Latest / The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast / #202: Sam Peters-"Help! I want to be a track coach!"

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#202: Sam Peters-"Help! I want to be a track coach!" · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

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Track and field coach, the ones that point
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people most every season. He's the voice of reason.
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Speaking, the growth gotta prep for you carry the load.
0:30
Talk to the stove. For those of us, stay on the go
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pop, the handle, staying in the zone.
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What you packing for the role is more than one way to go taking
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those tests. And you told it ain't practice
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it before it became clear. You can't happen to you.
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Listen with both ears, can't Mentor, without a mentor, kids
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of experience, you can reinvent those kids.
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Every plans got to stand and deliver in the price sacrifice,
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can you give up Hugh its choice and to fight not to win or lose?
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It's not a boy, but if I see, y'all can make more movies, not
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about how to All about why you don't know what you're you know
1:02
who you are inside. Six, many ways to die.
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She's not absorb. Your faults Finish Line.
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The work ain't done. So we learn from the experts to.
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Y'all got to put in the legwork Gil athletic shoes Network.
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It's all about Connections put together for the profession to
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every track coach could be blessed.
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Alright, welcome back to the Gila buttocks, connections
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podcast. We've got a special one here.
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You'd probably already seen the, the title of today's episode and
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you're probably well, who is Saint Pete.
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I don't recognize who's Saint Peter's, who's that?
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Well, you don't recognize them today, but I guarantee you in a
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couple of years you are going to recognize him.
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Sam is currently a senior at Lincoln Memorial University and
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God bless him. He reached out to me of course
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it was on. Well actually texted me actually
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is pretty good. Sleuthing he texted me found my
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cell phone number, I love That and that's a, that's a lesson.
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All you coaches out there, who asked me, what my cell phone
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number is, it's easy to find you, literally Google might kind
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of him cell phone, it pops, right up.
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So kudos to Sam for that but Sam reached out and said, hey Mike,
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I want to become a track coach and I have some questions.
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Can we talk? And you know me, my heart is
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100% on track coaches. So here's a burgeoning track
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coach and who wants to be a track coach?
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And then of course, my head starts spinning.
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How can we blow this up? Can we bring more value to
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others? So I asked Sam the impossible
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question. I was like, hey, Sam would love
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to talk to you. I got a crazy idea.
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Do you want to come on the podcast?
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Like I thought not only other other athletes that listen.
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So this will be immense value for those current athletes that
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are contemplating becoming a track coach.
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But I also think for the majority of our audience track
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coaches that carrying the perspective of someone younger.
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So, you know, the 18 to 22 year range that we talked about in
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class College hearing their perspective of what they're
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thinking the questions that they have, I think will help us as a
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track coaching body. So, without further Ado, let me
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stop talking. Let me introduce our guests for
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this week, for the Gill podcast, senior out of Lincoln Memorial
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University. Help me, welcome the wise, the
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wonderful mr. Sam, Peter Sam, how are you,
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man? Yeah, I'm doing great, you know,
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spring break on campus, so, you know, I was a track athlete.
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Maybe you don't get the best spring break you want.
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I'm still blessed to be here and we're leaving for a meet on
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Thursday at Murray State and I'm excited for that.
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Awesome the racers man I know merged a real.
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Well that's awesome. Well Sam you know before we hit
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record here it has got a publicly kind of state.
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What I said to you, my friend, this is the first time Sam and I
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have ever met. We actually he brought a book.
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This is so awesome. Sam Actually reached out to me.
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I guess. What do you say three years ago?
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Yeah, three about three. Yeah, three years ago.
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Oh yeah, you're a read/write when cool but I guess hitter,
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right time 2020. And so you had to be a freshman
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then is that right? Yes.
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Yeah. Oh my.
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So as a freshman Sam reaches out to me on Twitter and said I
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guess ask first like look recommendations and stuff and so
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I gave him of course, I gave him lead for God's sake.
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The great book that we've had the author here on the podcast.
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Go back and check out that episode.
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It was fantastic. But Sam I'm just so impressed.
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You know, someone of your age and stage in life first.
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Reach out to me. I mean most people, you know,
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maybe you can think of your own peer group, they're in school
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won't even take that first step of Courage of just even asking
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you, hey, can I get some advice? Can we talk etcetera?
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But then when I had this crazy idea of, hey, man, yeah, I'd
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love to talk but I'd also like to record it and share it with
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the world and I gave you an out. So the mixture of ideas, I told
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Sam. Hey, man, if you don't want to
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do, it will still talk. But I'm just so impressed with
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your courage, Your tenacity, and just boldness to even do that.
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A man that tells me a lot about you from the get-go.
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And we haven't literally, we've talked for 2 minutes so far so
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I'm excited to learn more about you, Sam.
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So let's jump into it, man. You texted me and said, I wrote
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down the exact quote, I have a few questions about beginning, a
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coaching career. So let's I actually have some
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Twitter stuff to go over as well.
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I put this out to the twittersphere will you deal with
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that here in a little bit? But let's jump into it.
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What kind of questions might you have So, you know, as an
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athlete, and that is going to be a coach, I'm starting to realize
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basically how much I don't know. And so I'm like, looking for
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things looking for ways to start to learn.
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And, you know, I start reading books and stuff.
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And I hear books, like, whether it's on on here or other
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podcast, other resources and, you know, some of those books
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are helping but then, I'll, maybe I picked But Supple
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Leopard and periodization by tutor boompa.
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And I'm like, this is so complex, like I'm not ready for
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this yet. Like I'm trying to read it and
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I'm just like picking up maybe two or three words of sin.
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It's like in comprehending that. So I'm trying to basically find
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things that are like I don't want to say dumb down enough for
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me, but that's kind of what I'm saying.
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You know. Yeah.
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Like what where where do you start?
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Where do you start? I love it.
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Yeah. You know, similar background to
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you saying, I was not an exercise physiology, major or,
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you know, biomechanics. There's some amazing coaches
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that have those that educational background.
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So when they read, periodization by tutor bumper, which most
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people are going to tell you is like you have to have that in
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your library. So I love that.
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You mentioned that one that is like a staple.
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Like if you were to mention the Mount Rushmore of track and
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field books, most people are going to put that on there.
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So I love that you started there.
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And same thing, when I started coaching, you had read some of
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those books. I'd be like, what what is first?
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What is period is? Shin, Like that's itself is its
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own little big word, right? Penultimate step and things like
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that. And I'm like, Oh my and I don't
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know about you, but I got a little intimidated.
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When I first started reading those, I was like, maybe I'm not
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good enough or smart enough to be a track and field coach.
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So what I would say to you about that aspect first and foremost,
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that intimidation aspect is, is I tell you to take a deep
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breath, you know, coaching whether it's track and field or
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any other Sport and really life in general.
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Neural coaching is a lifelong journey so you know you're 21,
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22 years old, you're going to be coaching if you're gonna start
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coaching next year we'll talk about that here in a little
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while so you're going to be coaching for the next like 40
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years now, let that sink in. I mean you're going to coach for
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40 years. You're basically 20.
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Now that means you are going to coach two times longer than
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you've been alive on this Earth today.
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That's that's a long time, right?
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So if you think about that with that aspects of mind, you don't
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have to quote unquote know-it-all in year 1 year 2
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year 3 in fact the real secret some of these amazing coaches
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that I get to talk to on a daily basis.
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They'll tell you you're never going to know it all so this
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like goal of trying to know-it-all is unobtainable but
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you're always trying to obtain it but it happens year after
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year after A year. So, back to the original
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question of, where do you start? I think you have an amazing
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resource, right? Where you are.
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They're Lincoln Memorial University.
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So most kids, most athletes forgive me.
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Are, you know, it's a selfish pursuit to be an athlete and it
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sounds bad but it's true. When coach tells you a workout
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or recovery modality or whatnot. The athletes job is to take That
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in and figure out. Well, how do I, how do I get
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better from it? How do I get better from the
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Sprint workout? How do I get better from this
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recovery day? It's a selfish Pursuit.
