Latest / The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast / #160: LaKeidra Stewart-McKinney (TX) High School

Transcript

#160: LaKeidra Stewart-McKinney (TX) High School · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

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See what today's guest has in store for us.
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Alright, welcome back to the podcast.
0:42
Here we go. Man, I am super excited.
0:44
Help me, welcome the head. Girls coach from McKinney High
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School and the great state of Texas.
0:49
Help me welcome the wise. The wonderful Miss look kedra
0:51
Stewart. Look hedra, how are you?
0:53
I'm doing great, thank you for that.
0:55
Welcome well, it's true. You know, I do that with all of
0:58
our guests. I think as we have track coaches
1:00
on this podcast from around the country, you have to be wise and
1:05
wonderful to be a track coach called me wrong.
1:09
But, you know, you got to have a little bit going on there.
1:11
You have two little bit going on, absolutely, with what
1:14
coaches on every level, high school college, professional to
1:17
deal with what you deal with and do what you do and Excel at what
1:21
you do. You better be wise and you
1:23
better be awesome. You better be wonderful.
1:25
So it is 100% heartfelt. Look, he drew.
1:28
You are wise. You are wonderful.
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And you chose to be on this podcast that automatically makes
1:33
you wise and wonderful. I love it.
1:37
Well, I didn't do it. Adduction.
1:38
I'm so sorry. I am not wise and wonderful.
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I'm just my Cunningham. I am your host here on the
1:42
podcast. National sales manager for Gill
1:44
Athletics, the connections podcast here.
1:46
If this is your first time, we are here to uplift and Honor
1:50
track coaches from, literally around the world and at all
1:53
levels, we've had coaches on The Summer circuit a You usatf Youth
1:58
Club, level high school, Collegiate, professional
2:01
International and today I'm super excited because first of
2:04
all, she was a stud athlete and has now turned into a stud But
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she's also from the great state of Texas.
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So we're gonna have some uniqueness is here on how she
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coaches what she looks for. How she got into coaching and
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just super excited to find out more about the high school
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level. We had do, you know, Shelton
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Irvin from. Yeah, we had him on the podcast.
2:25
Yeah, we had him on the podcast Summer Creek.
2:27
Yeah, yeah, a few months ago. Yeah, he was, he was awesome.
2:31
He, he, he told us and taught us all about the Texas system.
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And, you know, the double points for relays and And we didn't
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talk about this new, we did briefly, but he is working with
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the TFC a in the UIL right now. I didn't realize and this just
2:46
seems Bonkers to me. You only score 6 points, six
2:50
places, at the state meet. Yeah, yeah.
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So yeah, you know, they accept nine athletes, because UT has
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nine Lanes, but only six score. So, if you get a place, your,
3:01
you know, you don't score a point.
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It's crazy. Boggles me, I mean, you know,
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you can argue Both sides on whether the relay should be
3:10
double points and whether there should be other events added in
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all those, you know, you taking account.
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There's some cost issues and stuff like that but for this one
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to give one point to the eighth place and two points to the 7th
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place which is traditional. And I in fact if there's another
3:25
state out there, hit me up on Twitter at my kind of game.
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I want to know, but I have to believe that the other 49
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states. I'll do a places because they're
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all doing an eight-lane track. So Tess, everything's bigger in
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Texas. Except for the scoring at state
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meet, right. Exactly.
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Make any sense and you know for me coming from that
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college-level soon, as I came to high school, I just assumed
3:48
everyone scored. And they were like, no, seventh
3:51
and eighth place. Don't score you put in all this
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work. You make it to State.
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You make the, you know, you're at the big dance and it doesn't
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matter. You don't score.
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Yeah. Do you have any idea?
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Why, or how that started? Or maybe it just always was I
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honestly don't know. I mean, I guess it may have
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always just kind of been like that in Texas.
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I'm really not sure, but i--, I did hear about him fighting for
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that. And, you know, I'm definitely a
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big supporter and, you know, even with the double points for
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relays, I'm also, you know, just a supporter of some of those
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things as well. So I hope he hope he's able to
4:24
accomplish those things. I agree, Texas, get with it.
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This is Texas, has all this the great things you check off our
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track awesome facilities. Great athletes, I love the
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system. Where it's a finals.
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Only state meet. I really do like that as well.
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But then you only score 6 points come or six places.
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All my come on, what region? You see.
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I knew I was going to mess it up.
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I'm so sorry. Of course, I waited to hit
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record. Exactly.
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Yeah and I don't do any editing so everybody just heard that
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there's no there's no cutting that out making me look good.
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I need as much help as I can but I don't even do that.
5:00
Look hedra, let's start with you.
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So you were an awesome. Fleet you went to the Texas A&M
5:05
University. We're going to learn you were
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coached by great friend of ours and really great friend of track
5:10
and field Vance Anderson. So obviously you're a great
5:13
athlete because you don't go to Texas A&M unless you're a great
5:16
athlete. But there had to be some point.
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We're kind of the I was like to think of it as like a switch a
5:23
switch flipped for you. That coaching went from
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something that gets done to you. So High School coaches coached
5:30
you college, coaches coach to that level.
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To where it flipped, at some point in, you were like, wait a
5:36
minute. Like I actually could be a cook.
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Like, that's what I want to be talked to us.
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How did you mindset? When did that start happening?
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Flipping from athlete to like, I want to be a coach.
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Well, you know, I was really interesting thing, you know, I I
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never really thought about coaching honestly or something.
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I completely ran away from. I thought I was going to be a
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lawyer or possibly a gnome astronomist.
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So, even at nmi, Astronomy classes that, you know, so
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coaching really wasn't even on my radar.
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But as I got closer to graduation, I talked to Coach
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Henry and Coach Anderson honestly just about a volunteer
6:16
opportunity after college. While I go to grad school,
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things like that. And so Coach Henry, he agreed
6:24
that you know, he blessed me with the opportunity to
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volunteer coach and I was going to work on the men's side
6:31
actually. Assisting.
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Him. But I ended up moving back home
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and trying to pursue running post-collegiate leaves.
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It's a dream of mine, you know. I was like hey this is my one
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shot, just go for it. And so I started training with
6:45
my former coach, my club coach from high school my cart and so
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I did that for about a year and you know, I was like, okay I
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just realized that passion just wasn't there for me.
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I needed a break from the sport all together and actually got
7:02
into social work. Yeah, so I was a social worker
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for a few years working with CPS in Fort Worth Tarrant County.
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So I did that and I really enjoy giving back to the community and
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working with families, but I just wanted to do it in a
7:19
different way. And actually got into back in
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contact with my former High School coach from Mansfield
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Timber View. It's a school out here and you
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know, I just kind of talked to her and she Allowed me to come
7:34
out and volunteer with her team. And I just came out a few days a
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week. Just working with the girls and
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they really just really inspired me and lit a fire under me.
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Um, I was just, you know, I'm, I realized how much I really miss
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just being around coaching and working with the girls, and it
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was just such a, such a amazing experience for me, coming back
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to my old high school and just going back to where things
8:00
started. And, you know, just working with
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the girls in They just listened and worked hard and just wanted
8:06
to, you know, work and everything.
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And so yeah, they really inspired me to get into
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coaching. So I ended up enrolling in
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school online with an M for my masters in sport management.
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And while I was still living in Arlington, I started
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volunteering at UT Arlington. Yes.
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With coached our Hegg coach Jordan, and Coach Edgar.
8:32
And And that really just solidified everything for me
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that this is what I was supposed to be doing.
8:39
So let's pause there. You said you're going, you're
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doing Masters and sports ministration.
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What did you end up getting your undergrad in sociology, social
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in, right? What?
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How many years after your undergrad graduate?
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Are we at where we're at? UTA for volunteer?
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It was about five years, I love that.
8:58
So you graduated somewhere around twenty one twenty two
9:00
years of age. So your we're talking about your
9:02
around 27 years old. Right.
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Yeah, yeah. You know what I love about them
9:06
is in society and work as coaches were guilty of this
9:12
where we try to almost condemned.
9:16
That's a strong word, 18 year olds for, you know, coming out
9:18
of high school 22 year, olds coming out of college that you
9:21
how many times you had have you heard?
9:23
You have to have your stuff together, right?
9:26
Yeah, you're supposed to like at 22 years old, have it all
9:28
figured out what your your career is going to be where
9:31
you're going to live, you know, you're, you're House.
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Yeah. Reality is I love really at 27
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is, when you started finding it's interesting that all those
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different degrees that are potential.
9:44
You know, jobs that you were looking careers, you're looking
9:46
for. They all have service at the end
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of their, you know, lawyers you're serving someone
9:51
astronomy. You're serving the greater good
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of science social work. Of course I mean that's a
9:56
unbelievable service job so in coaching of course is service so
10:00
it's always service was always there but it was like, what the
10:03
Million different routes and careers you could go to and that
10:06
it, I must say, it took you to 27 but I like, I actually love
10:09
that. Like, I think there's a 25 year
10:11
old that out there right now. That's like, man, I just don't,
10:14
I want to be a coach but I don't know because I really enjoy this
10:17
aspect or I maybe I enjoy being at home and being a stay-at-home
10:21
mom. It's like I've missed out at 25.
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It's too late and it's like no it's not like I love that.
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That is my favorite type of Journey to get started is I was
10:34
tasting a lot of different things.
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I was trying to figure it out and you know what?
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You don't have to be 22 and have it all.
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Figured out I didn't start Gill until I was 30 years old so I
10:42
had to careers coaching and then this crazy professional poker
10:46
thing that I did. But 30 before I actually found
10:49
like, oh this is how I serve people by being here, Gil and
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doing this type. So manly kedra way to stick to
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it. You could have given up 100 to
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this point, going to UT Arlington any times that you
11:02
just were like, you know what? It's, it's not as easy as I
11:05
maybe wanted it. Or I'm just not seeing the, the
11:08
light in the tunnel. I'm just, I'm just going to give
11:10
up. Are there any thoughts of that
11:12
during this time? Oh yeah.
11:13
For sure. And I was actually a new mom at
11:15
that point as well. I had my son at 25 and you know,
11:19
I was really just trying to figure it out what I wanted to
11:21
do with my life, I just knew social work.
11:23
It was just, you know, kind of taking a toll, it's a very, very
11:26
tough job, especially with CPS, I was an investigator so I was a
11:31
person that had to come knock on the door, you know, ass A if
11:34
they were abusing their children.
11:35
So I just knew I wanted to serve the community in some form or
11:39
way. I'll say, for me, the real trial
11:42
came after I graduated with my masters and I finished
11:46
volunteering at UTA. I just honestly assumed that
11:51
college was instant, I was going to coaching College instantly.
11:55
I was going to get paid for it and you know, that that's where
11:59
it got tough. Because that did not and that is
12:03
all Also a very important PSA for everybody, that's feels
12:07
really good. I'm glad you brought that up.
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You brought up your your son as well.
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So again Bravo, for not giving up and giving up maybe as a
12:16
harsh term. I mean, giving up on this dream
12:18
of coaching and going and being a social worker, be another
12:20
great things and being a mom, which of course is the most
12:23
important thing. So I just give Bravo of like all
12:25
these things, you just kept at it.
12:27
Like I'm surprised you were a sprinter.
12:30
You sound more of like what I would think of a traditional
12:32
distance Runner to someone who's a Reminders.
12:34
Like all right we got to put in 80 miles this week.
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Well, yeah it may not be pretty but we're gonna go do it.
12:39
So Bravo real quick before we continue on before all these
12:43
colleges started beating down your door because of your
12:45
volunteer at GTA, what was it? Like and we don't talk.
12:50
We first of all, we don't talk any X's and O's about training.
12:52
There's a lot of other amazing resources out there for that.
12:56
And we don't really talk about athleticism too much, but I am
12:59
interested, when I coach in the SEC, we used to have a thing
13:02
that we'd say, you know, the easiest way to go from number
13:04
one to number 100, in track and field is the GoPro.
13:07
So what was it like? Yeah, I want to know just a
13:10
little bit of your experience of, you know, I love that.
13:12
You chase that dream, you know? Because now you have no regrets.
13:14
It's like alright I tried it just wouldn't didn't work out
13:17
for me. How was that going from a great
13:19
career Texas A&M and then jumping into that big deep pool
13:23
of professional track? Yeah um you know, it's
13:27
definitely something that no amount of experience or hearing
13:31
from other people will prepare you for Something that you just
13:34
honestly have to experience on your own, and I actually
13:38
experienced a little bit of it. My freshman year, I actually
13:40
went to the University of Texas and I transferred to an m and at
13:44
the time we were still in the Big 12.
13:46
So I didn't get released from my previous coach.
13:49
And I had to sit out a year. So I experience being on your
13:53
own not being able to compete with your team traveling by
13:56
myself. You know, not even being able to
13:58
wear my school's logo. So I did experience that a
14:00
little bit early, but I will say As being like a post-collegiate
14:05
it athlete you know you're trying to work a regular job.
14:09
Also trying to grind it out, finding the energy to go to
14:12
practice, you know, the workouts and it's not the same, it really
14:17
isn't. So you have to really, you have
14:20
to be focused, you have to be extremely dedicated and you know
14:25
nutrition all of those things you have to really, really be,
14:30
you know like committed to to it.
