Broadalbin-Perth Cross Country

Today marked the end of a very different and difficult season for us. Although it was not the end we hoped for or envisioned I couldn’t be more proud of a group. They were dealt a very tough hand and despite this, still made the best of it. They took advantage of the opportunity we were given and kept smiles on their faces. Even though those smiles were hidden behind a mask, you could tell daily they were just happy to be able to once again be around each other. This alone is what makes them champions in my mind. As Einstein said, “in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” 2020 could not be any more difficult and yet these kids found an opportunity and shined!

Today was our final dual meet of a very difficult season. It, however, was a very rewarding one for me. At the end of the meet, my team reminded me that despite how tough things have been they are still finding ways to make the best of it. At the end of the meet as each kid crossed the finish line they kept running. Instead of running forward they turned around and ran back toward their trailing teammate to yell words of encouragement. Once that kid finished he or she then did the same. In the end, we had the pack I always ask for encouraging our final runner to the finish line. Although we have been forced to race individually all season, somehow we found a way to finish the season together. I could not be more proud.

Today was a very difficult one for us as we ran shorthanded on both sides. Due to various reasons, we fielded essentially half teams and that alone seemed to get the best of us. Mentally we were beaten before the start. I give credit to Schuylerville as they were minus a few members as well. They just adjusted better and were able to overcome it. We did not, as 2020 continues to be a struggle for us. On top of our depleted team, we also had the emotion of our two seniors, Danny Dylong and Sammy Murphy, competing for the last time at Broadalbin-Perth. In normal years, this would have been a motivating factor, but this year it seemed to get the best of us. It hurt to see both of them finish their last race at BP without the whole team there and, honestly, I think they both felt that loss as well. However, despite the disappointments of today I am proud of this group and happy that I continue to get the opportunity to coach such a great group of individuals. They are an amazing team and I know they will use this year’s adversity to make them stronger.

We ran better today but unfortunately our results did not reflect this. During both races, we had individuals go the wrong way, take nasty falls, or injure themselves. Luck was not on our side. Fortunately, we can learn from and overcome each of these things. The good thing is those who survived the race, ran much better both mentally and physically. If our team can look past the team scores and see instead the positive aspects, we have some momentum that we can build upon. I think next Wednesday could be a big race and a turning point for us.

We are now halfway into the season and yet we are continuing to struggle with the new racing format that covid safety protocols require. As a coach, this is my responsibility. I need to find a way to better prepare my team mentally for the demands this racing style requires. Glens Falls was better prepared than us and it showed. We are far faster than our results. Unfortunately, we are forgetting this out on the course. We continue to struggle without the pack running that we have always utilized. Somehow, I need to get my kids to believe in themselves and know that they can indeed run great on their own. If I can get this message across, we can still turn this thing around. The good news is we get another crack at every team again at the Foothills Championship. We still have the opportunity to prove to ourselves and everyone else that we are the great team I expected us to be and know we are.

Today was a tough day for us. On the boys’ side, we suffered a close loss as Amsterdam ran to a hard fought win. On the girls side we won but did so with a very poor team effort. I knew the boys’ race would be close and unfortunately, we came up on the wrong end of the score. Credit to Amsterdam as their number four and five runners really stepped up to solidify their victory. Once again are boys ran shorthanded as we continue to struggle with early season injuries. If we can ever get all to race at the same time, we can turn this thing around. On the girls side we got the W but did not race up to par. At Hudson Falls, the girls’ time gap from our number one to our number five runner was close to one minute and more like the pack finish I preach during a normal season. Today that slid to over two minutes. If we want to be successful later on, we cannot have such large gaps. We have to find a way to be mentally tougher and get that gap down to thirty seconds. I know that if our girls were allowed to race together they would do just that. Now they need to realize this and do so while running individually.

Today was our second meet of this very different season and already we showed huge improvements. With the knowledge gained during of our first meet, we knew what to expect and the kids responded. They were mentally tougher and ran more like I expected. As I stated to them before the race, even though, you aren’t allowed to run in the packs you need to realize that the pack is still counting on each of you. It is easy to give up on yourself but almost impossible to give up on your team. Thus, I told each kid to remember this throughout his or her run. We may race as individuals but we still win or lose as one unit. The girls’ time gap of 1 minute 14 seconds between our #1 and # 5 runners tells me they are hearing the message. If we want to win a Foothills title, I am hoping that message becomes even clearer and our pack tighter. Next week we should have more of our boys back and ready so I am gaining confidence in this young squad and remain optimistic that we can make the most out of one very different year.

Today was a much anticipated day for us as we finally got back to racing and high school athletics after a very long 7 month hiatus. Although, the new safety protocols make the actual race so different the kids and I were excited to get the opportunity to compete and get back to some form of normalcy. Unfortunately, the day did not go as we would have liked as Scotia got the better of us on both sides. We definitely showed rust and a lack of being in race shape. However I think the biggest factor was the actual race format we must use this year. This entails each kid starting one at a time in one minute increments with the home team running first and the visiting team second. Thus, the race essentially is you on the course all alone racing against the clock. For the last 21 years I have coached, I have preached pack running and ,thus, this is all my athletes know. In running with the pack, our kids feed off each other's energy and push each other through their struggles. With the 1 minute increments they are now forced more into a mental race. They have to be able to tell themselves they can do it rather than be reminded by a nearby teammate. This will take time to learn, but I know this group will adjust and overcome. We have the physical ability and in time we will be just as tough mentally. I am confident we will learn from today and be better prepared each week. I know I am looking forward to it and am certain in the end we will take advantage of this great opportunity!

Today our girls’ team made Broadalbin-Perth cross country history, as they became our first team to win a Foothills Championship. We have had incredible teams in the past, but for some reason we never have been able to put it all together at our league championship. This team however came in with the right attitude and rose to the challenge. They believed in themselves and their teammates and made sure this year would be different. Despite our youth, we ran like seasoned veterans and once again relied on our pack to be our strength. We had five girls in the top fourteen and seven in the top twenty-two as they continue to push each other forward. No wants to be the one to let the team down and that is a recipe for success. As I stated earlier, I have been fortunate to coach many great teams, but this is perhaps the closest group I have ever coached as they genuinely care about each other. That team chemistry is what is allowing them to be so successful this year!

The boys once again did not fare as well as we would have liked in the team scoring but did show improvement from a week ago. Unlike the girls though, our pack did not stay solid and that ultimately lead to our sixth place showing. We have the talent to be successful at sectionals but we need all boys to believe this. Hopefully, they can come together as one next week and finally see how good they really are.

 

 

Today was a very good day for our girls as our pack running is starting to pay dividends. Although we only had one girl in the top 20 (Sarah Smith) we were able to finish 2nd in a huge field of runners as our pack held strong and showed why cross country truly is a team sport. After Sarah, we had a pack of four runners within 14 seconds of one another and that was the difference. We are putting five girls in front of most teams third and seven in front of the majority of team’s seventh. They are really buying into the team aspect and, in doing so, they are all running better than they ever have. On the boys’ side, we once again finished further down the team ranks then we would have liked. A few boys have a great race each week, but we, for some reason have not been able to have all guys do so on the same day. Despite not having our best from all, we did manage to beat the majority of teams we will race at sectionals. The only team in our race that beat us from Section II Class C was Schuylerville. Thus, I remain optimistic. If we can get all guys to peak at the right time, we might just surprise some teams and turn this thing around.