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I'm taking in the instruction to help myself get better.
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Now that, you know, that you want to be a coach that you want
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to be a track coach. You can start working towards
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the other side of the coaching aspect, which is very selfless.
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So when a coach goes to a formal coaches education, or The mentor
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or his group that just, you know over they just shoot the crap
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talking about coaching and things like that.
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They are taking in that information and figuring out.
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How do they distill it. So they can push it back out to
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the athletes, see how that selflessness comes in.
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It's like, oh, here's that information.
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They have Fleet stops right there.
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And says, how does it make me better?
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The coach says, okay, now, how do I communicate this to my
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athletes so that they get better.
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So right now, 99% of your team is out there.
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Doing the workouts doing the drills Etc figuring out.
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How does it make them better? That's perfect.
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That's what they should be doing their athletes.
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That's good. You can now because you what is
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this April? So you've got to two maybe three
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months to go here, where you can now start looking and listening
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and thinking about what coaches telling you to okay?
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Well why is coach telling me this and maybe coach tells you
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the same workout that they tell someone else but they say it a
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little differently to the other athlete.
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It's like, well why did they find?
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Say it that way to them. What, what is it something?
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Is it communication? What why why it's the same work
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out? Why did they talk this way to
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that person and this way to me so you can just start noticing
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things where again most athletes are just yes sir, no sir, do the
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Sprint, do the jump, whatever it is.
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So you have that aspect. And then and I know just, I just
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know you. You, I actually haven't asked
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you this. So you may tell me I'm wrong
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here, but I just know you've already told Coach.
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Hey, I want to be a coach. So you've already started.
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Arted asking the questions of hey.
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So today, we're doing blocks starts times, five, whatever,
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why, why today and then. Why did you follow that up
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tomorrow with this workout or whatnot?
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And you can start hearing their thoughts of why they're
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sequencing events, why they're doing this with the jumpers?
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And this with the sprinters and this would the hurdlers ETC.
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You can start asking those questions.
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And I think that today as a college senior, I think that's
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where you start. You start asking questions and
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you start. Letting that antenna come up and
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just start noticing what things are happening and start asking
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the questions of why are they happening?
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And you if you're watching on YouTube, you can see Sam is
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fiercely taking notes. So, I'ma let him digest that and
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maybe there's another question. Yeah, so and yet, you're right.
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Like I do ask a lot of questions, maybe some sometimes,
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I might get on my coaches nerves with some so many questions, you
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know. But like he does a good job
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answering them, you know, sometimes it's a real short
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answer. I real simple answer, which is
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good and other times, it's like really like a complex things
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that I have to try and my best to learn to pick up on all those
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things. Because Was eventually.
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That's where I got the level. I got to be yet in its context,
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right? So like at the end of the second
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rep and you know, you got a third one coming up.
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That's probably not the right time to ask the question.
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Well, why are we doing a third one?
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You know, the Lord before or after practice?
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Yeah. Yeah.
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Especially you know, why type questions actually come off a
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little bit like can put the other person in a defensive
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stance? Like, if you think about your
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mom, your mom would always like, why are you out late?
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Why didn't you pick up your clothes, right?
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So sometimes when we started question with why there's an
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automatic of like what? Why Sam I'm questioning me here.
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You know. So learning how to reframe that.
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Question of. Hey, I noticed you had us do.
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Yada yada yada, was that? Because and then just pause
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like, actually, it's a question of its own, it was that because
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and then Coach will, will jump in to save you because you're
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not, you're not finishing that question.
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I was like, oh well I did that because one, two, three.
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Bus rides are really good for these type of questions, right?
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We were a lot of long bus rides and stuff.
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Yeah, these are these are the hates that next to coach coachy,
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okay. If I kept every you would some
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questions here and you know, I think those will be maybe some
13:21
better received timing for coach, for sure.
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Yeah. And also like I feel like I'm I
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learned really well when I find it a short little video to
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watch, you know, but I kind of struggle like finding those
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videos. Like, I can find the Powerpoints
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from the Coaches convention on, you just tfcc a by.
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Like, sometimes I don't know. I just forget words.
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I need to put like an image or an example with those words and
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those but I don't know exactly where to find those short little
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videos that, you know, you are equally amazing time for track
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and field and coaching specifically 2023.
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It's funny to hear you say. I can't find a video because
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back in the day and I'm not trying to do You know, get off
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my lawn here, you know, when I first started 90 or graduated
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for some 96 was my first year coaching?
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No, YouTube, no, CD-ROMs know what DVDs.
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It's such a waste of the, you know, what a VHS tape is.
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Yeah, yeah. Okay.
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Now I mean that seriously because some people don't, you
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know, VHS tapes that we would we would order from usatf.
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They would send us the Olympic trials, like all the 100
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hurdlers and we'd get it from the front, the back, the side,
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and all that stuff, no commentary, no coaching.
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Ting. We would just watch videos and
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see all eight athletes over and over and over and pick up cues
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there. So you know, you're an amazing
14:46
time period of YouTube video and then just simple access you
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mentioned. I love that.
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You went to the US tfcc a website and got the power points
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of the presenters, because some of the most amazing people are
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presenting at that convention. It's my favorite time in the
15:02
entire year. Have you reached out to any of
15:05
those presenters? And said, hey, you know, I saw
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you spoke on x y and z. I had a question about power
15:11
point number four. I don't understand what you
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mean. When you say yada yada, have you
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ever reached out to me these? These guys and gals nice.
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And yes, I never thought that I should do.
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I've reached out to some coaches but not in that manner.
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So, yeah, I would encourage you, you know, very much like your.
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I'm so glad I modeled this. When you reached out to me about
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the books years ago, but I find track coach has to be some of
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the most open and welcome people out there.
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Yeah, that would love to like, if you had a question,
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specifically, if you're showing interest like hey, I went and
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watched your PowerPoint presentation.
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Like that makes a coach like oh wow.
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This this isn't just some kid asking me, how do I go from 13?
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Flat, 212 flattened 100. I go this kids actually like
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they're trying to study and they had a question.
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I would encourage you to reach out through whether it's email
15:59
you have easy to find, you Just Google the school's name and
16:03
coach's name of stuff like that. So email, I guess I'll have to
16:06
give you this advice. You found my cell phone on the
16:09
network. Grinnell out their LinkedIn.
16:10
So you know, reaching out to those guys and gals.
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I think you would see a lot of fruit in that they would be
16:16
people who were still not, everybody's going to respond.
16:18
But I think the vast majority would respond in a very
16:21
understanding man, or like to help, you know, bring it to the
16:24
level that you're at today to help understand those different
16:28
training modalities that they're doing.
16:31
Got you? So So this one, this one's
16:36
interesting though like there's a lot of coaches out there which
16:40
means there's there's a lot of good ones and then maybe there's
16:44
some some bad ones. So how do you determine maybe
16:49
the good advice from the bad advice?
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Because I was a young person you know there's going to be a lot
16:55
of people trying to give me advice and I have to kind of
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filter through like this. This can help me.
17:01
This is this is like helping me work towards my end.
17:04
Dividual goals, personal goals in.
17:06
This is not going to help me because because I'm still like
17:11
really naive and a lot of things and track.
17:13
So I don't want to just like, just take everything as Bible,
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you know. Ya know, that's a really good
17:19
question. You're thinking about this
17:21
really well, Sam. You're, you know, I half
17:24
expected you to come on here and be like, hey, so I have a
17:26
question about coaching Mike, how do I coach Hunter M
17:29
sprinters? Be like, well, you first of all,
17:30
you're asking the wrong person. I forgotten everything.
17:32
I'm a life coach. So I appreciate your actual
17:35
thinking of like the structure of how and why to coach you know
17:39
with what you said they're saying I would turn it around a
17:42
little bit. I would change the language a
17:44
little bit from my experience anyway from my viewpoint.