14:33
So it was, it was really tough. I was a mom at that time to just
14:37
having my son and trying to get back into it.
14:38
And, you know, I actually did my competed in a meter to and it's
14:42
so interesting because it was me and a few other of my, you know,
14:49
former teammates that were post-collegiate and we were
14:52
thinking we were just going to these small meets in these small
14:54
cities and then out of nowhere, you know we're just going to run
14:58
and just like okay hey just a knock the rust off and then you
15:02
know they say our names, they start.
15:03
Saying all these accolades from college and we were like, oh
15:06
wait a minute. No, I did not want anybody to
15:09
know. This is me running.
15:10
I just thought you were going to say my name and I got to run so
15:14
that was not fun. I mean, they're just like, you
15:17
know, NCAA Champion for Texas A&M for by one all these things.
15:22
And I'm like I just had a child this is my first race in like
15:26
three years. I'm just trying to see where I
15:28
am, you know. But you know I definitely don't
15:31
regret it. Like he said, I tried And I was
15:34
like, hey, you know, I went for it, I went all in and it just
15:37
didn't work out, but I have no regrets about them, but it's
15:40
tough, it is tough. I commend everyone, I think the
15:43
laser Johnson right now she's talking about, you know, it's
15:46
tough, you know, and she's in Tip-Top shape running the
15:49
fastest times of her life, trying to, you know, get a
15:51
sponsorship and it's tough. So I commend all on unsigned
15:56
athletes, whether it be football, track just
15:59
professional athletes in general.
16:01
Yeah your your margin of error. College is much much wider than
16:05
it is on the elite level. The other aspect, there's two
16:08
other aspects, one you touched on that?
16:09
I really like. Well one aspect is, you know,
16:12
you go from being on a college team to where your schedule is
16:15
already set up somebody's already scheduling the buses in
16:17
the plains for you. So I'm going to giving you a
16:19
uniform, someone's telling you. Hey, it starts at 1:00 for your
16:22
event. You go to the elite side and
16:25
you've got to figure out how your travel is, your
16:28
chiropractor, probably goes away.
16:29
If you're not able to use your school's, you got to figure out
16:32
what time is, it is mine. Well event and talking about,
16:35
you know, talking to meet managers and stuff to get in.
16:37
So that's really tough. But the aspect that I think that
16:39
really, I'm gonna say hurts. A lot of people meaning.
16:42
This is why a lot of people maybe can't make that next step.
16:46
You talked about that year where you transferred and you couldn't
16:50
even put on your school's uniform, right?
16:53
So you didn't have that team aspect so you are going to the
16:56
meeting. It's kind of the same reason.
16:58
Why you see some people can maybe run 50 flat for the
17:01
quarter but when they get in a relay, they Run 48 and even 47.
17:05
It's like me I can't do that in the the open well, in the open.
17:08
It's all about me. I'm the only one on the line,
17:11
but one on a relay is I have three other people counting on
17:13
me. It's that same thing.
17:14
When you go pro, there is no team and you can come on, Team
17:17
USA. And that's and I'm sure I have
17:19
no experience with that, but I know that has to be some
17:21
camaraderie, but that's for a finite time, we're on a daily
17:25
basis. It's it's you you like you said,
17:27
they said your accolades out there, not the tea, the school's
17:30
act like it's the team's accolades.
17:32
It was you There's I think that's where a lot of people.
17:35
They It's probably hard for them to verbalize that part of it,
17:39
but I think that's where a lot because you talked about, you
17:41
know, you have to really be, you know, get on practice and make
17:44
sure you're doing all that. And it's like, well you know, I
17:45
used to have to really worry about that because my teammates
17:48
would kick my butt. If I sleep, well, if I just
17:51
sleep in it, don't do it. Well, it's okay.
17:52
It's just me. I'll do it tomorrow.
17:54
No one's going to say anything. You know, it's tough.
17:56
Yeah, actually appreciate that that experience at that level of
18:02
that because it is tough and I'm so glad That you did it.
18:04
Because again, when you're 40 50, 60, 70, 80 years old.
18:07
There's no like, man. What, what could have been like?
18:09
Yeah, I tried it. And it's not that, that level, I
18:12
mean, as good as you were, it's a different level and it's some
18:15
people got in some people do. And there's so many other, like
18:17
I said, having a child, why it's so tough and I give it up to the
18:20
athletes. That, you know, who's the
18:22
athlete? Isn't there?
18:22
A hurdler that just had her third child?
18:25
Golly. Yeah.
18:27
Yeah. Nia, nia.
18:28
Nia, nia. Nia.
18:30
Nia a good. Golly, it's Killing it.
18:34
Killing me, come over me. And I mean, I mean for her, you
18:40
know, course Allyson Felix. You know, I mean, it's yeah,
18:45
it's tough. So I got to come in and wasn't
18:48
one of the quarter milers for us this past team.
18:50
Also, a mom kind of think of her name.
18:53
I couldn't and I won, I think USA championship for us for the
18:58
Olympic trials. Oh, It started with a Q.
19:04
I think she went to South Carolina.
19:11
Yes, you know you people are yelling at us right now.
19:14
Look you're there. Like it sounds.
19:16
And I'm so sorry if you're listening that I don't that I
19:18
just butchered your name but I do remember the whole mom thing
19:21
with Allison and then yes one. And that is that special?
19:24
That's it is that's really amazing.
19:26
Okay. Last thing before we get back to
19:27
your coaching. So sorry you're just so you're a
19:29
fountain full of experience that we have to leverage this.
19:32
So I do Recently saw this tweet is really smart, I think so.
19:35
Instead of a, a division ones just ended, I think we're
19:38
listening right now on June 20th is when we published this for
19:42
recording about a week earlier. But they said the between was
19:45
hey for all you you know graduating seniors from the NCAA
19:49
and all levels. You know do you want to D2 D3
19:51
that are going to try to go pro? Reach out to a current Pro and
19:55
ask them kind of like you know hey what should I look for when
19:58
I shouldn't as someone who kind of navigated that that that
20:01
realm, what advice? Us.
20:03
Would you have right now? There's a young lady or a young
20:05
man who's like, you know, maybe it's not the tray Cunningham's,
20:09
the 13 flat hundred meter guys that are, you know, they're the
20:12
he's already signed I'm sure with a contract but the 13 I
20:16
don't know. 40 would still be someone who would maybe try to
20:19
go pro? What advice would you give those
20:21
individuals that are talking to agents?
20:23
Trying to figure out what is my next step to get to usatf sin?
20:26
A pro career? What advice might you give them?
20:28
Um, my advice, I mean, I think that what I saw that tweet as
20:31
well, so I think that is a great tweet definitely reach out to
20:35
someone that you know, that you know, either they went
20:37
professionally or, you know, maybe they can put you in
20:41
contact with a good great resource so that you can learn
20:43
some things. But definitely, you know, it's
20:47
important having good people in your corner and if you do sign a
20:53
contract or, you know, if you're blessed fortunate enough to get
20:56
one, I just think. It's so So tough that you know,
21:00
they instantly kind of pull you to certain coaches, you know.
21:04
And I think it's very important for you to kind of stick where
21:08
you are, wherever you are, that was successful stay there,
21:12
first, I say. And then you know, if you know
21:16
is it doesn't work out you know with your college team or
21:18
whatever, all your college coach because of course for them,
21:21
their college team is going to come first.
21:23
You graduated at this coin, you're a professional.
21:25
You kind of got a it's different for you.
21:27
You're not practicing the same. Is the team anymore but I would
21:31
definitely say the kind of just stay where you are first and
21:35
then from there if you need to Branch out but don't just get,
21:37
instantly approved, move halfway across the country, you know, or
21:43
moving elsewhere to go train with somebody new that you don't
21:46
know. They don't know you, you know,
21:48
stay where you were successful. First, that would be my advice.
21:51
Yeah, it always kind of bothered me when you saw someone that had
21:54
success that instantly changed as soon as they were out of
21:57
college. And, you know, by the way, you
22:00
know, good friend George Williams from Saint Augustine's
22:02
college would always say, you know, if you're not in the
22:03
Huddle, you don't know the play. So I'm not judging, but from the
22:07
outside I said but you know, but does it room erases, everything
22:10
I said in front of it I'm not judging and what it looks like
22:14
from the outside is like, oh well you decided that coach
22:17
wasn't good enough for you to be a pro and so you go try to find.
22:19
Whoever the next verse says, however, this is the part I talk
22:22
about you. Don't, you know, if you're not
22:23
in the Huddle you don't know. The play is, you don't know the
22:25
to your point about the college coach going, hey, My focus is on
22:29
the team, it would be better for you to go find some like it's
22:32
all the blessing of. Okay, let's call some people.
22:35
Let's help you find that there. Yeah person but I think that
22:38
consistency and training is overlooked because you know,
22:41
every athletes little different, right?
22:42
So it takes time to learn that athlete and it takes time for
22:45
that athlete to learn and trust that coach and your to go right
22:49
back to Ground Zero with a new coach.
22:52
So, tough social net level. Get remember the level of
22:56
mistakes, you are margin of error, Q is small and smaller
23:00
every day. Exactly.
23:01
You know, I think we make the mistake of, you know, especially
23:05
with, you know, they have an elite athletes and this thing
23:10
that just because they're Elite, they can go and train anywhere,
23:13
you know coaching, you know, coaching definitely matters.
23:16
And you know, you might go somewhere where you've been
23:20
trained to certain way and then you go to this next person and
23:23
it's a complete shock to your body and your system and now
23:27
you're You're running times, you ran in high school and
23:29
everybody's like, wait a minute, what happened there, you know?
23:32
So I think that like you said, that consistency and training is
23:35
very, very important, very important.
23:37
I want to repeat something you said and this is something I
23:39
trumpet so much. You said coaching matters that a
23:44
lot of my tweets are literally just replies and it says,
23:46
hashtag coaching matters. We've sometimes like to do as
23:49
coaches icon, this may be harsh if you're listening out there
23:52
coaches and you do this, I like to call it fake humbleness where
23:55
they talk about. Oh, I just drive the bus.
23:58
I just, you know, I just get them.
24:00
I just registered events. Well, certainly because I
24:03
understand the reasoning behind. It's like, oh, you know, that
24:06
Fleet actually has to run or jump or whatnot, however, that
24:09
athlete would not run as fast, or jump as far north row as far
24:12
without coaching, like a couch matters, it absolutely does.
24:17
So, I get a little as a coach Advocate, I get a little on edge
24:21
when it's like, I'm just the bus driver.
24:22
Like, no, no, but you might also be driving the bus.
24:25
I get that, but if it weren't for You do with for that
24:29
athlete, and with that athlete, putting together the training,
24:31
and the motivation, and things like that, that athlete would
24:34
not be as good. I'm sorry.
24:35
It's who was coach themselves to be an elite athlete in this
24:39
more? No one.
24:41
I'm telling, you know, there may be someone who after a good
24:44
amount of career for the last couple of years did what?
24:47
All the stuff they learned. But that was all based on what
24:49
the coaches did. No one has just jumped on the
24:51
scene and ran extremely, you know, high level fast without
24:55
coaching. Sorry, actually just doesn't
24:57
happen. Okay.
24:59
That was a lot more fiercely than getting a coach.
25:02
That's out. I love.
25:03
That was so much fun. I was a lot of value for
25:05
listeners, appreciate that. So you're volunteering at UTA
25:09
working with some great people. You talked about John and who
25:13
else was there? You'd mention that?
25:14
Also, sorry, hopes, our Hague coach Amber.
25:17
He actually ran it in. Oh yeah, yeah, 5,000 Great
25:22
Britain in a court in Durham. Yeah, great people.
25:26
So you do some time there. Working on your Masters at the
25:29
same time it takes to see. Now what culminates to you get
25:33
ready to move on and talk about that.
25:35
The the anticipation of like oh well I should be able to just
25:38
these are my words. So let's make sure I'm not
25:41
putting words in her mouth here. You could go anywhere.
25:44
You want to college? I know.
25:45
You didn't say that. I said that but you thought.
25:48
Oh, I'll be able to get a college job.
25:50
Yeah. How did that work out?
25:52
What were those steps and talk to us about that transition?
25:55
Oh 100%, you know I was extremely nice.
25:58
Naive coming out, you know, I just I wasn't very educated on
26:02
the process with college coaching and the amount of time
26:06
that you have to put in, you know, with volunteering.
26:10
And, you know, it's like, even if you have these volunteer
26:14
hours or years behind you, what else?
26:17
You know, you have to bring away more to the table and for me,
26:20
especially with being a mom, there was just certain things
26:22
that I couldn't do. And I've seen some of my
26:24
teammates that are have gone on into coaching and they just Then
26:28
amazing things like they moved to, for example of Tamara Henry
26:34
New Mexico. Love him yelling.
26:36
Yes, he's killing it. In New Mexico, you know
26:39
coaching. And um, you know, just there
26:42
were a few others who've gone to like Heinz, not Heinz.
26:45
Um, what's the other? It's a Juco.
26:49
I'm trying Barton Community College, you know, gone off and
26:52
done great things. And I'm like, man, I wasn't
26:55
really willing to move in with track.
