Welcome back to All Things Running with Sonja & Jen
We received a question about how we both got into coaching. This is part 2 of the blog post.
Female coaches are at a low right now especially in the sports of Cross Country and Track & Field. So it is important that we share how we got here so that others who want to join us as coaches can find their way. I’m grateful for Sonja sharing her journey with all of us. If you missed it, you can find that post below.
Question: “How did you get into coaching.”
Jen:
The day I discovered running was a sport, was the day I realized that one day I wanted to become a coach. I was in the 8th grade and we had a half day at school. My mom was working so I went to my friend’s house after school. She was on the cross country team. Her coach said if she could make it back to school at 3pm after the teachers meetings that they would have practice. When my friend announced this to me I had so many questions.
I had heard them announce results over the loudspeaker about the cross country team but I had no idea what it was. So I asked her. She explained that they ran. So I asked, why and where. After getting enough information, I asked her if I could join her for practice. Once we were at practice, I ran with her & the coach. He asked how I felt and I said fine. He asked if I thought I could catch up to the girl up ahead. I said probably. So he encouraged me to try.
Out of instinct, I just gradually dropped my pace judging just how far away she was and methodically made up the difference. We finished running side by side. A short bit later the coach and my friend returned. The coach asked me again how I felt. I said fine. And then he explained to me that she was the fastest runner on the team and “would I like to join the team?” I explained that I wasn’t allowed to do sports and that he could ask my mom. He said, I know your mom from cub scouts so I’ll speak with her.
I wasn’t expecting the next part but he told my mom that this would be my “ticket to college” and that all it would cost her is a pair of running shoes. Honestly, even that cost was a stretch for my family but she made it happen. That moment changed my life. How could I not want to give back to the sport that gave me so much?
I’ve been very blessed to have had the most amazing coaches all of my life. They truly have supported me in ways that I could never repay. I won’t go into each of those stories right now. I’ve rambled on quite a bit already.
So how did I get where I am right now?
I graduated college with a degree in Exercise Science but my love for medicine & sports started long before entering college. Between the summer of 8th grade and 9th grade is when I began devouring books on the subject. I needed to learn everything I could about this sport of running so that I would have a better shot at being good enough to run in college.
Devouring books is still a hobby of mine today. On average I read about 20 books a year, mostly on the subject of science & sport. I have obsessed over every book beginning with George Sheehan in the 80’s to the latest author Stacy Simms written on these various topics, including autobiographies, nutrition and sports psychology. Probably the craziest book I’ve read is about fascia. The thin tissue that lines every muscle and organ in our body.
Virtual Life Was A Game Changer
I had been asked a few times if I would be the assistant coach at our local high school but the pay wouldn’t cover the cost for me to get a sitter for my children and I was not allowed to bring them with me. So I always declined. I thought it would never happen. During the pandemic, my family life shifted in a big way. My husband was working from home and life went virtual. This allowed me to take the next step of continuing my studies officially.
My Experience In The Sport
I’ve competed at various levels in this sport beginning in the 8th grade and continued through high school & college. After college I ran for a small club called Reebok Boston under Robert Sevene. I loved how he always shared the science behind what I was doing and didn’t just give me workouts. This group had big goals of qualifying in various events for the Olympic Trials. And many went on to do so having beautiful careers. This was where I would run my lifetime PR’s of 2:08 in the 800 and 4:19 in the 1500. I retired shortly after running these times and with 2 years to make the Olympic Trials standard. For many years I just ran for my health, running occasional races but in 2015 that all changed. I made a return to the sport. After having some success I took on some personal clients to help them reach their goals. I coached athletes that competed in the mile through ultra marathons.
Additional Certifications
I had looked into several programs to get coaching or personal training certificates. I decided on the USATF coaching certification. I’ve completed USATF Level 1, 2, Cross Country & Sports Science. I also completed the CIAC 5 year high school coaching permit. It was a pretty intense program to complete all about the high school athlete and how to care for them. I reached out to some local schools to see if they were looking for an assistant coach.
The Move From Private Clients to College Coach
I coached at the high school level for two years. It was great. I really loved developing athletes & now I had a captive audience to share all my science stories. The head coach retired and I expressed my interest in becoming the head coach. I also interviewed at some other schools for the head coaching position. I’m not going to speculate about why it didn’t work out but as they say, when one door closes, another opens. I think there was a bigger plan for me. My coach Devon Martin at Central Park Track Club reached out to me to let me know that Fordham University was hiring and would I be interested in applying for the position. This was a dream come true for me. I interviewed for the job as an assistant cross country and middle distance coach. I’ve been there for a year now.
What Can You Do?
My advice for anyone wanting to get into coaching is to look up the criteria for high school coaching in the state that you live in and then reach out to the athletic directors. The turnover rate for assistant coaches is pretty high. You might even think about a volunteer position for a season or a year just to see if you like it. And then that will get you some connections with coaches and also the schools. The same is true for assistant coaching positions at the college level. There are resources for both and I’ll share them below.
http://www.casciac.org/postingupdates.shtml
Thanks for reading about my journey to coaching. I feel like with all of the experiences I’ve had and my continued desire to learn is what will keep me in coaching until I retire. I’m grateful for this opportunity to share what I know and to learn from the athletes I coach. There could be no better career for me at this point in my life.