17:47
You mentioned that there's a lot of great coaches out there and
17:49
you're right. They're all first of all, every
17:51
coach is fantastic. When you really sit back and
17:53
think about what they do, regardless of the results on the
17:56
track or the field, you know, they're dealing with 14 to 18
18:00
year olds and high school, 18 to 22 year olds in college.
18:03
In today's world of Phone social media, social justice.
18:06
They're dealing with a lot by the way.
18:09
Also trying to have a family or a life Etc.
18:12
So so my hats off to every coach and what they do now to your
18:17
point about maybe their education level, you know, we're
18:21
all on a different Journey, you know, to get to become a boo,
18:24
shik Snyder, Brooks Johnson type of Coach.
18:28
Well they started from knowing nothing.
18:31
You know, we all started with zero and then because of
18:34
Motivation and sometimes luck. But desire, they grew to where
18:40
they are today, you know, when I interview, you know, done over
18:44
200. Coaches for the Gill podcast
18:46
here, and I love it because it's always like, well, how did
18:50
coaching start for you? No one has ever said, oh, well,
18:53
I started coaching because I was already a great coach.
18:57
They all started with like, well, I was a runner and I like
18:59
the sport so I tried to do more of it, you know?
19:02
And then I started learning trial and error things.
19:04
Like that. So we're all on a different path
19:07
in our coaching Journey. So, how do you figure out well,
19:10
whose path should I pay attention more than the other?
19:14
Well, I'm going to tell you. The first thing I would do is
19:17
try to strip away as much bias as possible.
19:20
And what I mean by that is because we're going to typically
19:22
talk about college coaches here, but high school as well.
19:25
But get rid of the thought that just because they're at a power
19:30
five school or division, one that they automatically know.
19:34
They're talking about and then vice versa, because you're a
19:37
junior college coach, or a D3, you don't know as much take
19:41
that, and just wipe that completely out of your thought
19:45
process because it's not true. Some people are very beginning
19:49
Journey, as a power 5 division, one coach other people are some
19:53
of the best in this country. And they're at a division, three
19:56
or junior college coach. We're all at our place of
19:59
location for a of the, a lot of different reasons.
20:02
And not number one, It is because they know how to coach
20:05
the other their ability to coach.
20:07
That's not always number one, family, paycheck, Etc.
20:10
Other things that are as important for them is why
20:12
they're at such-and-such University versus another.
20:15
So strip that bias out and then I would do homework.
20:20
So to me, taking and putting aside all of the, you know, the
20:25
kids graduate and things like that.
20:27
Those are all extremely important things.
20:29
But if you're looking at just, who should I talk to coaching
20:32
wise, I think you go and you do. A bit of analysis on the
20:35
athletes, you know, which athlete go look at their senior
20:38
athletes and what their PR is r. And what were the PRS coming out
20:43
of high school, you know, most websites, now on bios for the
20:46
athletes, have that information, right?
20:48
It says you know, was the state champion, the hunter meter dash
20:51
running, 11.1 going into their senior year now, their PR is
20:56
10:39. That's pretty good.
20:58
That's right, that's really good coaching for that example.
21:01
There now that's not going to tell the entire story.
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Story because some kids are, you know, they're going to get
21:06
better just because the natural age and things like that, but
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that will help you see if you start identifying coaches, that
21:12
have a lot of those examples. A lot of their Sprint, crew
21:17
PR's, or whatever, you know, discipline, you're looking at.
21:21
That might be a good person to pick their brain.
21:28
So that's where I would maybe start with that path. okay,
21:33
yeah, I just noticed like I me myself, I just feel like I'm so
21:40
so behind, even though I'm still a student athlete, like I just
21:44
feel like they're just so much. So, like, for me to go and like,
21:48
it can me, like, I can make you a little anxious sometimes,
21:50
because obviously, like when I'm a coach, I want to be a great
21:55
one. Like so I just have all these
21:57
things I want to do but yeah, let me tell you focus.
22:01
Let me tell you yes and no to what you just said there.
22:05
Yes. Yes, you're behind in the sense
22:08
of you got 40 years ahead of you?
22:10
Yeah. No, you're not behind because
22:12
you have 40 years ahead of you there.
22:15
Let me tell you how many college seniors who are going to be
22:19
college or going to be track. Coaches have reached out to me
22:23
to use, you know, pick my brain, not only as a former track
22:25
coach, but now is the guy, whose interviews every coach around
22:28
those, kind of things, one Sir Hugh.
22:30
So you're ahead of the game as well.
22:33
Okay. Now, when you start thinking
22:35
about next, Dear and starting to coach and maybe get some anxiety
22:38
of like, well, man, am I gonna do it wrong?
22:40
Am I going to? Let me just put you at ease, you
22:43
will, you are 100% going to do it wrong every coach right now
22:46
that's listening when they think back to their very first year or
22:49
two years of coaching, I guarantee you, they're if
22:51
they're any coach worth their salt.
22:53
They go. Hmm.
22:53
I wish I could go back and see those athletes and apologize.
22:57
Like oh my gosh. I can't believe I was doing this
22:59
workout or that work out. Like, what was like now, 5 10,
23:02
20 years head. I know what I was doing was
23:05
wrong. Wrong.
23:05
But in the moment I didn't know and I was doing my best so as
23:09
long as you're doing things that are safe, you're not doing crazy
23:11
things like hey jump out of this two-story building, it'll make
23:14
you a better jumper, you're gonna be okay, you're not going
23:16
to hurt them. You just aren't going to be, may
23:18
be doing things as efficient or as properly as you could be
23:22
doing and you will be doing as you continue to learn and talk
23:24
with others but just lay that to the side.
23:26
Man. If you are any coach worth your
23:29
salt and 5 to 10 years, you will think man, I wish I could go
23:32
back and find those first athletes I ever coached and just
23:34
apologize to her. So sorry.
23:37
Yeah, yes. And that's another thing like
23:41
next year when I'm coaching. So yesterday I helped out at a
23:45
local high school just like coaching.
23:48
I'm just helping out with blocks and stuff so and it went well,
23:52
but I like, I noticed that I had a hard time, you know conveying
23:55
exactly how I wanted like, you know, making sure it's simple
23:59
like I can say it, but it might take me like two more sentences
24:03
than it should to really portray.
24:05
My idea cross. So, especially for high
24:08
schoolers, you know, it's a really needs to be simple.
24:10
And like, especially when you're starting out as a coach, it
24:13
should also like, not be too complicated or else you'll
24:17
confuse yourself. But like how should I learn to?
24:21
Like really make sure when I'm talking to a group of athletes
24:24
like it's coming out in a confident way so that you know,
24:28
they're trusting me to like it sounds like I know I'm talking
24:31
about. Yeah.
24:31
You know, I'm not going to encourage you to do things to
24:35
make it so I'm like you know what you're talking about.
24:37
I'm going to tell you, don't work on becoming knowing what
24:39
you are talking about. One of the traps that I see, new
24:44
rookie coaches getting into. And I think a little bit comes
24:47
from that mindspace of where you're out of.
24:50
Like I want to sound like I want to convey confidence because we
24:54
know an athlete. That's more.
24:55
Confident will run better, or jump better?
24:58
I think one of the traps we fall into is we try to over explain
25:03
or we tried to show our knowledge, which Is funny
25:06
because we don't have very much knowledge at that point.
25:08
And so I would tell you to, you know, get real comfortable
25:10
saying, I don't know like that takes a real confident person to
25:16
be able to say, I don't know, but I'll find that answer.
25:20
I mean that that to me when someone when we're interviewing
25:22
people here for Gil or I'm talking to an administrator or a
25:26
coach and I ask a question and they say I don't know, I
25:30
automatically they go up several Clicks in my head.