26:58
Sex in college world. You have to you know really be
27:01
willing to do that and early on I wasn't willing to do that and
27:04
I actually did have an opportunity to coach in college
27:13
and we work. I was going to have to uproot
27:16
and lose my son to very very small town and you know actually
27:21
he wasn't even going to be able to come with me.
27:23
I was going to have to go and people go by myself and just
27:26
kind of my parents and family. Everyone.
27:28
Is willing to help, but it was just something.
27:30
I was just like, you know, this isn't, I can't do it.
27:33
I just, I couldn't do it and so on.
27:35
Um, also I looked at high school as well because I initially, I
27:42
only wanted to coach in college so I High School wasn't even on
27:45
my radar. So, let me ask you there.
27:47
That's interesting. You said that in common, by the
27:50
way, what was it when you look back now?
27:53
Because now you have something that you didn't have back then
27:56
and that's experience like you can actually Look back and like
27:58
okay boy. I was thinking that because of X
28:00
Y and Z and that was kind of dumb or what.
28:02
Not right. Yeah.
28:03
Or that was genius. What do you think it was when
28:06
you had that attitude of like yeah, I'm not coaching high
28:09
school. I'm coaching College.
28:10
What do you think that was I think, for me, just competing,
28:17
you know, being blessed and fortunate enough to compete at
28:20
the Collegiate level and just being around that.
28:23
And then volunteering at UTA college, was really all I knew.
28:27
As far as coaching wise, I really didn't know high school
28:31
and I was like, you know, I think you think about college,
28:37
it's just more Opera. I was thinking that it was just
28:40
more opportunities, more you With athletes, you're able to
28:45
personally hand-picked go out and recruit athletes, you know,
28:49
I'm like high school. You, you know, you're coaching
28:52
who's there? Honestly.
28:53
And I was just really naive with that to not understanding how
28:58
dedicated some of the high school kids would be.
29:00
And of course, I knew that college coach will be a
29:05
year-round thing. Whereas with high school, you do
29:08
get somewhat of a break, but you also teach as well.
29:10
And I Really hate speaking in public.
29:15
I hate speaking in front of people.
29:17
Yes. So I was I'd I did not want to
29:20
teach and be in the front of a classroom and talking to people
29:24
that terrified me well and I know it's one on one here, but
29:27
you're doing a great job because, you know, people are
29:30
listening right now when we publish this.
29:32
So, okay. You're going to get a lot of
29:33
like request to go speak at high school clinics.
29:35
We get that a lot from that are go.
29:37
Yeah. So I hope you got over that if
29:40
not we might need to work on that.
29:41
All right, you people want to hear your story.
29:45
Yeah, I get that a lot because when I sew my last coaching,
29:49
position was at Mississippi State.
29:51
So in the SEC where the and before am, thank goodness
29:56
beforehand. And then I, you know, I left and
29:59
went to Vegas and to the poker thing and wanted to get back
30:01
into coaching. And honestly, I was, what's the
30:04
term. Oh gosh.
30:07
So it Mississippi State, you know, we didn't want for
30:10
anything like a Texas A&M. We had, you know yes kid got
30:12
several. Two pairs of shoes, every year,
30:14
many, many uniforms equipment that we needed.
30:17
We just, we just ordered, you know, those kind of things and I
30:20
became spoiled. That's the word I was spoiled
30:24
and, you know, I'd coached at Ball State and Troy University
30:26
and Juco and Kansas and we didn't have those those luxuries
30:30
and so I only applied for the apply for Kansas and other jobs.
30:34
And when I didn't get those, it was like, well I can't I just at
30:38
least know I had that self-awareness.
30:39
Thank goodness. Yes, for that.
30:41
But I do now sit back and watch. They're not wish I said back in,
30:44
looks like, oh, man, if I would have been up to drop my ego a
30:47
little bit, and realize that whether you coach at New Mexico,
30:51
Junior College, because I love to party.
30:52
So I got to give him a shout out, whether you purchase, New,
30:54
Mexico, Junior, College, or McKinney High School, or Texas
30:57
A&M. What you do as a coach is
31:00
extremely valuable beyond what the kids are running and
31:03
jumping. Like your actual effect on young
31:07
people is as important in the middle of Texas somewhere in the
31:10
middle of New Mexico. Or at the whatever you think the
31:12
biggest School in the world, is your value to those young people
31:17
is just as big where your two feet are today, you know?
31:20
So but I can see where, you know, when you're looking at it
31:23
from that from where you are at, that ain't at that time frame.
31:26
It's like man, I just came from Texas A&M.
31:29
How? Well, that doesn't make sense to
31:31
me. I get it.
31:32
So how did you don't want to say overcome it?
31:34
But how did you work yourself through that?
31:37
Thought, process to go to the next position.
31:40
Honestly, I was humbled. You know, I remember I actually
31:47
didn't get a job after graduating and I thought,
31:50
because I had my masters in sport management.
31:52
I was like, okay, you know, in order to be a head coach
31:54
eventually in the college world, you know, you have to have your
31:57
Masters and I wanted I want to be an athletic director at some
32:00
point. I was like, okay let me check
32:01
these things off the list, I volunteered here, check that off
32:04
the list and I actually, you know I didn't land anything, no
32:11
job nothing and So I ended up actually just working at my
32:16
local high school Mansfield High School.
32:18
Yeah, I worked there. I've actually moved in with my
32:21
mom hun. Living with my mom working at
32:26
the local high school and I was on the special education teacher
32:30
in the classroom. And, you know, I actually kind
32:35
of talked to one of the coaches about possibly volunteering.
32:39
I was requesting that, but it just didn't end up working out.
32:42
They didn't have any Since for me available you weren't you
32:45
weren't coaching your teaching and yes oh wow.
32:50
That had to be a little I don't know that.
32:54
Yeah, that's how much I don't know.
32:56
The word here. I don't say hurtful.
32:57
And again, I don't overstay in our city and put words in your
32:59
mouth, but that had to be a little bit like waiting.
33:00
I went to school here, and I'm accomplish.
33:02
And I've done coaches. I'm not wrong here.
33:04
I know what I'm doing, and there wasn't even a volunteer position
33:08
again. Yeah, you could have put 100
33:10
times the future. Holy cow.
33:11
This is you are a perseverance person here.
33:13
Yeah. How so so this is a tough time
33:17
with anybody mentors that you know we talked about Vince and
33:22
even Pat People that you called, as maybe John or coach Edgar,
33:26
anybody maybe your old high school, coach Bono was your old
33:28
high school coach there and he wouldn't let you, he or she
33:30
wouldn't even let you. Oh, okay.
33:33
If she was actually retiring, and she wanted me to take over
33:38
for her. But at the time, I was working
33:42
on my masters, and I hadn't passed the because, again, I
33:44
wasn't thinking about high school, I didn't want to do it,
33:47
so I didn't take the teaching certification, I didn't do that
33:50
stuff. So I actually had to go and do
33:53
that. That.
33:53
But no she wanted me to she wanted to be really did she did
33:57
so besides her who and maybe a her but who else could you lean
34:01
on during this to talk things out and you know help with it,
34:04
you talked about your advice to kids that are, you know, going
34:08
to the next level here. After ncaa's, you talked about
34:11
who you surround yourself with is important in who was in your
34:14
circle that you could, you know, just sometimes, maybe just have
34:17
an ear to listen, you know, now I leaned heavily on my family,
34:22
of course, Today, they were extremely helpful, and as far as
34:27
my mentors, of course, coach Anderson.
34:29
I mean, he every single job that I've had it, he has wrote me a
34:34
letter of recommendation every single time and always been a
34:37
reference for me. So I leaned on him heavily, on
34:40
Sammy dabs. He was also, he's also one of my
34:43
mentors that I leaned heavily on my heart, he was on that, you
34:49
know, when I talk about my my Trifecta of coaches that
34:52
inspired me, Me Vincent missing my car Sammy dabs and send to
34:59
Bear my coach from high school but my car, he's definitely
35:05
still one of the best. Um, you know, like unsung heroes
35:09
as a coach he was my summer track coach for Dallas Gold way
35:14
back in the day. And, you know, I feel that I'm a
35:18
praise him a little bit, he would probably hate hearing
35:21
anything like this but I mean just the amount.
35:23
Things he did. And if I just tell you the
35:25
athletes that he trained, like you'll probably know them like
35:28
Porsha Lucas me and her ran for the same summer track team.
35:32
Um, Sandy Wooten made her in for the same summer track team
35:35
before she went to an M. Ashley Collier, all four of us
35:40
ran trained with the same summer track coach, and there's so many
35:44
more young ladies that I can name that went to TCU Baylor.
35:49
Brittany car. Brittany play, like this tons.
35:53
And we all worked with him and like he really taught, you know,
35:59
just really the basics and um, he was really well before his
36:04
time and some of our records that we ran in high school with
36:07
him. Still stand today.
36:10
I'm a track. Like we ran, we were aged 15.
36:14
No, no, we were aged 17. Let's call young women back
36:18
then. I know they go by ages now and
36:21
our four by one we ran Before I think 40 44 in the 4x1 + like
36:27
the record still stands today, until you know, the way these
36:31
kids are running, they're going to get it but, you know, but I
36:35
just think he's one of those unsung hero.
36:37
Oh, I forgot the biggest person of all that he trying.
36:39
Victoria. Jordan, I forgot.
36:41
She's the, the number one, you know, state record holder for
36:44
Texas, 11. One.
36:46
That was one of my teammates as well.
36:47
So all these young ladies, we all ran for the same team and he
36:51
actually trained us like From 8th grade or younger.
37:01
And Victorious. Hey listen up and listen to me
37:07
and actually coach Sam and he um, even allowed me to come out
37:11
and train with him for a little bit during that time period.
37:15
And I just really I learned so much like I was training under
37:19
him but learning at the same time he made me keep a journal
37:22
and write down workouts and what did I feel?
37:26
What did I learn with this? And you know, just really kept
37:28
me motivated one at a time when I was really just feeling lost.
37:31
Kind of helps us. Like, what am I going to do?
37:34
And the crazy crazy thing is, there's no way I could predict
37:40
where I would be literally by the end of that year.
37:44
And that's when I landed at Duncanville, which is its, it
37:49
gives me goosebumps just thinking about it because I was
37:51
not even coaching at that time. Yeah, I love it.
37:53
Always tell people it's like, hey, write down your 10 years.
37:56
Is not that long, you know, we even, I've been alive for four
37:59
and a half of 10-year water. Write down in your journal or
38:03
somewhere where you think you will be in ten years and then
38:06
open that up in 10 years and laugh when you are may be
38:09
nowhere near and I don't mean like you didn't make it, you may
38:12
have more odds are that you'll have passed.
38:15
It surpassed it a hundred times over.
38:18
Yeah, you would you would have said, 10 years.
38:20
You'd be like, oh yeah I'm coaching at such-and-such
38:21
college, right, right. Yeah.
38:26
When my up teeth, NCAA championship title and point as
38:29
a head coach, Man you say that Mike Hart would get upset if you
38:34
were talking about him because he's so humble, did I hear you
38:37
say that? Yeah.
38:40
Yeah. In case my carts listening to
38:41
bad and here's why my cart and we haven't met but we need to do
38:46
more of this. I know people are in specially
38:49
coaches were very much. Most of us are not Limelight
38:52
type of people, we're servitude people.
38:54
So we're doing it for others, but we have to do better at
38:57
given the accolades and thank yous to people today while
39:01
they're still till here with us. But we've lost some amazing
39:04
coaches, this past year. And guess what?
39:05
We don't get to do, get to say thanks anymore.
39:08
Unfortunately. So my car too bad.
39:11
You don't want to hear her talk great about you but you deserve
39:13
it but I so you're going to hear it.
39:14
Someone's got someone's going to play this over and over on
39:16
social media just for you Mike Hart.
39:18
If I forgot to add another big one that he coached his.
39:21
Well, I'll just failing agent. Oh, yeah, yeah, uh-huh.
39:25
That's what I'm saying. He's like that.
39:29
People would probably if you ask them, they will Don't know who
39:32
he is. They wouldn't even attract me.
39:33
Nobody knew who he was because he wasn't People would just be
39:37
Incognito, kind of like hiding basically and but, you know,
39:41
he's phenomenal. Amazing coach.
39:43
Amazing coach amazing. That must be what I was doing
39:46
wrong because I'd be at a track meet.
39:47
I'd have, like, I put like lights on me soapy.
39:49
Everybody would see me? Like, yeah, see what my kid just
39:51
did. Yeah.
39:55
Okay, so you're at Mansfield. Yeah, coach wants you to take
40:00
over but this was not near your 10-year, plan was not here, you
40:04
do the teacher's certificate and all that other stuff.
40:07
So what happens what I'm really on pins and needles, actually,
40:10
of where you actually get your. I don't want to say your first
40:12
start but your, your actual getting go here.
40:15
Yeah. Yeah.
40:15
So yeah. So I go to their four-year at
40:19
Mansfield. And while I was there, I brought
40:21
enrolled in alternative teaching Program certification program
40:26
and I was trying to figure out what I wanted to teach and
40:29
everything. And the crazy thing I was
40:31
actually stub subbing, I was a substitute teacher before I
40:34
landed that you know and I was like okay I realize hey I want
40:38
to do high school man. I do I really want to coach?
