight throw, hammer, speed walking, and steeplechase. 

 

Q. What if my child can’t make a practice or session?

A. As a mother of four, I completely understand the complexities of family schedules. Practice is on a drop-in, pay-as-you-go basis. I ask that you sign up for sessions beforehand so I know who is coming and can plan accordingly.

 

Q. Do they have to compete?

A. No. We do participate in USATF regional track meets, but participation is entirely up to you, with a couple of exceptions. If athletes have school sports, those competitions must be their priority as bonafide members of an MIAA team. I will not allow athletes to compete if it means they will have two competitive events in one day. Long-term health is more important than short-term achievement goals. Double practices are allowed but are monitored for a safe workload. If you go to a three-hour cheer practice later in the evening, we will adjust our focus in the morning, or vice versa. There’s plenty that can be learned or accomplished without maxing out.

 

Q. What do you do in the off-season?

A. During the off-season, we focus on speed mechanics and functional training. Summer is the perfect time to work on mechanics and foundation building. In the preseason, we work on individualized event demand conditioning, acceleration, goal-setting, recovery programs and habits, and mental prep work.

 

Q. What do you do in the case of inclement weather?

A. We are very safety focused and will cancel in high heat, freezing temps, or for any other weather or health advisory concerns. In some cases, we may reschedule and will have clear communication with our athletes.