25:33
I'm like oh this is a person. Understands what they know as
25:37
importantly understands what they don't know and doesn't want
25:40
to be. S me.
25:41
UBS be. I kind of, you know, I got okay.
25:43
Well you're just you know, you don't really know what you're
25:44
talking about, but when you can get real comfortable saying, I
25:47
don't know. But I'll find out, man.
25:49
People, even young people people that are younger than you will
25:52
look up to be like, oh, wow, okay, cool.
25:56
Like they're gonna go get the real answer and then you got to
25:58
go get the answer at that point. So I wouldn't encourage you to
26:02
do things to make it look like, you know what you're talking
26:04
about. I'm going to Courage you to
26:06
practice, your craft, craft us, practice your speech of your
26:09
craft, you'll you'll learn what the kids are picking up from
26:12
you. And what they're not, you'll
26:14
learn what cues work for them and not, you know, kids learn I
26:18
should say, kids people learn in different ways, some learn
26:22
through hearing, some learn by, seeing some learn by feeling.
26:25
So you're going to find out that, you know, sometimes you're
26:27
going to have to describe a drill differently.
26:30
You might have to, and you can do this at your young age.
26:32
When you get my age, you can't do this.
26:34
You might have to demonstrate the You might have to find video
26:37
on YouTube to show the kid the drill.
26:41
And then sometimes there are some kids are going to need to
26:43
just do the drill, do it wrong, get some correction, come back,
26:47
try it again. And get that coordination picked
26:49
up so that they can do it. Well, you're going to have kids,
26:52
you're going to have five different sprinters and each one
26:54
of them will learn will need a different thing from you.
26:56
They'll need to hear it or see it or feel it or in practice it
27:00
to get better and some other have a combination, you know,
27:03
they're going to need to feel it.
27:03
Plus hear your feedback go. Back and try it again.
27:06
Fail, maybe go see a video, it's going to every kid's coached and
27:10
learn differently so that your skill set as a coach is, how do
27:14
you convey the same message, different ways for the different
27:18
people and how they can pick it up?
27:29
Okay, so that that was all the questions I had written down.
27:35
Actually you have really helped me out.
27:37
I have a lot of notes that I'll be able to review when we're
27:39
done. So well, let's turn into you.
27:41
Brought some good news to me, when, before we hit the record
27:43
button. So you actually have, you've got
27:46
a gig for next year. Your tell us about this.
27:49
So it's a school in my, in the conference, the essay see which
27:56
is in my opinion, one of the toughest.
27:59
To conferences, like in the 200, we had the top three guys at
28:05
endures this year, so that's pretty tough.
28:07
Sure. Yeah.
28:10
Anyways so it's about an hour and a half east of where I
28:14
currently go to school at Tusculum, University is Robert
28:20
Robert Williams. He is I've been talking to him
28:23
for the past month and he's told me that I could join join his
28:27
program as a graduate assistant. Distant and start learning how
28:31
to be a jumps coach, which is pretty, obviously, pretty new.
28:36
If you got, if you listeners, don't know, I'm a 400 Runner, I
28:39
came or Sprinter and I came here as a 100-meter Sprint or so,
28:44
I've been a sprinter, the five or six years that I've ran
28:48
track. So, so what's got you nervous
28:50
about going and coaching jump sprinters the whole nine.
28:53
Yeah, yeah. So it's obviously some of it
28:57
like translates, you know, you have to run, you have to Down
28:59
the runway and all that. So but then again, I don't know
29:04
how, I don't know what to tell them once they hit that board.
29:07
So that's what I used to say. I used to coach his prints jumps
29:10
in hurdles and I'd say I'm coach everything in the Sprint.
29:12
Ships are hurdles except for pole vault, I can get you down
29:14
to that pole vault box but it becomes magic at that point, I
29:17
have no clue what happens. Once you put that pole in the
29:19
Box, you know, I think it's kind of interesting, you know there's
29:24
a lot of different ways to get into coaching and on the ga
29:27
route, there's kind of two ways of the They route one is to go
29:31
to a very, very large program in Arkansas, Florida State
29:35
etcetera, where they have a Full Slate of coaches.
29:37
Maybe have volunteer coaches, maybe have several gaas, and you
29:41
don't get to get in the muck as much.
29:43
However, that still a great learning opportunity, right?
29:45
If I, if I go to Florida State and I become Matt Cain, he's one
29:49
of the spring coaches him and Ricky are go.
29:51
And I become Matt Cain's GA and he's got a volunteer assistant
29:55
and you know, Full Slate of sin. So I really am not.
29:57
I'm not writing workout for thing.
29:59
But I'm getting to watch a guy like Matt Cain work and I get to
30:04
and I'm just soaking it in, right?
30:05
I'm video in the whole thing in my head.
30:07
Why do you do this? How do you do that now?
30:09
And I'm like you to your coach, I'm asking him a billion.
30:11
Like I'm a make him perturbed with me because I'm asking him a
30:14
billion questions. That is a really fantastic way
30:17
to get into coaching. The other GA way of doing it is
30:20
what you're doing there at this column.
30:23
So, smaller program, maybe don't have them.
30:25
Now, I'm guessing here but maybe don't have the Full Slate of
30:27
full-time coaches. So you're going to Get a bigger
30:30
responsibility. You're going to write workouts.
30:31
You're going to coach jumps, even though you've never coached
30:34
at this part and never participated in it at this
30:36
point. That is also a fantastic way to
30:39
do it. That's the baptism by fire
30:42
jumping in and figuring it out. Yeah.
30:45
So what are some ways to help you maybe achieve success?
30:49
Excuse me earlier than later is go find.
30:54
So if you're doing sprints and jumps, go find coaches that are
30:56
successful at Sprints and jumps and Ask him.
30:59
Hey, what are the basics? What are the three things I've
31:02
got it? I've got to take 100 meter
31:04
person and make and work with them in the long jump.
31:07
Triple jump, wonder what are three?
31:08
The three basic, don't give me 30.
31:10
Give me three basic things. I need to work out and then go
31:13
get real real good at those basic things Sam, you know,
31:17
foundational, education and track and field is highly
31:21
underrated. We're always looking for the one
31:23
percent. What's the 1%?
31:25
I can do to get a long jumper, better or Sprinter faster.
31:29
And in reality, the bulk of our athletes, if they were hugely
31:34
hugely improved on their Basics, would be tremendously improved.
31:38
So, I would go find those people and pick their brain.
31:41
So what do you do again? Make it simple.
31:43
What are the three things I need to know for long jumpers?
31:46
They're going to tell you run up first also you know, running a
31:49
little bit. So that's a great thing.
31:50
They're going to talk about the set up so the penultimate in the
31:52
actual take off and then they'll talk about some in the air
31:55
stuff. That's the three kind of basic.
31:57
I know there's every longtime coach is yelling at me.
31:59
Right now, that's the basics. You know what the run-up what
32:02
you're doing at the board and then the air to do work that
32:05
first and then as you possibly now, is a ga can start doing
32:08
some formal education. So usatf level one eventually
32:12
level to you, stfc CCA, has some tremendous courses at the
32:16
convention, you know, those those people you've seen
32:19
actually I have my level one. So.
32:23
Why were you telling you think you're behind?
32:25
Hold on. You are a college athlete and
32:27
you already have your level one? Yeah, I got it.
32:30
Let's see. Wow.
32:33
In 2020 on Christmas Eve 2020. Do you remember who your
32:37
teachers were Dave path? Lansky awesome.
32:42
And had Liberties jump coach. I can't man shot of inaudible
32:46
the tunable. Yeah and maybe Larry judge.
32:51
Yeah. Larry Larry Larry dude.
32:54
First of all there are three great resources for you today.
32:59
You already have an in with them you email Shan Shan's one of the
33:01
greatest people that were leery extra all three main door, just
33:03
amazing amazing human beings, you emailed them and say hey I
33:07
took your class in 2020 and now here we are. 20 23.