40:41
Let's figure this out. What subject do you want to
40:43
teach? And so I really fell in love
40:45
with special education. Of course like you said that
40:47
service part. I mean they were I mean just the
40:51
sweetest kids great people working at four.
40:54
Session. I mean, just so extremely
40:57
patient. Kind loving and I mean, I was
41:00
really, really fell in love with it.
41:02
Oh, I ended up getting my Special Education, certification
41:05
and also got my PE certification.
41:08
And from that point I really just started hitting the ground.
41:11
Just kind of talking, honestly, talking to some of my resources
41:16
that were around in the area. Some of my former coaches, who,
41:20
like assistant coaches, and they were extremely helpful coach, It
41:25
was helpful in honestly, coach Shannon Italy.
41:28
She was the co-chair down, man, so Summit, High School.
41:32
And she cussed me in high school.
41:34
And I asked her, I said, hey coach, do you know, if any
41:37
opportunities like any opportunities for the high
41:40
school level? I'm trying to, you know, find
41:45
something like, I want to coach. I want to learn more.
41:49
I want to, bro, and I really just want to just if somebody
41:53
would. Please just give me an
41:53
opportunity. I mean I was willing to
41:55
volunteer wherever and I couldn't find anything and so
41:59
she actually ended up putting me in contact with Leon Paul at
42:05
Duncanville. And, you know, we had a brief
42:09
phone conversation and he told me to be at his office and
42:14
honestly I didn't think anything about who I was going to be
42:18
coaching. I didn't care boys girls age.
42:22
I did not care. I just wanted to Two coats.
42:26
So I showed up and you know, I just talked about everything
42:31
that I knew why I wanted to coach kids, what I loved about
42:36
the sport, and just the things that I've learned along the way.
42:39
And again, I'm coming in with no experience honestly, all I just
42:44
volunteered for your ETA, but that's all the experience I had
42:47
coaching. And, you know, he told me that
42:52
he had already interviewed, all my references, Before I had even
42:55
shown up that day, he had already talked to, Vince
42:57
Anderson was one of the first people.
42:58
He talked to who gave me a, you know, me my recommendation, he'd
43:04
already talked to the coaches at UTA.
43:10
He had already talked to my high school coach player and, you
43:13
know, he was just waiting to meet me to see if everything
43:15
that they said, actually lined up with it.
43:17
And he told me that a year later, he told me he's actually
43:22
looking for a jumps coach when he interviewed me, but when he
43:25
interviewed me, he said, okay, I gotta bring her in, you know,
43:28
she knows her stuff. I think she'll be great.
43:31
She just needs the opportunity and I, you know, he blessed me
43:36
with that opportunity. He allowed me to come in the
43:38
door and I mean I was just extremely blessed, very blessed.
43:43
Did he make you coach jumps or did he take that and you took
43:46
Sprint's or how did that pan out?
43:48
Yes, so with him being the head coach, he was over the short
43:51
Sprint's program. He already had throws code, she
43:55
had a longer Sprints, coach distance coach, all those things
43:59
he was coaching with a distance coach and I was preaching in
44:06
Colony, okay? And so, he just Jump Scouts how
44:11
once he brought me in. He said, hey, I'm going to allow
44:14
you to coach the short Sprints and relays.
44:16
I'm going to coach the jumps and so he actually went and started
44:20
coaching the jumps and that wasn't his specialty, your
44:22
Forte, but he went and, you know, did some more research and
44:25
everything and he allowed me to coach that group.
44:27
Like, do you, you may not even pay attention.
44:31
You were probably smarter than I.
44:32
You are smarter than I am the future, so you probably pay
44:35
attention to this. So the only thread that I ever
44:39
read on On like it or not, let's run.com.
44:43
I'm not a huge fan of the website, but there is one thread
44:47
every year that talks about coaching changes, right?
44:50
And there's some wild, speculations of, people have no
44:52
clue and there's there's there's people you might be surprised
44:55
that are on there. Well, there's this, and it's not
44:58
just this thread, it's among coaches and specifically College
45:00
coaching as well. There is this story.
45:04
I'm going to call it a fabrication that women and
45:09
minorities. And former athletes, especially
45:14
former good. Athletes get all the jobs.
45:19
Yeah, you are telling the exact opposite store, which I think
45:25
might be more about reality to be real Frank.
45:28
Yeah. So I 100% believe that who, you
45:31
know, gets you the job in a lot of cases, not all cases, but in
45:35
a lot of cases. Now what, you know, keeps you
45:37
there or keeps you getting jobs, but And I certainly think this
45:41
is a relationship business. So you, you're going to have to
45:45
know somebody or to your point about, you know, Vince, and
45:48
sour. Hang those guys, like you better
45:50
have a circle, a Cadre of people speaking for you, then if they
45:54
don't know who you are, but it's just amazing.
45:56
As you're telling me this story, I'm thinking like, wow, you
45:58
know, what were your PRS at a college?
46:01
So, in college I ran about 11:40 23 to yeah, great Athlete on.
46:10
You didn't go to a small school, you can go to.
46:12
I want to Troy University and go to Troy.
46:13
You at the Texas A&M for crying out loud.
46:16
You've got patent dense to of the juggernauts in this
46:19
industry, you're a female. I don't know.
46:22
You might not maybe haven't picked up on.
46:24
That is also African-American. You may not pick up.
46:27
You may actually not know that if you're not watching on
46:28
YouTube. So, here is what everybody says.
46:31
Well, this type of person that I just described we should have
46:35
any job she applies for. And yet, here we are.
46:40
Brian. Did you like you said you're
46:42
like I'll volunteer what do you need me to do here?
46:45
Let me in the door here. Wow.
46:47
And again perseverance. Oh yeah, my thank you, thank
46:52
you. Yeah.
46:53
Hi. I applied to so many jobs, you
46:56
know. I was looking on NCAA the
46:58
website, you know for Toms and I mean I was just applying
47:02
applying applying and high school jobs around the area I
47:06
was applying and they were just like, yeah you were from an Of
47:10
coaching, you know, it was like how can I get that experience if
47:13
you want, give it to me. So, that's actually something.
47:16
I now that I try to do bring as many people along as I can, you
47:22
know, that don't that are trying and haven't I'm like, hey, come
47:27
talk to me. Like, I'm going to be a
47:28
reference. I'll, I can hire you.
47:30
I will, you know, just so, you know, a lot of people just need
47:33
to have that that get that foot in the door.
47:35
It's just hard to do, you're using that level that you're at
47:38
now. To hit bring others with you and
47:41
to give voice and be an advocate for.
47:43
It's like man, this kid may not be a coach one day but boy, they
47:46
sure want to try it and says, everybody get a deserve to get a
47:50
shot at most things. Now, if you want to be an
47:52
astronaut maybe you don't get a shot to be an astronaut, you
47:54
don't do all that stuff where we are talking about coaching track
47:57
and field here. So let's be a little lean here.
47:59
Well I just I just love that so in shout out to Leon Paul.
48:03
I pretty sure we follow each other on Twitter as well.
48:05
And I know I've only heard like on Twitter.
48:08
I only read good things about him.
48:10
Kind of makes me wonder, but it's always a lot of good things
48:13
their about Leon Paul. So I love that he give you a
48:14
chance. What did you do?
48:16
So, how did you Embrace this? I mean, you have to be just?
48:20
What is the alternate chomping at the bit?
48:21
You got to be like, okay, finally, I'm out here.
48:24
What did you do for your actual coaching development?
48:28
Did you just I should have said, just do you fall back on the
48:31
ways? Coach Anderson coached you,
48:33
which is not a bad option. All right, did you do any coach
48:36
in education? Did you learn from coach, Paul?
48:39
What was your Now, that your coach.
48:41
Now, what did you do to help continue to get better at your
48:43
craft of coaching? Yes.
48:46
And I think what you said is extremely important, like as a
48:49
coach, if you feel that you've learned everything, you're not
48:53
continuing to grow, you're, you know, going to become, you know,
48:57
even more relevant, you know, your kids aren't going to
49:00
improve. You're not gonna get better.
49:01
So just you have to constantly constantly learn and initially
49:05
as soon as I came out and got into coaching with my first
49:07
year, I was definitely just everything that I had learned at
49:12
that point from my years as an athlete.
49:14
So I combined all of my my mentors like into one.
49:20
So I combined what I learned with Ben Sanderson, combine,
49:24
that with Sammy, dabs and combined it with my car and a
49:28
little bit of my own things that I was thinking and tweaking and
49:33
wanting to try. So I just like, honestly combine
49:36
all of those things into one. And I would always, I would
49:40
Always call Coach Anderson and pick his brain and ask them
49:42
questions and Coach tabs as well.
49:44
Like, I will call him and ask him questions about workout or
49:47
things like that. So just continuing to learn in
49:49
that way my first year. But after that, that's when I
49:52
started going to the coaching schools and, you know, getting
49:57
to hear some great amazing speakers and just taking notes
50:02
of this is going to kill me. She's um coaching at Alabama
50:05
this year, um spray coach, but she came from the high school
50:09
level. Um, you're not to my Carmelita
50:12
Jeter. Who's now at USC?
50:13
She was at home? Yeah.
50:14
IMA, I don't matter. Perhaps your first name, work.
50:16
Way a Gibson. Yes.
50:18
Rakiya gives think like, yeah. She's awesome at her coaching
50:21
convention. What?
50:22
A great person whole. Well, yeah, yes, extremely and
50:25
so like I went and listened to her speak and it was so funny.
50:29
Um, me and Coach Paul, we were there and he was like, Hey and a
50:34
few years that's going to be you up there speaking.
50:35
And I was like, absolutely not, there's no way you know?
50:39
But yes Just listen to her and she was just amazing amazing
50:43
speaker. At the time, she was still
50:44
coaching in high school and comes Anderson was one of her
50:47
mentors as well. And you know, getting I mean
50:50
coaching school. I'm like I need all of my
50:52
assistant coach. We have to go like, you just
50:54
learned so much but that and also even though online
50:58
resources, books constantly getting books and reading and
51:02
just you mentioned, boo Schneider.
51:05
You know, just learning from these grates.
51:07
And even right now, I'm I really I really want to learn more from
51:12
coach Holloway and Coach flow. I'm like that's the blue pen
51:15
right there, you know. But yeah, just always reading
51:18
learning and researching things not just taking what someone
51:22
says and saying oh this is going to work because I'm a visual
51:25
person, but I'm Hands-On as well and I don't I don't teach things
51:29
that I haven't personally done or tried because I really want
51:33
to know that this actually works.
51:35
And I just going to say it to my kids because somebody said, this
51:38
is great, you know, I want Try it myself and kind of see like,
51:42
oh okay, I can feel what that's doing, but yeah, just constantly
51:45
learning and so I pulled from those resources, their coaches
51:48
that I was around as well. We had a really great group of
51:52
coaches. And um, yeah.
51:54
So I just pulled from that. Of course.
51:56
Great athletes. You know, Duncanville has some
51:59
of the best athletes in the country all around.
52:01
So well, I like that. You didn't settle on your
52:06
laurels meaning. So, you know I think of there
52:09
are It's a ton of amazing amazing coaches out there.
52:12
And then there is like this, just this next level of just
52:17
guys and gals that are just, it's just a different level.
52:19
Boo schexnayder is one of them Clifford belt.
52:22
Oh, and Kansas state is one of them and then Sanders, they
52:26
understand is one of them. So, but so you could easily
52:30
taken the position of what, like, well, I was coached by the
52:33
best. So I don't really need to learn,
52:36
but here's where I think people sometimes make a mistake.
52:40
With that. So while I would never, I don't
52:42
think, I don't know that I disagree with anything.
52:44
That's Anderson says, coaching wise to be as far as X's and
52:46
O's. I think I could similarly, just
52:48
not as well as he did, but I think we were in the same belief
52:52
system. However, when you're an athlete
52:54
of been seeing this, when you're an athlete of anybody athletes
52:57
are selfish, they have to be meaning.
53:00
When a coach tells you something, you are trying to
53:03
figure out how to decipher that in execute, the plan for you to
53:07
get better. You're not thinking about, oh,
53:09
well, how would Would I do that? How would I know?
53:11
How would I take? What, yeah, coach Anderson
53:12
saying. And do that with a group of
53:14
sprinters, you know? So coaching is selfless, you're
53:18
taking what you learn that word towards athletes as an athlete,
53:21
especially the levels, you will get.
53:23
You are at in your teammates, right?
53:24
It was okay, well, how do I take that to become faster in the
53:26
hundred or to become faster in the relay?
53:28
In fact, you know? So if you just say well I was
53:30
coached by the best, I'll just do what I what he did.
53:32
It's like ma'am, you don't actually understand it.
53:34
You executed, it may be but you don't understand how to teach it
53:37
the motivation behind it, the progression.
53:40
The reasoning behind it. So I love that.
53:41
You didn't just because I mean, because honestly, you could have
53:44
said, oh yeah, I just do it. Vince says, and it'd be hard for
53:47
me to argue, but I'd be like, well, you know, there's more
53:49
things to us. I love that you other Mentor,
53:51
Sammy, of course, and some other guys and gals out there that you
53:54
went to clinics book. I love that there was like, oh,
53:57
yeah, yeah, okay, I might be good, but if I want to continue
54:00
to get good and better, well, I better learn from others.
