Welcome back to All Things Running with Sonja & Jen

We received a question about how we both got into coaching. I am going to put this one into a 2 part blog post. First we will share Sonja’s journey and then the next post I will share mine. This will keep each journey into more manageable pieces to read. There is a lot of good content here.

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.

Question: “How did you get into coaching.”

Sonja:

My introduction into coaching came my senior year in college at William & Mary in 1993. I volunteered for service hours for our Track & Field team at a local middle school near campus to help with their Track & Field athletes during practice. I truly enjoyed it and that feeling of fulfillment stayed with me as I graduated and began my career in the corporate world as a sales representative. I had moved to Pittsburgh by this time and had a lofty goal of qualifying for the 1996 Olympic Trials in the 1500m. I asked Coach Dario Donatelli of Carnegie Mellon University if he would be willing to coach me and he agreed, with the condition that I help him as a volunteer coach at Carnegie Mellon. I enthusiastically agreed!

Beginning my professional coaching journey under Dario’s mentorship was so valuable. He was a student of the sport and approached everything from science (physiology) first, then artfully merged that with the emotional and mental factors of our athletes. He did the same with me as we prepared for the 1996 trials. From cross-country to indoor and outdoor track, he taught me how to periodize training, how to peak athletes sometimes twice in a season, and set a great example of having compassion and empathy while still maintaining standards and expectations. Working with student athletes at the collegiate level is quite different from most other coaching roles, so this was an invaluable experience for me that would prove to be a great foundation for my coaching roles to come.

My husband and I moved to South Florida in 1998 and while Dario continued to coach me from a distance for the 2000 Olympic Trials, he encouraged me to acquire professional coaching credentials and certifications so I could expand my own knowledge and establish myself appropriately. This was good timing as I was also changing careers and moving into the fitness industry. I studied, researched, read a ton, shadowed several trainers and coaches from late 1998 to early 2000 and earned my American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Instructor Certification, my Aerobic and Fitness Association of America Personal Trainer Certification, and my USATF Level 1 Coaching Certification. Because I was still competing at the professional level I had the added bonus of consulting and learning from a few of the best coaches our sport had to offer live and in person. My personal coaching mentors during this time included Dr. Jack Daniels, the Hanson brothers, and JJ Clark. I worked full time as an athletic director and personal trainer at our local health club and coached cross country and track at Western High School from 1999-2002. I also formed my first running club called the Weston Striders and the Wester Jr Striders (for youth). I am proud and happy to say that this club still exists and I saw TWO of my former youth club runners at my youngest daughter’s cross country meet this past weekend, and they were each COACHING high school teams now themselves!! This makes me so happy!

As the years went on I grew my career in the fitness industry and eventually opened my own studio. I continued to coach runners of all ages throughout this time. In addition to my club teams, I began programming for runners local and remote. I raced my first Marathon in 2007, running 2:49. This personal experience combined with my education helped immensely and I took on a host of marathon runners, helping them achieve goals of a BQ, breaking a time barrier, or just completing their first one. Upon moving to Nashville in 2011, I was offered an opportunity to be an assistant coach at Vanderbilt for women’s Cross Country and Track. This was another invaluable coaching experience for me and I remain grateful to (then) Head Coach Steve Keith and Associate Head Coach Rhonda Riley for their outstanding guidance and example. Vanderbilt is a first class D-1 women’s program and I am proud to say we won the Women’s SEC Championship in Cross Country during my time with them.

Upon moving back to South Florida in 2016 I connected with my friend of many years, Coach Alex Smolka, Head Coach of FAU XC and Track & Field. He invited me to be a volunteer assistant coach and I happily accepted. I am still with FAU and enjoy every moment! The only part of collegiate coaching I find difficult is having to say goodbye when our seniors graduate..but I love staying in touch with them and seeing them when they come back for a visit. I continue to coach privately via www.therunningwarrior.com in addition to maintaining my fitness training and consulting business. I also have become more involved in our sport’s governing body, USATF, so I can continue to be of service in the years to come.

Coaching has been an immense blessing in my life, because it allows me to give back to the sport that has given me so much. I actually have learned a great deal about myself and my own athletic endeavors from coaching my athletes throughout the years. I find coaching to be as fulfilling, if not moreso, than my own training and racing. Seeing those I coached as young athletes still enjoy running in any capacity, and some now in coaching positions themselves, is beyond rewarding for me. It completes the circle and gives me the assurance that I am making a difference and paying it forward.

If you are interested in becoming a coach or learning more, I have included several helpful links below. A note of caution: Being a great athlete or a seasoned runner, does not necessarily mean that coaching is for you. So many people call themselves “coaches” these days, but their lack of experience, education, and perhaps dedication, eventually show through and the athletes they pledge to serve are the ones that pay the price. From my perspective and experience, great coaches start out with a hungry desire to learn and research the sport. They are willing to do the due diligence and learn from other, more experienced, successful coaches. Physiology is the foundation and must always be so. One’s personality and the ability to reach people and care for them is equally important. If you cannot inspire someone, get to know what drives them, or instill and manage a strong work ethic while still painting a picture of how to dream big, you won’t earn their respect or be able to lead them. You must also be willing and committed to continue to learn and stay open to new protocols and ideas indefinitely. We should always be in “beta”. Always learning and asking questions…and truly listening to the feedback from our athletes.

To me, coaching is both a science and an art. A coaches’ primary purpose is to help others get the best out of themselves. It has been a great honor to call coaching my profession and I am forever grateful to the coaches who poured their knowledge and experience into me. I am also thankful for all of my athletes throughout the years for believing in me and trusting me with their running goals and dreams!

Coaching Resources:

www.nasm.org

www.acefitness.org

www.sportsnutritionsociety.org

www.usatf.org/programs/coaching

www.mindbodyendurance.com

www.rrca.org/programs/coaching

www.vdoto2.com

https://the-science-of-running.teachable.com/p/the-scholar-program