33:12
I'm about to start my first GA position and I've got a coach
33:15
jumps, I listened I promise but Can we have a conversation about
33:20
like okay now the rubber meets the road?
33:21
I got actually do it. Can we have a conversation and
33:24
they will absolutely great people.
33:25
They're super smart people, they'll be like oh my God this
33:29
guy was in my class of course I'm going to help like we feel I
33:31
taught for many many years and talk 30-something level ones.
33:34
I still have this like beholden when someone comes to me and
33:36
says I was in your class was like, oh my God, are you know,
33:38
anything I can help you with like you just have this natural
33:41
connection. So you have an automatic like
33:42
Mentor group started by that alone and don't you dare?
33:46
So you're behind the eight ball, man.
33:47
No, no other. It has a level one already.
33:50
I love that. Congratulations, man, that's so
33:52
cool. That's awesome.
33:54
What else has got? You may be nervous about next
33:56
year, starting up as a ga. Well, I mean some of them like
34:02
you can be older than me. Honestly there.
34:04
They could be like, I have to learn.
34:06
I'm gonna have to learn how to draw that line because I'm like,
34:10
I'm the coach now, I'm not to athlete and I especially since
34:14
they're in their conference, I see them at probably 60 70 % of
34:18
my My mom eats. Yes, I'm so against you are
34:23
ahead of the curve, my friend. So one of the topics that I
34:27
bring up a lot of times in the podcast is when a coach says.
34:31
Yeah, I went to such and such University and then I became the
34:33
ga at that same University. I'm like, wait a minute so in
34:36
June you were hanging out with your boys and then in August,
34:40
you were coach. Who how does that work?
34:43
That, you know, that's, that's not, that's just not something,
34:46
you snap your fingers. And so, I love that you're
34:48
thinking about that. So you're not necessarily At the
34:51
same University so your teammates, you're not coaching
34:53
your teammates but to your point, some are going to be,
34:55
maybe more, you know, a year or two older than you, but you've
34:58
also competed against some of them as well.
35:00
So, yeah, my advice is to absolutely keep separation.
35:06
I don't mean that in any negative way, I just mean that
35:08
you're in a different role. Now, you're not there.
35:10
Homeboy, you're not their best friend.
35:12
Your coach means you love them. You want them to be successful,
35:17
but you're not to hang out, buddy.
35:19
You know, you're not playing next.
35:20
Box onto kid, still play Xbox on the weekends.
35:23
You're definitely, you're not drinking with them.
35:27
I know, you know these things now.
35:28
But this is good stuff for people just to know when here,
35:30
you're not drinking with them. You know, you're not discussing
35:34
necessarily love lives and relationships.
35:37
You know, there's other people for that their family, the
35:40
clergy, Etc. You're there to coach.
35:42
So I and it's going to be it's harder for you to do it today as
35:45
a 22 year old, and it will be as a thirty to forty to fifty
35:48
two-year-old. But sometimes we struggle,
35:50
Because, you know, around these kids is all the time so
35:53
relationships, absolutely in should current occurring grow,
35:58
but as a young person, it's going to be harder for you to
36:01
like me and you maybe you're gonna have less friends over
36:03
there, you know, you don't have an established friend group of
36:06
your age and peers out in Tusculum.
36:09
So it's going to there's going to be times where I think it's
36:10
going to be hard for you, cause I think I'll be hard for anybody
36:13
resist. The temptation established, the
36:15
right relationship with those athletes from the get-go and
36:19
you'll have a much Much longer less hassle of a career, for
36:25
sure. Yeah, yeah that's that's really
36:30
the way I just gotta I really want to make sure, you know that
36:34
there's some there's a level of trust with me, you know?
36:37
And obviously then because I just want them to know that I
36:41
have like their best interest in mind.
36:44
You'll prove that by getting prepared, as a coach learning,
36:48
becoming better at your craft and teaching them and loving on
36:52
them on the track, not by going to the bar and play in game.
36:56
Seems things like that as a coach.
36:58
Yeah, yeah. Well hey, I, you know, as as
37:02
evidence by you, reaching out to me, several years ago, on
37:04
Twitter, you know, I, I love Twitter.
37:06
That's where I live. Yeah.
37:08
And so, when we were setting this up, excuse me.
37:13
Pardon me there. As we were setting this up Sam,
37:15
I reached out, I like, I like Twitter because I like the
37:18
crowdsourcing aspect of it and, you know, pretty much every one
37:20
of my followers on Twitter is either a track athlete or more
37:24
specifically a track coach. So I put Out there in Twitter I
37:27
said hey Twitter track Twitter need your help working on a
37:30
project you use Sam. You were the project if you were
37:33
to give advice to a current Collegiate student athlete, who
37:36
wanted to be a coach, what would it be?
37:38
Now, you got people. I got 100 comments here.
37:42
We're going to go over a few of these here but that one tweet
37:45
got over 20,000 views. There's a lot of interest like
37:48
this topic is really on point for our community.
37:51
So am I kind of want to go through.
37:52
There's some I'll just read but there may be others that will
37:54
stop and pause and kind of talk about here a little bit as we
37:57
Wrap up today. So coach mw1 said, get certified
38:00
to teach. So that's another aspect.
38:02
We actually didn't talk about. I know you're going into become
38:05
a ga at Tusculum University, but you still have a decision to
38:10
make whether you want to become a high school coach or a
38:12
Collegiate coach. And so again I would give you
38:16
that same advice of wipe away your bias and think that oh well
38:20
only the good coaches, go to college.
38:22
I want to go coach college man. Some of the most influential
38:25
greatest coaches we have Or on the high school level and we
38:28
need them desperately with our 14 18 year old kids that are out
38:32
there. So so this coach at get
38:34
certified to teach learn to listen and listen to learn.
38:38
I love that. No, your athletes be willing to
38:40
adjust. And this I thought coach mw1
38:44
coach Washington, here's really hit it on this one.
38:46
Meet people where they are. So you're going to have some
38:51
athletes that are going to come to you and they are Uber Lee
38:53
gifted. Like they were put on this Earth
38:56
to become a ten Flats printer or twenty seven foot long jumper,
39:01
and then you're going to meet other kids who, you know, at
39:03
their agent stage. Have a hard time, tying their
39:05
shoes, their coordination levels, haven't caught up to who
39:07
they are, meet people where they are and I think that actually is
39:11
good advice for you as well as a beginning coach.
39:14
Let yourself be where you are today you are not expected and
39:17
you should not expect to be the perfect coach year. 1.
39:20
Year 2 year 3, as long as you're working towards becoming a
39:24
better. Then you're doing the right
39:26
thing, you're on the right path there.
39:28
So I thought that was really good.
39:29
Meet people where they are, good friend, Kurt Michael Downs, Gil,
39:33
podcast, Alum. By the way, up in Canada, this
39:35
one actually had a lot of like, so, I think this resonated with
39:39
a lot of people get a notebook document, everything find a
39:43
mentor, you're going to hear this theme and these tweets
39:46
here, find a mentor, ask questions, be humble, which I
39:51
think you are. You're showing that by coming on
39:53
to the podcast and ask Could these questions?
39:55
I think you've got humbleness in Spades, my friend, be
39:58
thoughtful. Be willing to go anywhere to
40:00
seek knowledge, plan for success.
40:02
And then you brought this up a little bit here saying, keep it
40:05
simple. You can always add complexity
40:08
later and that interest and you kind of already touched on it
40:11
by. Well, I know simples it's you
40:13
said, especially for high school and I think for any athlete,
40:16
keep it simple. That was great advice by Kurt.
40:18
Michael Downstream Meadow says, go ahead.
40:20
Yeah yeah. So in the, with the mentor, I
40:25
would say like, like my coach here at school at Lincoln
40:30
Memorial. He Rochelle black who went to
40:33
Troy by the way. Oh no I know where she'll come
40:35
on. I know all my Troy loans baby.