54:03
That's awesome. I love that.
54:05
So how did that first year go? I would get I just I just had
54:09
this image of you It's like every day at practice, like,
54:11
just Jack to be out there cause you're just so excited to have
54:14
that opportunity. Had that first year goes, first
54:16
coaching, not necessarily, you know, the accolades a team, but
54:19
we're there. Any shocks were you like?
54:21
Oh man, I didn't realize I'd have to deal with this as a
54:24
coach. Maybe, maybe?
54:25
I maybe I made the wrong decision.
54:27
Was there any of those or was it all just positive getting out
54:29
there and having a fun time and coaching track, you know, it was
54:33
it was different because I was only coaching on the boys side.
54:37
So I was coaching male Sprinters shemales towards foreigners, six
54:42
say in Texas, which is, you know, the biggest that it gets
54:46
in Texas and I'm a, I think Duncan will have it about like
54:49
5,000 plus students in high school.
54:52
Yeah. That your, the graduated like
54:54
1,000 seniors like so huge School, huge Macau.
54:58
Oh yeah, huge huge, huge, huge. And, you know, I really again,
55:04
my experience was in college. I nothing could have prepared me
55:08
for those boys. I mean, they were Were, I mean,
55:11
energy level, they were fun, but they were high schoolers, you
55:14
know, they were extremely talented, but the majority were
55:19
football players. So that was also a dynamic that
55:22
I had never experienced before, but our head coach, he was
55:25
adamant he wanted us to be around them because he wanted us
55:28
to know them before they came to track.
55:31
So I traveled with the football team, we would go to a few
55:34
practices but yeah, we would travel with the football team.
55:36
We were actually like on the sidelines at the game.
55:40
And really learning the caves and getting to know them before
55:43
they came to our season of to track.
55:47
And so they were just man, I mean that first year it's
55:53
honestly I can't even believe how well it went.
55:58
Um I was very all I can say is just very blessed and fortunate
56:02
with the group of guys that we had one of them.
56:06
He was it was a senior year and his name was Marcus.
56:09
Season. He actually um play football in
56:12
Illinois. Yeah, he just transferred this
56:17
past year, he just transferred but I mean he was coming in as a
56:20
10-5 kid you know? And then I was blessed to get
56:24
there. Yeah.
56:24
The coach this kid in high school and he ended up running
56:27
10:30 for us. He ran 20 point 95 in the 200
56:32
and this was also peer gouri's first year who was ranked number
56:39
one in the country. Three this year in the hundred,
56:42
once they in Texas and 100, but his first year as a freshman, I
56:46
mean, this is also somebody who's coming in and hearing
56:50
like, I think 11 flat 10-9 is an eighth grader.
56:53
So you know, he ended up running, um, 10-8 during the
56:57
season and then 10-5 that summer as a freshman.
57:00
So I mean, you put all those together and we had, I mean it
57:07
was amazing. I 4x1 ran.
57:09
And they were ranked. Number one in the country.
57:12
They ran 40.5. Yeah, my there's a coach and I
57:19
kid you not the very first meet, we had it Duncanville, you know,
57:22
and I wasn't familiar with boys times, especially high school or
57:25
sure. Right.
57:26
Yeah. You think minute.
57:27
So we had our first track meet in February, it's about 30
57:30
degrees. Um, we ran the core by one and
57:35
our first leg and actually, all four guys on a relay, they were
57:39
also about play. Our first leg, Devon found, he
57:41
just demolishes the field on. First, I have our freshman
57:45
Pierre gory. He started out on Varsity, never
57:48
ran. And today we meet ever.
57:50
And so he we thought I'd throw him in the fire and he just you
57:53
know was Rose to the occasion he demolishes everybody on second
57:57
Mike Whalen Crowell. He opens up the third leg and
58:00
then fourth legs Marquez beats and he was just running by
58:03
himself and then I'm just looking and I was like I was
58:08
like happy 10. And I also terrible, like, we
58:11
have so much work to do, like, God, I'm just like this and then
58:16
they're all excited and stuff because we want.
58:17
And so, the head coach comes over to me, Paul, because Paul,
58:20
he was like, do you realize what they just did?
58:22
And I was like, no. What do you mean?
58:25
And then he was like, they just ran 40 13 in 30 degrees.
58:29
The first time ever running together and I was like, that
58:32
was a fast. What does that mean?
58:33
You know, I had no idea but because you only know like okay
58:37
the NM boys ran 38 90 or 39 Flats.
58:39
Run that. Yeah, right.
58:42
You and your team ran 44 shall like, well, they better run
58:44
faster than the females at A&M, you know.
58:47
But yeah, you had. No, yeah, that's interesting.
58:50
Yeah. Very, very I have no idea what
58:53
those terms meant. And so, I was learning as the
58:56
boys were running, well fast, what's not fast as so, I mean,
59:00
that first year was so great. Like, I learned so much, you
59:03
know, just kind of like, with boys and then, coming from
59:06
college, I was used to everything, just being kind of
59:09
like, Strict time and everything goes in the boxes for it early.
59:14
It's this and that when you're in high school, like, you have
59:17
to teach them those things that if they don't just come ready.
59:21
Whereas, in college, you know, they're here, you know, a lots
59:25
of a lot are on scholarship, some aren't but what they're
59:28
here for with those guys, some guys were just like, hey I just
59:31
want to get fast for football. So you know, you're just dealing
59:34
with different things. Different dynamics that you
59:36
really have to teach and that first Here was just like, you
59:41
know, it was very, um, it was very fun, but it's also trying,
59:46
you know, mostly to because you're like, man, how do I get
59:50
these group of guys to you know, really just hundred percent
59:55
buying maybe and you know, just focus and honestly once they and
1:00:01
you know, as a woman as well, you're dealing with some of
1:00:04
those things too. But I mean, my boys, they just
1:00:08
did amazing and I'm Mean, if any mail coaches even came around,
1:00:12
you know, you know, they were just like what are you doing?
1:00:14
Thanks. This is our coach, you know,
1:00:16
like they would not even let anybody attempt to discredit or
1:00:21
say, why do y'all have a female Soldier anything like that?
1:00:23
I mean, that first year was just, I mean, legendary
1:00:26
honestly, it was amazing. Amazing, let's not get it
1:00:29
twisted. We're talking about a freshman
1:00:30
in high school, your time with a 14 year old kid.
1:00:34
I mean let's let's be real here. I mean yeah.
1:00:37
Let's think about what not? Well, let's not think about when
1:00:39
I was 14. Think about where you were when
1:00:41
you were 14. You weren't this buttoned up.
1:00:43
Oh yeah. Practices the next time and my
1:00:45
video this time. Yeah.
1:00:46
You come on. You're absolutely.
1:00:48
That's so awesome. I want to explore this football
1:00:51
thing because I think they're so cool.
1:00:52
I love the attitude of like yeah we're going to get to know these
1:00:55
boys like it's not just about track.
1:00:56
We're going to like know them and the other activities that
1:00:59
they do. What was coach Paul or is coach
1:01:01
Paul a football coach as well? Or is he just track?
1:01:05
Yeah, he's a football coach. So and okay, why I receive this
1:01:08
potion Here, track? And now, he's just head football
1:01:11
at Lancaster. High School, got you?
1:01:13
So, when you came to football practice, it wasn't like, it was
1:01:15
like, oh, here's a track. Coach was like, oh, okay, Coach
1:01:18
Paul. And then, oh, this is his new
1:01:19
assistant. Yeah.
1:01:20
You know. Okay.
1:01:21
Yeah you weren't. Were you coaching anything and
1:01:23
football or was it just an observatory and relational?
1:01:27
Yeah, just Observatory relational.
1:01:29
Now, we would cause that like over the summer the other track
1:01:32
coaches and I cause Paul will have us come out and the head
1:01:36
football coach. They actually talked and they
1:01:38
worked it out to where we were. Matter we actually had like
1:01:41
stations during their summer training and we would teach them
1:01:45
Sprints like we will teach them mechanics how to sprint, how to
1:01:49
be aggressive. Explosive those things.
1:01:51
So yeah we ran our stations. You have just about 2 to 3 times
1:01:55
a week during a certain time period over the summer and yeah,
1:01:59
that was another way for us to get to know the boys and work
1:02:01
with them, work with the football coaches and really
1:02:04
teach them how to run and how to run properly when we can.
1:02:09
I mean we even had like you know all lineman I'm telling my big
1:02:12
boys running wicked's, you know those things and they just loved
1:02:16
it, loved it. When we do something new or
1:02:19
experienced of the new, we're kind of that that fish out of
1:02:22
the water. We get nervous, you know, you
1:02:23
don't know what, what are the not just even the rules of the
1:02:27
sport in this case but just the, the norms and means and what,
1:02:30
you know, what's the culture like?
1:02:32
Assuming that you didn't play high school football, what does
1:02:36
it look? Okay, just decided instead to
1:02:38
make sure what It like when first of all coaches, like
1:02:41
you're going to football practice and stuff.
1:02:44
It's like, you know what? They might be like, if you like
1:02:45
football, you like at school. Okay, but then when you get
1:02:48
there and you're on the sidelines, you're not up in the
1:02:49
stands, just observing your in the mixed with your coach.
1:02:54
Not you're in the mix. People are flying by you to get
1:02:56
on the field. People are coming up next to you
1:02:58
and cussing because they missed the player whatever.
1:03:00
But what was it like those first couple of times and how were you
1:03:05
don't necessarily want to ask how you were treated because I
1:03:07
hope that there was respect of an adult.
1:03:09
Whether You're male or female, they were just respective and
1:03:11
belt. But how was it?
1:03:12
As you were kind of, you know, really kind of trying to feel
1:03:14
your oats a little bit like, okay?
1:03:16
So offense is out there and that's what this guys doing and
1:03:18
these coaching staffs and when their defense is doing this,
1:03:20
when they're on their, how did you kind of get acclimated to
1:03:23
the, to the culture side of a football practice and maybe even
1:03:27
the games? Oh man.
1:03:29
They were like, you know, I feel like cause Paul and the coaches
1:03:33
like, they did such a great job of introducing me to the boys
1:03:35
that they didn't see me as anything.
1:03:36
Other than all of us just has to, like nice.
1:03:39
Nothing like it was not weird or anything.
1:03:42
I know when I first got out there, you know, they just, I
1:03:44
was just a stranger, so it was kind of like, it was this
1:03:47
person. Um, and so, but, I mean, for me,
1:03:51
I think that's something that was just extremely like amazing
1:03:56
because, you know, as a woman like, I always, you know, Texas
1:04:00
football is life for us, so my mom loves football.
1:04:03
The football. All my cousins play football.
1:04:07
Like I have family that played in the NFL And all this stuff.
1:04:10
Like if I was a boy, there's no question.
1:04:16
That's always loved it. But just give me opportunity to
1:04:20
like, actually, like being a football locker room like
1:04:22
listening to these football speeches, like seeing the
1:04:25
culture, like your team is down like it's the state game.
1:04:30
I've been to. What's it two or three state
1:04:34
championship games in the locker room and been able to hear these
1:04:39
coaches? Equalizer to these boys and just
1:04:41
see the focus in the dedication and determination from these
1:04:45
guys and it was something I had never experienced before and
1:04:47
it's something that I bring to coaching, now just being able to
1:04:51
experience that. I know a lot of women don't get
1:04:53
the opportunity to experience that culture and, you know, and
1:04:57
I mean, I'll say Duncanville, it's different, you know, it's
1:04:59
very, very different and I got to experience that firsthand and
1:05:03
um, yeah, they were extremely welcoming and you know, by the
1:05:08
time they came out so track they already A new one.
1:05:10
So they were ready to go. They were ready to run through a
1:05:12
brick wall for you being biased. Being a track guy who also, you
1:05:16
know, I'm from Alabama. So I know Texas is football.
1:05:21
We think Alabama is football King, so so, but being bias is a
1:05:26
truck person first. I know the football staff and
1:05:30
kids learn from a track coach. Not only, you know how to run
1:05:33
fast but just you know, what the focus on, you know what, how to
1:05:37
remove distractions and things like that.
1:05:40
Did you learn anything from football?
1:05:42
You talked about being at the halftime talks and, you know,
1:05:47
being down and it's the game, you know, there is no more games
1:05:50
after that and things like that. Did you learn anything from
1:05:53
being in there, on that football culture, that you took back to
1:05:55
Trek? And I don't even necessarily
1:05:57
mean as a woman who was in the football practice for the first
1:06:01
time and there's plenty of guys who would be at a football
1:06:03
practice or to halftime and have no clue what's going on.
1:06:06
So just from that learning of football, did you take anything
1:06:09
as Moved along in your career from that from that experience.
1:06:13
Oh yes, definitely. I think honestly first of all
1:06:17
Duncanville, has one of the greatest football coaches and I
1:06:22
mean I believe he's the winningest black coach in Texas,
1:06:27
Reginald samples. And, you know, he just being
1:06:32
able to even be close and around and seeing how he runs his
1:06:36
program. And, you know, it's just a fine
1:06:38
well-oiled machine like The kids know, the coaches know, I
1:06:42
learned a lot just with organization and, um, motivation
1:06:48
and even just talking to the kids, like, it was just a lot.
