Starting this last Monday our team exploded. We went from the original 13 athletes to now over 35 and at times almost 40. These students have come from different districts to live in LP and train with us for the high school games. The coaching staff has also ballooned to 8 of us. The first set of drills was the definition of too many cooks in the kitchen. Its like the two cooks who know whats on the menu only speak french and the rest speak English. This is basically what Tom and I were dealing with. We had a set routine with the original 13 (sounds like a band or the colonies) and they did the drills in the order and how I had wanted them to. Then the new coaches showed up and tried to change everything. Luckily from that original power struggle on the hierarchy has reestablish itself and they are back to the rhythm we put them in. For the most part since that first day the other coaches have been very good about not only helping us but trying to be involved. I have tried to get some of them to carve out particular niches so I could help oversee everything but that mostly failed.
Tuesday we started two a days which is a huge leap for some people. Some of these athletes had rarely run at all and now are being forced to work out twice a day. This is also testing the limits of my coaching ability. I am trying to get people ready for different events in a month and all the while getting them in shape. Finding ways to get two workouts out of people who after the first one Tuesday were crying because they were tired. That was a first for me and hopefully a last. Hopefully they can just get in better shape.
I know they might not win any medals but I want to give them the best chance I can. Who knows they might win somethings?
2 comments:
David,
Your dad has shared your blog with me. This is an amazing experience that I hope you appreciate every day. I left the United States for the first time when I was 27 years old. Discovering the world around us is very cool. Loved your playlist...this is the stuff I grew up listening to (and I hope that doesn't make you want to run out and change it). Curt Pabst
Hey Curt thanks for the comment. I am loving almost every minute of it. Sometimes its a little frustrating trying to coach in a language I don't know. But that's on me for not knowing Lao.
By the way I will not be changing the playlist. I like those songs. I hope you like them also and weren't force to listen to them growing up.
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