40:37
Come on. Yeah, so obviously he's one and
40:42
then like he recommended Lane Fletcher down at Lee who I like
40:50
I talk to a lot. I was actually on the phone with
40:52
him last night but so like how many is there such thing as too
40:58
many mentors? I was like I wouldn't I don't
41:00
know if I would want to have a you know like 25 people that I'm
41:05
like, always calling with liking this one issue, you know?
41:09
Yeah. That's that's a great question.
41:11
I'd love to hear from the listeners.
41:13
What you think about that question to of too many?
41:15
I'm actually put this on Twitter after we get done here.
41:17
Can you have too many mentors? I think the answer is yes.
41:25
Now, saying that what I mean is, you may have.
41:28
I'm just going to make up numbers here.
41:29
You may have 20 30, 40 mentors over the course of your career.
41:33
Here because they'll fall in and out.
41:35
Right? What you need for mentorship as
41:38
a beginning co-chair, the next 5 to 10 years is going to be
41:41
different than what you need, as a mentor at the age of 50.
41:45
And you're 50 to 60, year coaching your your stage of life
41:49
is going to change. You don't necessarily not
41:52
knowing your your personal relationship life.
41:55
But assuming you're not married with Children today.
41:58
When, when it, if you do pursue that path, you may need
42:01
different mentors of like, hey, so Now, I've got a kid on the
42:04
way. I need some coaches to pour in
42:06
my life on. Well, how do I become a dad and
42:08
still coach properly? Even when you first get married?
42:12
How do I become a spouse? Who's a track coach in?
42:15
Do it right? Like, I got to pour into my
42:17
relationship before I pour it in my profession, right?
42:20
You know, you're going to need different mentors along the
42:23
different way. So I think yes, I would not go
42:25
out and try to get 20 mentors today, but I would know that the
42:29
mentors that you do reach out to today and establish relationship
42:32
may change. Change or certainly should
42:34
change as you move along in your journey.
42:37
Like I mentioned those level one coaches in your head coach now
42:40
and then your head coach at Tusculum.
42:41
Those are great jumping off point mentors, for sure.
42:44
Yeah, and they maybe come back in here like maybe Rochelle is
42:47
not your Mentor in 10 years but then you go to get your first
42:50
head coaching job and you're like, well maybe I should go
42:52
back to coach black and say yeah, you are head coach.
42:55
I give you little bit of hard time.
42:56
How did you do it? What was it?
42:57
What was the hardest part for you?
42:58
When you first became a head coach, they may re-enter as a
43:02
mentor Trade Meadow says, control your input and your
43:06
output decide who gets a say and decides who gets your investment
43:10
number to know the expectations of your admin institution, head
43:13
coach staff. So, your mission is the same.
43:15
Some will say one thing and do another, I liked raised here,
43:18
know the expectations of your institution, your head coach
43:21
Etc, as a ga, especially you had really sit down with coaching.
43:25
Be like, hey, so what do you expect of me?
43:28
What, you know, what is it just coaching?
43:30
That's cool. I'll do that but do you also
43:32
have Expectations for me to help set the schedule or get
43:36
Transportation. What are the, what are the
43:38
expectations? So that I can can meet those for
43:41
you? I think that's sort of just
43:42
guessing just having those conversations from the get-go.
43:45
As a is a really important aspect coach Craig over at
43:50
Purdue another podcast Alum. I think that's a thing too, is
43:54
listen to the podcast and you already do so I appreciate that
43:56
but I think that's key to hearing people's Journeys.
43:59
I'm noticing that a lot of podcasts alums have responded
44:01
and I think that kind of You that those are the type of
44:03
people that want to reach out and help.
44:05
So coach Greg says, make connections with coaches that
44:08
would be willing to Mentor you. Again, I told you you're going
44:10
to hear and see that theme having the right support network
44:12
can make. All the difference.
44:14
Trust me on this one coach Craig has a story there, Derek Everly.
44:18
Now this one's kind of funny. They're carefully said marry a
44:21
lawyer? And I think what Derek is trying
44:24
to say is that today in 2023 were not paying our track and
44:29
field coach has enough. That's my opinion.
44:32
It certainly. Are getting paid more today than
44:34
they were back, when I was coaching, but for what we do the
44:37
hours, we put in the care, we give to other people's children,
44:41
we're not paying enough. So I think, what Derek's point
44:43
there is, you know, might help if you marry someone who is
44:46
going to make a little bit more money than you, but I think you
44:48
should be making as much money as possible.
44:51
Mike Van Dyke says, find a mentor coach with tons of
44:53
experience. Okay.
44:56
I see me dabs. Great coach down at Texas, has
44:58
been on the podcast spin. This is awesome.
45:00
Listen to this one, this is a good one.
45:02
Spend more time, listening and less time talking.
45:07
I call that the Hamilton really ever seen Hamilton the musical.
45:11
Yeah, I bet right? You know, talk less or smile.
45:14
More talk less. Yeah, whatever it is.
45:16
Yeah, that's what Sam you saying here.
45:17
Spend more time, listening less time talking focus on learning
45:21
the why unless on the outcome in all caps, he wrote Network,
45:26
that's important and we'll talk, let's talk about networking here
45:28
for a second. Networking is typically defined
45:32
as When you go to the Coaches convention, or you go to level
45:35
one and you probably took that level one online.
45:37
I would imagine. Yeah.
45:39
Yeah. We used to go to a classroom.
45:40
Not sure if we're back to classrooms are not, but
45:42
typically, networking is seen as something where you go to an
45:46
event, where a lot of other people are a lot of other
45:47
coaches and you go to try to meet as many of them as you can.
45:50
And and how many can walk away knowing, who Saint Peter's is
45:54
that to me is the wrong way to network when you're trying to
45:58
catch the eye or the ear of a coach that you want to either
46:01
have as a mentor, Learn more from, I would suggest for
46:04
networking. What's worked for me is, how do
46:06
I go up and give value to that person?
46:09
I mean, it's real easy. Someone like a mouse, the head
46:11
coach at University of Florida, another podcast Alum, when
46:14
people come up to him, and they're only trying to become
46:17
air quotes here friends with him because they think you'll, you
46:20
know, can get them a job and things like that, he can smell
46:22
that a mile away. It's that person that just wants
46:25
something from mouse mouse is probably, I'm speaking a little
46:28
bit for your mouse. I apologize.
46:30
Please correct me where we're going Sense.
46:33
I think Mouse is more attracted to someone who wants maybe wants
46:36
to get to know him. Maybe once to give value like,
46:38
hey I heard of this recruit. Maybe you want to take a look at
46:40
them or something like that. Not the person who says I want
46:43
Mouse as a reference on my resume that, that's the person
46:47
Mouse can smile. I can smell a mile away and you
46:51
know, it's like why why? Why should I don't even know who
46:53
you are. So Network get great at the
46:58
warm-up and this Sammy dabs talking.
46:59
So if he's talking listen no job is beneath you take initiative
47:04
support the team, not just your vent area.
47:07
Coach cam says find mentorship hound dog, running company says,
47:11
would encourage them to learn different training methods from
47:13
different programs and understand the why behind each
47:17
of those as you get these different mentors and you're
47:19
going to learn from the to school and Coach, you've
47:21
obviously learned from your current coach, you learn from
47:23
level 1. There's going to be some those
47:25
differences. This goes back to, who do I
47:26
listen to? And who do I not?
47:28
Listen to type of thing. You're going to learn different
47:30
ways to coach the long jump, triple jump, and Cetera hound
47:33
dog Running Company. Really hit the nail on the head
47:35
here in Sammy dabs, brought it up as well.
47:38
Learn the why, so, why do you do this with your triple jumpers?
47:43
Why do you not do this with your high jumpers, Etc?
47:46
Learning the, why is really really important.