1:06:52
And, honestly, just that, I would always when I was at UTA,
1:06:56
my kids would ask me, hey coach, what was it like training at am?
1:07:01
What was the practice environment?
1:07:02
Like and so I would tell them, you know, practice was like a
1:07:05
track meet every day. Like you were running for your
1:07:08
life because When is Fast. I mean you know these girls are
1:07:13
running 22 at practice so you're running for your life, it was a
1:07:17
track meet every day at practice.
1:07:18
It was aggressive, that was fast.
1:07:20
That's honestly how Duncanville approach things.
1:07:24
That's how they train, you know, it was just aggressive, it was
1:07:28
fast-paced. And I learned that a lot in that
1:07:32
was something that those guys, the mentality that they had,
1:07:36
they brought that with them from football to track.
1:07:40
And that's really how they attack practice like they would
1:07:43
hear times, and it was just all out competitors, because they
1:07:46
wanted to be the next person. That's what I wondered what I
1:07:50
was getting there is but, you know, out, take away the X's and
1:07:53
O's you weren't there to learn, right?
1:07:55
You know how to run an offense or defense or special teams.
1:07:58
But I believe that leadership is leadership is leadership.
1:08:02
So that's what I wondered. If you learned like that kind of
1:08:04
culture and because I think there is, as much as I know and
1:08:07
believe that, you know, cross-pollination Monks coaches.
1:08:10
So talking to with other coaches and how they do things.
1:08:13
And again not just X's and O's, but how they run practices, how
1:08:15
they recruit, how they set up their schedules Etc is extremely
1:08:19
important. Amongst track to track peers.
1:08:21
I think there's a lot possibly for us to learn from successful,
1:08:24
baseball, coaches and football, coaches and volleyball.
1:08:27
Coaches. That leadership is leadership is
1:08:29
leadership. So learning how they cultivate
1:08:32
practice, how they bring the team together that that's
1:08:35
important, regardless of what's going on.
1:08:37
The actual field, you bring it back to your sport and then add
1:08:39
that apt it. So that's interesting.
1:08:41
Okay, before we move off football, you said, if you had
1:08:44
been born a male, you would have played football.
1:08:48
What position, do you think you would have played?
1:08:50
I want to know that. You know, I've learned so much
1:08:53
about just walk guys. Like, you know, I used to be
1:08:57
like a whole wide receiver running back, you know, I think
1:09:01
I could have been really good at those positions and stuff, but
1:09:04
honestly, I think I would have wanted to be like a, like a DNR.
1:09:07
Somebody just like, after just getting people, you know, just
1:09:10
Fun bike. Those guys are just crazy but
1:09:13
either that or like a like a DB I will man.
1:09:16
I just think the personalities they come with just the
1:09:18
aggressiveness. I love it.
1:09:20
I want to do something like that.
1:09:21
It's funny. Maybe it's my speed bias.
1:09:23
I first I was like oh receiver running back.
1:09:25
That's that's the tumor boy. Yeah, I love it.
1:09:30
So people may make a run. Yeah I love it.
1:09:33
I love it. You have been I think you'd have
1:09:34
been the showman like Deion Sanders.
1:09:38
You know, you'd have been one of those like it.
1:09:40
You go do it you're gonna do it with flair.
1:09:43
I love it. Love it, love it.
1:09:45
How many years were you Duncanville and how you know
1:09:48
give us 30,000 foot level how did it go during those that time
1:09:51
there? Yeah I was at Dunkin go for
1:09:53
three years and every single one of those gears are four by one
1:09:58
was ranked number one in the country at some point of the
1:10:00
year or in the top three. My second year, we were type 3
1:10:04
and unfortunately covid. Shut us down that 20 20 year.
1:10:07
I think that was our best best year.
1:10:09
We had some Studs there. Um, and they were football
1:10:14
players. We had one and it's rice straw
1:10:16
playing at Mizzou playing football for them right now.
1:10:20
How we have Ryan star, who is a sprinter jumper at Ole Miss
1:10:24
right now. He was a part of that team and
1:10:26
gory was a part of that team. He's been a part of every single
1:10:29
relay every year there so you had him, we had Roger Daniels
1:10:35
jr. He's playing football at SMU.
1:10:38
I mean, we just had Dante Hamilton.
1:10:41
He's about to he just signed to run track at University of
1:10:43
Houston. I mean just studs, man.
1:10:45
It's just studs. So, every year it's like we were
1:10:48
just running fast and I mean, it was just just a joy to really
1:10:53
see them grow and get better. And, you know, it's like they
1:10:58
took pride in running track in the football players.
1:11:00
They just they wanted to run, they just understood like hey
1:11:03
you want to be fast, you want to run track like the first year we
1:11:07
had to like talk to them and convince them of some buying
1:11:10
Things like that. But after that it was like just
1:11:13
understood like they would sell it for us, they were like hey I
1:11:17
mean if you want to be fast you need to run track that type of
1:11:20
thing. So during those three years, did
1:11:22
you stay as the boys Sprint coaching and maybe you had
1:11:25
hurdles just because that's common or no?
1:11:28
No, I was just a boy short Sprints.
1:11:31
No no girls coaching Duncanville.
1:11:34
No. Okay then Coach Paul didn't say
1:11:36
look maybe you need to start doing these jumps.
1:11:37
I'm going back to the sprinters you're doing too good of a job.
1:11:39
I want them back. So yes it is the the boys
1:11:42
Sprint's, a short, Sprint's coach.
1:11:43
Yes. Huh.
1:11:44
And so where do we go next? And why?
1:11:46
I mean, you see I can see in the smile, on your face, you enjoyed
1:11:49
your time, they are Duncanville. What was the what was the next
1:11:53
adventure? And why?
1:11:55
For me, ultimately, I wanted to I wanted to be a head coach and
1:12:00
you know, I learned so so much and it's one of those things,
1:12:04
you know, just like with me wanting to, you know,
1:12:08
everybody's dream when you were on track.
1:12:10
To go to the Olympics. So I have to try.
1:12:12
I had to at least try, even if I didn't succeed at being a head
1:12:16
coach, or didn't enjoy it. It was something I was like, you
1:12:18
know what, this is something I want to do, and I felt I was
1:12:21
becoming really, you know, like I was very just kind of like,
1:12:24
man. Okay, I'm content.
1:12:25
This is perfect. I am good.
1:12:26
I can retire. It Duncanville.
1:12:28
I am good. And it's just like you.
1:12:30
No lies. Just kind of happens.
1:12:32
And I feel like that God was just moving and making moves and
1:12:36
making calls to me like, hey, all right, You know, like go for
1:12:41
it. What are you afraid of?
1:12:42
You know and so our head coach Paul he ended up leaving for a
1:12:47
head football coaching opportunity.
1:12:50
And so the Duncanville job opened up and it was a hot huge
1:12:54
job, everybody wanted it. Sure.
1:12:56
At that time I was his um, I was his associate head coach.
1:13:00
And you know, course I wanted the job everybody in the
1:13:05
country, wanted that job but it was huge, huge, huge job.
1:13:10
At the same time I was also just, you know, kind of looking
1:13:12
keeping my eyes open for head coaching opportunities because
1:13:14
that's what I wanted and it's like, as soon as I spoke it into
1:13:18
existence, McKinney popped up out of nowhere, and they reached
1:13:23
out to me and I was just like, I don't really know too much about
1:13:26
McKinney. I never even been, I never even
1:13:29
visited the area before, and, you know, they just kind of told
1:13:33
me about the school told me about the program, the area of
1:13:36
those things. And I Ended up coming out and
1:13:41
visiting. And I was just like, man, like,
1:13:43
it felt like, you know, a home environment like somewhere warm
1:13:47
and welcoming and they were just like, hey, we want you to bring
1:13:50
you here and just help us you know, improve get better, life,
1:13:56
show these girls like what they're capable of and it was
1:14:00
actually coaching girls which I had it done yet, I don't know
1:14:03
boys. But was completely completely
1:14:06
different. But I just feel like when God
1:14:09
opens the doors for you, you know, whether you're ready with
1:14:12
your afraid or not, you just kind of have to have to go
1:14:15
through those doors. And I mean, three years prior I
1:14:20
couldn't even get a volunteer opportunity.
1:14:22
And now I had somebody calling me about a head coaching job and
1:14:26
I was like, are you kidding like this is?
1:14:29
Wow. Um and so yeah so it was scary.
1:14:33
It was different And it was extremely scared being no, I
1:14:40
talked to my family and everything, so I really just, I
1:14:45
went for it. I had just one hundred percent
1:14:47
for it so I don't know where Duncanville lives in McKinney
1:14:49
is, do you, did you throw you now teaching at McKinney?
1:14:52
Are you still teaching Duncanville and coaching at
1:14:54
McKinney? I've heard of that possibility.
1:14:56
What what about the actual teaching component for you?
1:14:59
So, so I'm 100% it done, I'm sorry, I'm 100% And McKinney and
1:15:05
I got so, I coach PE. So this is my first year
1:15:07
coaching PE because I was a special education teacher
1:15:10
Duncanville, but yeah. So I post PE and I'm girls
1:15:14
track. And actually, I was on the head,
1:15:16
it's funny, you mentioned distance earlier because I
1:15:19
actually coach cross country this year as well.
1:15:21
So I was head girls track and then headed cross-country coach.
1:15:24
Oh, very different. Very different.
1:15:26
And this is the end of your first.
1:15:28
First year at McKinney. Yes, yes.
1:15:31
Oh, with all of your experience, coming into the coaching of wood
1:15:36
that with guys. Did you forget any difference
1:15:40
coaching? Women was there any maybe.
1:15:43
Not so much the X's and O's part while there may be some volume
1:15:48
differences. I don't know that you coach,
1:15:49
100-meter female Sprinter different than you do 100 mail
1:15:52
and takes off there. But there might be differences
1:15:57
in. How you speak or structure?
1:16:00
Scizor. I don't know.
1:16:02
Tell me, was there any differences or was it like, nah?
1:16:04
Nah, nah, they just, there's different people.
1:16:06
There's a different gender or what.
1:16:07
Not. Honestly.
1:16:11
Yeah very different but I think that's more.
1:16:13
So not just necessarily because it's boys and girls but more.
1:16:17
So just what's the worry? Like, I guess just not
1:16:22
demographics with just area different areas, you know, like
1:16:25
Duncanville is more southern area so it's just like southern
1:16:30
area. So you have like more, what's
1:16:34
the word It's kind of, it's more of a, I think it's called the
1:16:39
Title Nine school, you know, money wise.
1:16:43
You know, the you don't like on the socio-economic scale.
1:16:47
Yeah. Okay, yeah.
1:16:49
Oh, that's a lot different. So it's just a lot different.
1:16:51
You know, where's McKinney is on one of the most affluent areas
1:16:55
in the state of Texas. So with that comes a whole
1:16:58
different, you know, can of worms with different things.
1:17:02
But overall, I'll say, aye. My girls they'll tell you I'm
1:17:08
crazy you know because I literally don't tell I did not
1:17:12
talk to them any differently than I talk to the boys that I
1:17:15
talked to the girls. I'm literally talk to them the
1:17:16
exactly the same like, you know, and to me yeah I even said like
1:17:24
one of my mottos is, you know, you can't you can't run from me
1:17:27
if you're not a dog. So and what that means is like
1:17:30
you have to be like you have to have some internal intensity
1:17:34
like some fire about you. And I mean I'm out here coaching
1:17:36
These girls. And I'm coaching these girls
1:17:38
hard. Like I'm a woman as well, you
1:17:41
know. And we're not going to
1:17:43
sugarcoat. We're not gonna put any
1:17:45
sprinkles. I'm like no like you.
1:17:46
Y'all are tough. Y'all are tough.
1:17:48
Young ladies. Y'all are tough women like, you
1:17:51
know, y'all are going to go out there and you're gonna be
1:17:54
Fearless, you're not gonna have anything to fear.
1:17:55
I'm going to teach you and show you these things and so that's
1:17:58
honestly, the mindset that I took with it.
1:18:00
And, you know, they'll tell you, I'm crazy, they're like, coach
1:18:02
is nuts but whatever it takes, you know, like you bring out the
1:18:06
best in them. Girls.
1:18:07
I was like girls that are they are very different, but they're
1:18:15
fun as well. Like entity, watch the practice,
1:18:18
they just like wow, you know, they playful and all those
1:18:22
things where it's girls can kind of like focus a little bit more
1:18:25
in my experience. They just they kind of focusing
1:18:28
more but you as well once you get to know your athletes and
1:18:34
learn how to, you know, talk to them and what they They need
1:18:37
you. You can get boy, girl, whoever
1:18:40
age, whatever age group, you know, get the best out of them.
1:18:43
So, how did you as you learn from coach Paul and how he had
1:18:48
this attitude of? We're not just going to be track
1:18:50
coaches? We're going to get to know the
1:18:51
individual. So I means football practice
1:18:53
things like that with the girls team and McKinney, you obviously
1:18:57
are not, obviously, you don't have football practice to go to
1:18:59
with them. How did you incorporate that
1:19:02
into this new situation that I assume?