47:50
Jay Turner says, understand that things will look a lot different
47:53
when you see things from Viewpoint of a coach than it did
47:55
when you were a student athlete. Oh, Jay hits it right there,
47:58
man. We talked a little bit about
48:00
this. When you're an athlete it's
48:01
selfish. You're trying to bring in what
48:03
coaches saying so that you can become better.
48:05
It's going to look different when it's now like, oh well, it
48:07
doesn't matter what I can do or not do, I've got to help these
48:10
kids. These athletes do.
48:12
So it's going to look, look, a little different make as many
48:15
coach Fab Fab, which coach fade. Now, Kansas State make as many
48:19
connections to the coaches as possible inside and outside,
48:23
your current School. And I would add inside and
48:26
outside of your event group, Don't Be Afraid, in fact, not
48:30
nothing. Don't be afraid.
48:30
I'd encourage you to get become peers with distance coaches with
48:35
throws, coaches multi, coaches, Sprints, and jumps, coaches for
48:39
a couple of reasons. One, you can learn from them,
48:41
you know, how they do things and why they do certain things.
48:44
But also as they go on to become head coaches, well, if you only
48:48
talk to Sprint coaches in a sport, coach becomes a head
48:50
coach. Well why would he hire you?
48:51
Your spring coach? He doesn't.
48:52
He's been coaching. Yeah.
48:54
But that distance coach that becomes a head coach is going to
48:56
need a Sprint coach and you might be that one.
48:59
So love that inside outside of your current school and I would
49:02
add inside, and outside of your event area, coach underscore t
49:07
g, says read read some more read again.
49:11
I assume you must be a reader because you reached out to me
49:13
years ago for reading suggestions.
49:15
So I love love that. You kind of maybe already on
49:17
that path. Coach cam at Camelot, Kingston
49:22
underscore, pay attention to the details.
49:24
Ask questions invest in your certifications.
49:27
U.s. tfcc a and usatf. You're already doing that.
49:30
That's awesome. Fairlane.
49:33
Junior track says get paid and I love this that seems like a very
49:38
selfish thing to say like, oh, get paid like, hey, you're going
49:41
to have hopefully a family one day.
49:42
Your have passions goals Charities that you want to do.
49:48
Do so, we have you want to retire one day, so we do have to
49:52
get paid when we had boo schexnayder on the podcast.
49:54
If you haven't listened to Booze episode, I would encourage you
49:57
to go back and listen to a first of all, he's one of the top
49:59
coaches in this world but he had some amazing advice about
50:04
especially for coaches that are young like yourself that if you
50:09
have a position of opportunity to go to another job, that pays
50:12
more take it, we don't pay you guys enough anyway, as coaches.
50:16
So get that money early because that's what Compounding talk
50:19
about retirement, things like that.
50:21
So I like Fairlawn saying that, I didn't think that was a crass
50:26
or anything way to say that. Get paid.
50:29
We'll see coach Alisha of at Alicia Nicole.
50:33
Sometimes you, you're going to want it more for your athletes
50:35
and they want it for themselves. You have to learn to be okay
50:38
with that. Yeah, you're not your athletes,
50:40
you're the coach teach them as well as you can.
50:43
Encourage them. Motivate them as much as you
50:45
can, but ultimately, they're the ones that just like you today as
50:47
an athlete. You Got to want it to happen.
50:50
Not your coat with however much coaching.
50:51
Most you do is it's on you Sam. Coach Justin Romero.
50:55
Usatf search stall. Start small and big private
50:58
school allowed. Me to be independent from Club
51:00
coach. I love that nickel.
51:03
You'd be astonished how little of your day is spent in
51:05
practice. Oh, here's a good one.
51:07
So how you'll be astonished a little of your day is spent in
51:10
practice, get your CDL. Get your master's degree, paid
51:12
for nice, ba GA first, and learn how to work in the industry.
51:17
You know, you're probably getting into coaching.
51:18
Coaching because you love to be on the track with a stopwatch
51:20
yelling out splits or, you know, in the sandpit, helping your
51:23
kids job, right. But there's a whole that that's
51:27
this much of coaching their scheduling.
51:29
There's budgeting, there's a lum nigh, there's compliance on the
51:33
college side. If your teacher teaching and
51:36
takes up the most of your time, there's parents alumni, Etc,
51:41
know that it is way more than just writing workouts and going
51:45
to the track and doing those workouts.
51:48
So, I love nickel saying that you'd be astonished to health,
51:51
but of your day is spent in practice SV.
51:55
Cross-country says High School level, be ready to coach all
51:57
events. That's that's true.
52:00
You're already kind of seeing that.
52:01
Is in a smaller school. You got to go to the jumps now.
52:03
Be ready, coach all events, every athlete matters, things
52:06
like uniforms as another thing, you're going to deal with
52:08
uniforms daily issues, running a meet apparel pictures, take up
52:12
as much time as coaching. And I think this type of advice
52:16
is always kind of As me be prepared for the unexpected.
52:19
I don't know how. I don't know how for you to do
52:21
that. It's unexpected for a reason so
52:23
so maybe be more flexible that, you know, things are going to
52:27
come at you. There's an old Confucius saying,
52:30
something about when the wind blows the willow survives but
52:35
the oak tree dies because the oak tree so rigid when the wind
52:38
blows, it cracks and dies right? Where the willow, you know, it
52:42
bends. It's flexible.
52:43
So it survives a windstorms much like that for your own career.
52:47
You We're going to talk about Confucius today.
52:49
Your own your own life of like, be be willing to roll with the
52:53
punches so to speak Shawn Coleman.
52:55
Excellent job at NC State says, always watch your character in
52:58
public and I'd say in private to the coaching world is very
53:02
small, you never know. Who knows?
53:03
Who it's what you know, as well as who, you know?
53:07
Charles pot says, never stop learning.
53:09
Be curious, ask questions and listening.
53:11
I love that Charles pots. That's that's so great.
53:13
Jerry, Sycamore, never be afraid to say the wrong thing when it
53:16
comes to Corrections. Always keep learning and being a
53:18
student of the sport. That's really good.
53:20
Never be afraid to say the wrong thing when it comes to
53:23
Corrections. Like if you think that's the
53:24
answer, say the answer and then be willing to be corrected and
53:28
find the right answer. Nick Moss says, talk to as many
53:33
coaches as you can ask lots of questions.
53:35
You notice that theme ask lots of questions, learn and be
53:39
willing to coach all events. That's another theme there.
53:42
A few more here and we'll start wrapping up coach Mall in the
53:46
high school level go. Learn the events that, you know,
53:48
the least about because I promise you for some reason that
53:50
will be the only opening available, that's pretty funny.
53:53
So, when you code, when you go to go, get a full time job after
53:56
your GA, maybe be opened up, being a jumps coach because that
53:59
may be the only position I hope. Yes, that's pretty good.
54:03
Drew Matthews. Great to Matthew says, coach
54:05
because you enjoy it, no matter what level it is because it's
54:08
pretty hard to make a living coaching track today, you know?
54:10
Yes and no. Yes, we've already talked about,
54:13
we don't pay our check, coaches enough.
54:14
However, thousands of us, make a living coaching, track and
54:18
Field's, don't don't, don't be down on that.
54:22
Darren Flint good friend of mine, great family.
54:24
The Flint family have them read books like Mastery to help them
54:27
understand if it's truly one of their life tasks.
54:30
So learning again, reading learning, always a life.
54:32
Learner, Keith Whitman, learn all the events, but more
54:35
importantly, learn how to connect with people, create a
54:38
network of mentors, and we just two more here.
54:40
Scott Stadium, says, never Believe you made it all that's,
54:43
that's good. You have it, humility and a
54:46
willingness to keep learning and developing your craft have to
54:49
happen. Been doing this for 28 years.
54:51
And if I ever reached the point where I, neither serve other
54:53
coaches around me, nor feel I can grow my knowledge.
54:56
It's over, I love that, never believe you made it and my
54:59
career, my whole goal was to make it to the SEC as from
55:03
Alabama. So you know I'm an SEC home
55:04
where it's the best conference in the world blah blah blah
55:06
blah. And when I made it to
55:08
Mississippi State, I made it in my head like You couldn't tell
55:12
me nothing. I made it.
55:13
I was in sec. I'm better than yeah.
55:16
You know. And wow what a bad.
55:18
What a terrorist probably would ended my career.
55:20
It's like, oh man, I'm I've reached the Mountaintop with
55:22
there's no more mountain to climb what motivation do you
55:25
have to get better and keep getting better for yourself and
55:28
for your athletes? I love Scott Stadium they're
55:30
saying, never believe you made in finally.
55:32
Here. Coach mistretta great, High
55:34
School coach down in Louisiana, former head coach at Southeast
55:37
Louisiana University. Take some exercise science
55:39
courses, ask your coach to send you to start classes, man.
55:42
Check, check help coach your event, group, spend time around
55:45
other groups, talk to coaches and find a mentor.
55:49
So, when you hear all of those great pieces of advice there,
55:54
Sam. What are I'm going to ask you,
55:57
give me the three things that stuck out at you.
55:59
What we're kind of the themes that you heard from that entire
56:02
list there. Never be afraid, they'll never
56:08
believe you made it. Hmm and then talk to people
56:13
outside of European group. Yeah okay you can't I mean you
56:17
can still learn things that you know translate to to you to
56:21
whatever of young. Kids saw it all track and field
56:25
all kind of flows together you know yeah and yeah basically
56:30
said like get get paid what I'm worth or what we're working.
56:34
So Mouse hallway. Always says like he says
56:38
something along the lines of you're always worth what
56:41
somebody's willing to pay you like.
56:43
Like whenever people may have said like a beast honor was
56:46
getting overpaid or something. He was saying like if they're
56:50
willing to pay her that then she's worth it.
56:52
So who are you to judge that? She's not worth that.
56:54
Exactly why someone says she's worth that, right?
56:57
Someone says Mouse is worth. I don't know.
56:59
He's probably making a couple billion down there in Florida
57:01
but he's working right? And just like the, the The
57:04
coaches at your institutions Lincoln Memorial and extra
57:07
Tusculum their worth in my mind, a whole heck of a lot more than
57:10
they're making. And so, it's always not just
57:14
getting paid what you're worth, but I want to kind of demystify
57:17
this getting paid as a coach, because, again, we're so
57:20
selfless, we think, oh, I do this for free and I do it for
57:23
the kids, and it's not about the money, and those are great,
57:26
those are things that you are quotes are supposed to say.
57:28
But at the end of the day, you've got a family, you've got
57:31
a future, you have your own hobbies and passions that you
57:34
You should be able to enjoy Charities that you would like to
57:37
support to do that in today's world that takes a salary.
57:41
And so I just want in blessed for you to have as big a salary
57:45
as you can absolutely get doing a job that you love and that
57:49
would be coaching track and field.
57:52
Yeah, yeah, I agree with all that for sure.
57:55
Well Sam, as we wrap up today again, just so thankful.
57:59
I mean, you're so one of the hardest things in this world is
58:02
courage and to step out and ask questions and ask people that
58:05
maybe you're not supposed to ask or whatever terms that are out
58:08
there. So I'm just so happy for that.
58:10
I'd love to continue blessing you with mentors and people and
58:14
advice where if someone's listening right now and they're
58:17
like, hey you know what? Mike, you didn't bring up X or
58:20
man saying I've got A book. I would love if you're listening
58:23
right now, but I know I have a lot of listeners out there that
58:25
are big book readers, you know, who I'm thinking of right now.
58:28
I know you're hearing yourself. You know, Mike knows your book
58:31
reader. I would love Sam's a reader.
58:34
We've heard through a lot of advice that reading is good.
58:37
I would ask for you, someone out there.
58:40
I know you will do this. You'll send Sam a book.
58:42
Send them your favorite book. I know you've got an extra copy
58:45
or you make a couple extra sickles than someone else does,
58:48
so you can buy him a copy by him your Vert book that would help
58:53
him as he starts his coaching journey.
58:55
And then for those who don't book recommendations, you know,
58:58
said Sam reached out to me years ago now for book
59:00
recommendations. So he's a reader.
59:02
Give him some some book recommendations out there.
59:04
But also maybe you want to contact Sam.
59:06
Maybe you got a job Opps. I wonder if someone's got a job
59:09
offer for Sam, either this upcoming year or in the next
59:11
year or two, when he gets his graduate degree here, where Sam
59:15
where can someone reach out to you?
59:16
If they want to reach out to you, to give you a job offer or
59:19
book or or maybe just some I'm positive words for you.
59:23
Yeah, so probably the best way would be email.
59:28
That email, is s Peters. So the first initial in my name
59:33
and then my last name Peters 1917 at gmail.com.
59:39
Now, most people, when they put the numbers like that, it's
59:41
their birthday or you were not born in 1917 and I I doubt I
59:45
don't want to be a doubter, but I'm doubting that you're 200.
59:47
M, PR is 1917. What's a?
59:50
What's Seven. What does that sound?
59:52
Like an old locker code or something?
59:54
Nice. My best my street address when I
59:56
was a kid. Yeah, that's like don't say now
59:59
that means we can have any stalkers out here man.
1:00:02
Yeah. All right.
1:00:04
So as Peters PE T RS, 1917 at gmail.com, awesome.
1:00:11
And I love it. I would love for you to reach
1:00:13
out to Sam, obviously. He's someone that's worthy of
1:00:16
your positivity and just good words for him and maybe some
1:00:21
advice. Is for those who feel like it
1:00:23
would be valuable for Sam. And here's what I'm going to
1:00:26
predict its 2023, you're going to go into your grad work, which
1:00:31
is a year or two and then five ten years.
1:00:33
So, ten years from now, twenty thirty three, I plan on being
1:00:37
right here. Still hosting this podcast.
1:00:40
So before 10 years, goes back Sam, we're going to have you
1:00:43
back on the podcast and it's not going to be titled help.
1:00:46
I want to be a college track coach.
1:00:48
I want to be a track coach, it's going to be Saint Peter's from.
1:00:51
Such and such other university or high school and we're going
1:00:54
to we're going to catch up and see did any of this advice?
1:00:58
Was it good? Was it bad?
1:00:59
What would you give advice to people in your situation?
1:01:02
Now we're going to have you back my friend and it's going to be
1:01:05
it's going to be really really awesome to see your growth
1:01:08
because I just know there is a huge runway in front of you,
1:01:11
man. It's going to be fun to watch
1:01:13
from the sidelines for me. Yeah, I'm looking forward to
1:01:16
that episode. You gotta visualize, it's going
1:01:20
to happen, man. I guess.
1:01:21
I know it. Well Sam man.
1:01:22
Thanks again for your time. Don't hang up after we stop
1:01:26
recording here. Just want to do a quick check in
1:01:28
with you but just so thankful for you.
1:01:29
So thankful for you that you would listen to today that you
1:01:32
would hear. Sam's story hear the questions
1:01:35
member. If Sam is asking these
1:01:37
questions. Trust me, you have people on
1:01:39
your team on your high school team, your college team has the
1:01:42
same questions. Can you be that?
1:01:45
Mentor? Can you be that light for them?
1:01:47
That helps them go into really just an amazing profession and
1:01:51
That's the profession of coaching track and field.
1:01:53
So reach out to Sam. If you feel so LED and join us
1:01:56
next week, we're going to do it all over again.
1:01:57
Probably have a coach. Next time we pause here and had
1:02:00
the athlete will get back to the coaches next week.
1:02:02
Join us next week and you guys have a great week.
1:02:04
We'll talk to you soon.