1:19:04
They're playing other sports met volleyball and soccer when I
1:19:06
did, Start going there or was it with the cross-country?
1:19:09
Consume that time. So you're like man, I had
1:19:11
crossed practice and then it went stranded to track season.
1:19:14
Yeah. So there were a few girls that
1:19:18
came from different sports like basketball volleyball, soccer
1:19:23
and honestly, just talking to the coaches and, you know,
1:19:26
popping out and going to different games and things like
1:19:29
that. Like just attending those
1:19:30
things. And um, they actually allowed me
1:19:33
the opportunity to talk to all the female athletes as soon.
1:19:36
As they hired me. So, that was a thing.
1:19:39
Yes, I honestly got to talk to them about.
1:19:41
You know, how doing high jump can help with shooting a layup
1:19:45
for basketball, how would you help volleyball?
1:19:49
You know, vertical, all that good stuff, you know?
1:19:51
So just talking to them about those things.
1:19:53
I think was very helpful but, you know, it's something that
1:19:56
I've Even today, like, like I mentioned talking to coach
1:20:00
Anderson, I talked to him a few days ago, my high school coach
1:20:02
bear. I literally just talked to her.
1:20:04
A few days ago, saying me, I talked to him, like, last week
1:20:07
or the week before that and to me a coach, isn't somebody?
1:20:13
That's just pops into your life that, oh, they just coach you
1:20:16
for the short amount of time and then up, they move on, you're
1:20:18
done with them. Like, these are people that I
1:20:20
still like I could see their family like invited to my
1:20:24
wedding, you know, like they are family.
1:20:27
To me. And so that's something that I
1:20:30
do like it not do but it's just a relationship.
1:20:34
I build with my kids and once I coach them, they're my kids.
1:20:38
They're my babies, you know, no matter what.
1:20:41
Matter of fact, some of my girls they were we would see
1:20:44
Duncanville like at a meat or something and they would, the
1:20:46
boys will come and hug me. And my girls were trying to
1:20:49
understand my coach, why do you still talk to them?
1:20:51
You don't coach them anymore and I'm like, hey, y'all are still
1:20:55
like even when y'all girls go off to college, You're still my
1:20:57
family, other always, I'm always going to be here, whatever you
1:21:01
need. I'm a phone call away.
1:21:03
I want to build those relationships and so you know,
1:21:07
just connecting with them outside of just just track.
1:21:11
That's extremely important to me.
1:21:13
So that was yeah I did that with.
1:21:15
I do that with all my kids. My girls boys.
1:21:18
Whoever just, you know, talking to them about anything, a lot of
1:21:22
people say stuff, it's harder to model and do that.
1:21:26
So I love that. Modeling of your former athletes
1:21:29
and current athletes and we'll wait a minute, you know.
1:21:30
It's not McKinney. It's like yeah guess what?
1:21:32
If you transfer schools or God forbid?
1:21:34
I moved to know school. We still have that experience.
1:21:37
We still have that really is. I don't just cut you off because
1:21:39
I'm gone. I love I love that model.
1:21:41
Yeah, but that's, that's right. Yeah.
1:21:43
After you have this year of experience coaching girls in the
1:21:46
high school level and the several years coaching, boys, do
1:21:48
you have a preference or do you want to coach both boys and
1:21:51
girls? One day.
1:21:53
Honestly, I think I think it's so fun coaching both, honestly,
1:21:58
I think it is so fun. I think, you know, because that
1:22:01
even at McKinney, we did a Model, they wanted to try this
1:22:05
for my first year coming in where I program was actually
1:22:08
combined. So, like our short spoilers boys
1:22:12
and girls train together, our, you know, distance group, of
1:22:16
course they all trained together.
1:22:18
Hurdlers boys and girls train together, so we had double the
1:22:21
coaches. I just honestly think that my
1:22:24
was just works so so well and you really get the best of both
1:22:27
worlds. I think they're fun.
1:22:29
Intensity wise is there because you know boys want to run fast
1:22:32
because the girls are they are the girls and wanted to run fast
1:22:34
with the boys out there but they're really just there.
1:22:37
Listening as long as you, you know, you got to have your
1:22:39
structure of course and time and making sure things are going.
1:22:44
Because of course, it will get can't get wild if you let it.
1:22:46
Um, but yeah, I think it's just I think it's fun having both.
1:22:49
Like I I just think having Together is really something.
1:22:53
Have you reached out to coaching any other events and he jumps or
1:22:57
hurdles? Or, you know, I have some great
1:23:02
assistant coaches and I, and it's so sad because I've had
1:23:07
some great resources, simply Deb's, and Vince.
1:23:12
I mean, those are some great hurdle coaches in.
1:23:14
Like I they both have told me that I probably know more and
1:23:19
he's my fiance he's an amazing hurdle coach and I'm like Like
1:23:22
you know they tell me all the time that I'm no more than I
1:23:25
think I do. But you know, man that's tough.
1:23:29
But I did attempt to kind of learn pole.
1:23:31
Vault, that was a completely different world.
1:23:33
Oh, wait a minute, I was good. I was gonna try to give you the
1:23:36
lay up here and do hurdles or something.
1:23:38
You talk about doing pole, vaulting i-it's because I have,
1:23:41
you know, in McKinney we have some pole vaulters and so, I
1:23:45
mean, I attempted I'm yeah, now it's I mean, I commend.
1:23:50
I praise and I like to learn. Talk to pole-vault coaches and
1:23:54
you know, they tell me how you know, hey, it's very similar to
1:23:57
hurdles the Rhythm. And, you know, they're talking
1:24:00
about the power and arms and I'm listening to them.
1:24:02
And I'm just like, my mind is blown right now.
1:24:04
I just felt her out of this earlier.
1:24:09
You said you like to do a workout or a neck?
1:24:12
Yeah, guys. Have you tried pole?
1:24:15
Vaulting. No, exactly.
1:24:19
No. It's not one of those.
1:24:22
Oh, those who can't do teach. I am not doing that one.
1:24:25
No. And that's another reason why I
1:24:28
wouldn't trust myself to do it. It's not like I'm gonna find job
1:24:32
a coach because I can sorry, that was my sanity check for you
1:24:35
is like, alright, let's see how crazy.
1:24:37
Oh, she's saying, all right. Good good, absolutely, not
1:24:41
absolutely not but distant Echoes distance this year and
1:24:43
that was Wow, that was a completely new.
1:24:46
Well I mean I honestly have so much more, I think more people
1:24:50
should do it and at least try it because I'm like spring coaches.
1:24:54
I developed so much respect for distance, coaches distance kids.
1:25:00
I mean, I hear I would hear things and I was very, you know,
1:25:03
this is gonna sound extremely ignorant.
1:25:05
I just thought that they woke up one day and they could run a
1:25:08
mile. Like I had an idea.
1:25:10
No, I really didn't that amount of work that They have to put in
1:25:15
like day one with summer training, you know, and adding
1:25:19
mileage and, you know, every week kind of going up into
1:25:22
mileage and hitting times and running for, and a certain
1:25:26
amount of time. I mean, you know, I hear a going
1:25:30
for a 45-minute run. And I'm like, what why?
1:25:33
And they just kill it, you know, it was their fun.
1:25:36
They were so fun though. They were like, I like that you
1:25:38
learned that appreciation by Hands-On coaching because, you
1:25:41
know, there's a lot of chatter amongst coaches.
1:25:44
You What's the hardest event, right?
1:25:46
400 hurdles or 800 hear that a lot of things like that.
1:25:48
And it's like, actually every event because they are unique,
1:25:51
even 100 to 200, which might be the closest to Events.
1:25:55
Maybe? Maybe?
1:25:56
Yeah, yeah. There are still differences,
1:25:58
like to be a good to her meter Runner, that's hard to be a good
1:26:02
shot. Putter that's hard to be a good
1:26:04
beard, Miler. It's on.
1:26:05
There is no harder event. They're also thinking hard and
1:26:08
usually the, the argument is on the elite level and it's always
1:26:11
like, well, gosh, that's even harder.
1:26:12
Like what ever you did boil it. Fix every event is thinking
1:26:16
hard. So I love that you learned that
1:26:17
appreciation like a wow, man. I thought you just got up and
1:26:20
ran is like, oh, no. You actually had no plan and
1:26:22
race Pace repeats and hit workouts and cross.
1:26:25
And you got hundreds and even added layer and Texas much like,
1:26:29
you know, New Mexico and Arizona.
1:26:30
You have weather on the hot side so safety-wise, you know, the
1:26:34
northern schools Minnesota and The Dakotas they've got to worry
1:26:37
about as we get deeper into the season, the cold, you've got to
1:26:40
really worry about the heat for these kids as well because Yeah,
1:26:45
which is staying with football players and things like that as
1:26:47
well. So that's awesome.
1:26:49
So as we start to wrap up here, the Hijra use talked about
1:26:52
earlier during your UT a volunteer days about like I'm
1:26:55
going to coach College. That's what I know it's you
1:26:57
know. Yeah son of a do and you're
1:26:59
having an amazing career here in the first Force years of your
1:27:03
high school coaching career, doing an amazing job.
1:27:07
You know I'm not even in Texas and I hear a lot about you.
1:27:08
It's why you're here on the podcast, you know.
1:27:10
So I love that. Not that you have to look.
1:27:14
Into the crystal ball and predict the endgame future.
1:27:17
But we talked about that 10-year plan and laughing at it when you
1:27:20
actually hit ten years. But what's the Thought here to
1:27:24
stay and do an amazing job on the high school level?
1:27:26
Do you eventually maybe want to coach in the college level?
1:27:29
What's the? What are you thinking here?
1:27:32
You know, it's so funny because like, originally, I stated like
1:27:35
I didn't even think about high school.
1:27:37
I wasn't considering it, I really only saw college that was
1:27:41
it. Um, and I think when you do
1:27:43
that, you missed. That are right in front of you
1:27:45
sometimes and I really did miss, you know, that opportunity like
1:27:48
to be able to coach them on Alum, like that's huge, you
1:27:51
know, but um, I I don't currently have Collegiate
1:27:58
aspirations, which is so interesting.
1:28:00
I just Being able to work on the high school level, you really
1:28:06
get to force. These were like she ships with
1:28:10
your kids. Like these bonds and, like,
1:28:13
helping them achieve things that they didn't think that they
1:28:15
could do pulling things out of them.
1:28:17
And, you know, I feel that just with my experience, you know,
1:28:19
being at the, you know, getting an opportunity to run in
1:28:22
college. There's just so much knowledge
1:28:24
that I can share with them and I'm learning from them to, like,
1:28:28
they're not cookie cutter. You can't approach every kid,
1:28:31
the exact I'm way back. I can't say, hey, this Anderson
1:28:34
did this, it works, you know, and I'm like, you're just not
1:28:37
doing no, no, I need to go back to the drawing board and look
1:28:41
and say, hmm, how can I help this kid improve, like, what do
1:28:44
I need to do? And it's kind of like, a puzzle
1:28:46
piece, I really, really enjoyed that and I honestly just want to
1:28:50
build from, you know, build a program Brick by Brick brick
1:28:57
layer by layer helping other coaches along.
1:29:01
On the way me, continuing to learn from other people and, you
1:29:05
know, all of those great things. So, I, you know, I'm just really
1:29:10
excited. Just to continue that process of
1:29:12
learning and seeing how that continues to develop.
1:29:14
And of course, I want to, I want to send my kids, whatever goals.
1:29:21
They have, like, college. I want to be able to send my
1:29:23
kids to college. If that's their goal for them to
1:29:26
achieve these things qualifying for State, you know, I want to
1:29:30
help them achieve those things winning State, of course,
1:29:32
winning District title state titles.
1:29:34
Those are things that I want to create.
1:29:36
And, you know, just continue to grow and build, which is why I
1:29:40
said my Calaway and Coach flow looks.
1:29:45
I'm ready to buy some books. I'm ready to learn some more of
1:29:49
their. Well, that's kind of the cool
1:29:51
thing about track, and I don't necessarily know that it's it
1:29:54
is, or is not another sports. But, you know, even the guys and
1:29:58
gals that are at the absolute top of our Our whatever level
1:30:02
they're its high school or college, you mentioned, two
1:30:04
great ones there and flow and mouse mouse.
1:30:07
Just you know one both titles and flows will s on the mint
1:30:11
Center and both was oh yeah, second on both.
1:30:15
That's right in one then doors right.
1:30:17
You know, those guys are just salt of the earth.
1:30:21
Yeah. What do you say?
1:30:22
Put their pants on one leg at a time?
1:30:24
Just like we do. But they just, you know, seem to
1:30:27
coach better in those pants and I do anyway, right.
1:30:31
But they're amazing. But but I love that I love, you
1:30:33
know what I heard you say? They're about, you know, college
1:30:36
versus coaching high school for you.
1:30:38
Is that when you were at the UT a time frame of your career, you
1:30:42
kind of shut that door of high school you like, yeah.
1:30:44
It's that's not for me and maybe you missed out on a couple of
1:30:48
great years of coaching High School.
1:30:49
Who knows? You know, you don't look in the
1:30:50
past, but I hear you saying like, yeah, I don't necessarily
1:30:53
want to coach College, that's not my drive right now.
1:30:56
You're easily, you're enjoying the hike.
1:31:01
School level, and the kids are enjoying it and they're
1:31:03
achieving success, but that you're like, you know, all doors
1:31:06
are open right now. Right now I'm focused on
1:31:08
coaching McKinney and doing a great job.
1:31:11
And you know what? Who knows, what happens in five,
1:31:13
ten fifteen years, but you're right in front of you, your goal
1:31:17
is we've got to track season coming up in 2023 and we're
1:31:21
going to go McKinney's going to do and put their best foot
1:31:24
forward, and everything that they do for track and field and
1:31:26
cross country. Well, I like that.
1:31:27
I think that's a much more mature To and, you know, we can
1:31:32
sure as we go along and you know, back in the days there
1:31:35
like you know what, no, it's hell or high water.
1:31:37
It's College. It's like, man, I missed out on
1:31:38
some great thing. So I kind of like that maturity
1:31:40
though. So okay, last question to wrap
1:31:43
up today here in the gym on the internet right now, everybody is
1:31:45
a buzz. You're pretty active on Twitter
1:31:48
to. That's I love that by the way
1:31:49
because you know, I'm a that's all I do.
1:31:51
I don't do anything. I've already tweeted a hundred
1:31:52
times during this interview. That's that's how active I am.
1:31:56
Only a slight exaggeration, but right now, we just got done with
1:32:00
the NCAA championships. And we saw several.
1:32:04
What we were terming shorts printers, right?
1:32:06
So I can only think of one. It's a terrible that can only
1:32:08
think of one example. But the young lady from
1:32:11
Kentucky, who was runner-up or third in the hundred and one the
1:32:14
200 and she smokes like a 48 and a half split on the relay.
1:32:19
And so there's a lot of Buzz about shorts printers and the
1:32:22
4x4. And there seems to be an
1:32:24
overwhelming sense of Tide of thought that if you know, if you
1:32:29
want to be great shorts, printer, great.
1:32:31
You better run the for but like, almost like domain.
1:32:34
Like you cannot be a good short Sprinter if you don't run the
1:32:37
4x4 and I'm more of a, you know, it depends some maybe should and
1:32:42
some maybe shouldn't and I don't think it's a guarantee.
1:32:45
You have to what are your thoughts as an experienced short
1:32:47
Sprinter coach? Is it like when you run your
1:32:51
shorts parent program? Is it like oh yeah every one of
1:32:53
you guys and gals you will be on a 4x4 at some point in the
1:32:56
season and your goal should be to make the A Team at the
1:32:59
districts and state or you more of like Yeah, maybe, you know,
1:33:02
some shorts prayers are good, quarter milers and others aren't
1:33:04
what's your kind of census there?
1:33:06
On short sprinters running the 4x4.
1:33:10
So, you know, I'm definitely a product of everybody is an
1:33:15
option for the 4x4, you know, and my from high school to
1:33:19
summer track, even a 10 m, you know, I Texas.
1:33:22
I mean, I came in as a short Sprinter and I was on the 4x4,
1:33:26
like coach Anderson, actually threw me on the 4x4.
1:33:29
NCAA championships in door. Yes.
1:33:33
Uh-huh. Yeah, he threw me on it and, or,
1:33:36
oh, Nationals. And he was like, You know what?
1:33:41
I was like you know and he never and he never took me off.
1:33:46
Like I was stuck, you know. But still.
1:33:49
Yeah I was I was stuck. I was stuck on the profiles like
1:33:52
Iron Man. So I was on there.
1:33:54
But you know my thinking is Is every I think you know,
1:33:58
logically is every short Sprinter going to be able to run
1:34:03
the 400 and 4x4. Well no my main concern is the
1:34:09
mindset that comes with it. That's the thing for me.
1:34:13
Like I tell all of my girls, do you have to be ready?
1:34:16
So they all understood. They were going to run the 4 by
1:34:18
4, at least one time during the season, but it's just a mindset
1:34:24
that comes with it because it is hard.
1:34:26
It is Hard race. It's tough even our distance
1:34:29
kids, honestly our 4x4 at the end of the season on the girls
1:34:33
side. We had one young lady that low
1:34:37
was a converted shorts. Printer that ended up running
1:34:39
the 400 her. My cross-country girl that
1:34:46
qualified for regionals, she was a 5k 3200 meters, you know, 1600
1:34:53
meter Runner. She dropped down to the 800, she
1:34:56
was on the floor, By for like, you know, she ran it.
1:34:58
Well, her we had a 300 hurdler who was on there and then we had
1:35:03
one person who was a true 400 runner on there, that was it.
1:35:07
And, you know, it's just a mindset that comes with it and I
1:35:11
will tell you, those girls they ran on that four by four.
1:35:13
They were all over the place where I team because they were
1:35:16
tough my distance girl Terror. I mean, whatever we threw our
1:35:21
in, if we were like, hey Sarah, you're running the 3200, you're
1:35:25
running the mile and the 800 in the Meet she was like, Oxalis
1:35:28
about, you know, that it's just a mindset that comes with it.
1:35:31
So, I think, whenever athletes have this fear of running it,
1:35:35
that's when you don't get the best out of them as an athlete.
1:35:40
I think it's just more said more, so the mindset that comes
1:35:42
with it. But yes, everybody is definitely
1:35:44
an option. I had my pole, vaulter.
1:35:46
She ran on the 4x4 this season. Yes.
1:35:48
Cheering it to ya. But yeah.
1:35:52
And um, I actually tweeted the other day too.
1:35:56
It was just so, so powerful because I'm Julian Alfred, I
1:35:59
think I learned that runs for you.
1:36:00
See the one that won Nationals in the hundred when they
1:36:04
interviewed her? And they were like, hey, you
1:36:05
know, you have to run the hundred, the 4x4 later on
1:36:08
tonight. What are your thoughts about
1:36:09
that? And she was just like anything
1:36:11
for my team, like those like that type of person that type of
1:36:16
competitor athlete, that those are just like the type of keys
1:36:20
that you want to help your kids grow into the, where they have
1:36:22
that mindset where it's like, hey, it's not just about me like
1:36:26
it's about What can I do for my team?
1:36:28
Am I the best person around the 4x4 for my team?
1:36:30
Even if I'm not in my willing to step in and help and wherever
1:36:34
I'm needed for the team. So yeah, that's kind of where I
1:36:37
stand on that must mix. I knew it couldn't be.
1:36:39
Just the Kentucky girl. Abby Steiner her name.
1:36:42
Yeah. Couldn't be just her Jewel.
1:36:44
It's pronounce her name. It was a julienne or julen.
1:36:47
Do I think it's Julian Julian. Yeah, yeah.
1:36:49
That's one as well. So you had the 100-meter champ
1:36:52
that also ran the photo before then the interview Bible has
1:36:55
yeah. 51, something. You know, that's, that's, that's
1:36:59
all I know. Any of those kids run anymore.
1:37:00
They just fast. It's yeah, there's amazing.
1:37:03
Well, my Counterpoint to, that will be and I love the forward
1:37:06
for. But until we start having the
1:37:08
same argument that every quarter mile, ER, has to run the 4 by 1.
1:37:12
Oh, I love it. Oh, hey.
1:37:15
I do. I think they should 100%, but
1:37:16
you never hear that argument. You never hear the quarter-mile
1:37:20
Champion was also on the 4x1. Good job way to be a team,
1:37:23
right? It's like, oh, you just expected
1:37:24
in some form. So that's my counter argument
1:37:27
and I would never make that argument on Twitter because
1:37:30
they're just, they're rabid fans of these sprinters short
1:37:32
Spinners, running the 4x4. I just stay in the back and just
1:37:35
eat my popcorn and watching. Yeah, I'll have that argument.
1:37:38
Hey, I agree with you listening. I look, I have stories.
1:37:42
Four days one at Nationals, when year coach Anderson.
1:37:45
Cool down, Jessica beard through her on anchor, leg on the floor
1:37:48
by one. Yeah, but that's why you want to
1:37:51
train the all and all-around athlete at all around body.
1:37:54
That can really literally plug in anywhere USC, they ended up
1:37:58
doing it. Their anchor leg on the men's
1:38:00
side on the four, by one, he was there 400 or under it's like,
1:38:03
hey, you have to be able to be versus how, you know, go
1:38:07
everywhere. I think people like Julian
1:38:09
Alfred Abby, Steiner, Mike Norman Fred Curly are showing us
1:38:13
that I don't know. That there is a short Sprinter,
1:38:15
long, Sprint or anymore. I think it's.
1:38:17
Are you a sprinter? Are you so 4 by 1, 4, by 24 by
1:38:21
4124. Let's get it.
1:38:23
And let's see what happens on the track, right?
1:38:25
Great. Holloway hurdler, who 400?
1:38:30
I mean, Christian Taylor jumper huzzah, who could 400.
1:38:33
I mean, it's are you an athlete basically at this point for
1:38:35
athletes? And you might be talking about
1:38:37
unicorns at that point though. So Exactly.
1:38:43
Yeah. So to get us out here today,
1:38:47
tell us again because you are active on Twitter, what, where
1:38:49
can they reach you on Twitter? And if you're on Twitter, you
1:38:52
gotta follow her. I mean, she's a fountain of just
1:38:55
Youth and smartness and really passion for track and field.
1:38:58
That's why I like following her. What's your, what's your Twitter
1:39:00
account there? It's coats case, 2, TS and
1:39:05
that's Tas Tas attracted to it. I've been asked that before.
1:39:08
I'm like it's tracking. Wait, wait, what?
1:39:10
What else did they think it was? That was my assumption.
1:39:12
Yes, the I assume that too and they were like, they thought it
1:39:15
was something else like the is I'm like no.
1:39:18
It's track and field guys, TS means track and field.
1:39:21
I would automatically question. Oh, I guess because you go Stu
1:39:24
so WTF. Maybe they're getting confused.
1:39:26
I don't know. I would question their, there's
1:39:29
proper so stairwell looking for thank you so much, you know,
1:39:32
I've been looking forward to this for quite a long time.
1:39:36
I love talking to coaches on all different levels and while the
1:39:40
majority of my time is spent on the car.
1:39:42
Just a side of life. I need to continue to work on
1:39:45
our High School coaches because it's one thing you are coaching
1:39:48
and doing an amazing job on the X's and O's as far as kids are
1:39:51
getting better. You're also doing an amazing job
1:39:53
as a leader, and helping these young ladies at McKinney,
1:39:57
they're going to become future doctors and lawyers and moms,
1:40:01
and business owners, and what you do, how you model leadership
1:40:06
towards them, is going to affect them and positive manners, as
1:40:10
they move forward. And the cool thing about math is
1:40:12
they're going to go and affect other people themselves are
1:40:15
going to affect other people and that's that comes from you.
1:40:17
That's a tree. That look what?
1:40:18
Vince Anderson Ben Sanderson has done amazing things.
1:40:21
And now because of how he affected you leadership, wise
1:40:24
and coaching Wise, It's Now affecting these young people at
1:40:27
McKinney, so it's just an amazing.
1:40:29
This is the I'm from Alabama. So I don't like math at all, but
1:40:32
this is the one time that I love math that.
1:40:34
It actually just blows up and becomes bigger because of the
1:40:36
positive impact that you make on a on a daily basis, right there
1:40:40
at McKinney, whether it's McKinney am Wherever the future
1:40:43
takes you, I'm just so proud of your leadership on so proud to
1:40:46
kind of be on the sidelines and see a getting done and now to
1:40:49
know more about how that Journey came to into fruition in today.
1:40:53
Oh, thank you. Wow, thank you, thank you.
1:40:55
So, so much. I'm just so thankful to be here.
1:40:58
I appreciate you working with me.
1:41:00
I know I was all over the place, but thank you so much.
1:41:02
And I love what you do for our sport.
1:41:04
The, you know, just the support that you give to coaches
1:41:07
athletes track and giving them a voice and Avenue.
1:41:11
So, we appreciate you so much. Well, thank you for here, I
1:41:14
appreciate hearing that, you know, I'm a coach Mo coaches.
1:41:17
I'm a coach of coaches at this point.
1:41:19
No athlete needs to listen to me anymore.
1:41:21
Trust me. So now it's all about coaches
1:41:23
and how do we continue to make you better people because you
1:41:26
are mothers and dads and business owners and everything
1:41:29
is well besides coaches. So I just want to continue to
1:41:32
uplift and honor what you do as a person that just happens to
1:41:36
have the word coach in front of that name.
1:41:38
And so again, just so proud of just, so thankful for your time
1:41:41
today, it's the most important. Orton and valuable thing that
1:41:43
you can give me and it was well worth the chase to get you here
1:41:46
on the podcast. Thank you.
1:41:48
Thank you so much. Have a good one you too.
1:41:59
Thanks Mike what an incredible journey coach has been on so
1:42:02
awesome to hear their story in their own words, tremendous
1:42:04
proof of the positive effect coaches, make on a daily basis.
1:42:08
Help us spread the word of this. Great journey by sharing on your
1:42:10
favorite social, media channel. And don't forget to take a
1:42:13
minute to rate and review the podcast.
1:42:15
You just might get a shout out on a future episode, that's it
1:42:18
for today. Join us next week, when we'll
1:42:20
connect you with another amazing coach.