Of the more than twenty million Americans who are running today, most who start do so for the wrong reasons, with the wrong attitude, and tend to lose interest after a few weeks or months. Many quit. This is usually because they become concerned with superficial goals such as time and distance and never discover the more profound mental benefits that running offers. (Lilliefors 15)

To be a successful coach, the first thing a coach has to do is become well acquainted with the athlete. The coach should get to know the athlete's life outside of track. If the coach does not know the person as an individual then he would not be able to coach them. According to a collegiate track athlete, "a track coach should not only improve your running, but he should improve your way of life" (Jones). I believe that statement is true. A coach needs to have that close personal connection with their athletes. Like a teacher would have a connection to a student. With out that teacher,

student connection the athlete will not enjoy learning nor will the coach be able to teach the athlete. In fact, a coach is a teacher, and the athlete is a student. That should be true for all coaches, not just a track coach.

The second thing a coach has to do is assess the athlete. Then they need to find out what type of runner the athlete is. That way they can design a workout program that will prove to be the most effective with that person. Every athlete is different, so that would require a workout to fit that type of person. A coach could be training two athletes in the same event, but they would be doing different things. When asked why don't they do the same workouts, he said, "You guys are different runners, he might need to work on the speed aspect of running, while you already have that part down. You might need to work on the form aspect of running, and he has that down. So why would you guys be doing the same workout, when it would only benefit one of you" (Washington). Not only does a coach prepare athletes body but also their minds. A coach prepares the athletes mind by getting them to think about what they are going to be doing before there event comes up. If one were to look at Maurice Green before a race, one would notice that he is very concentrated and thinking about what he needs to do to win. Another example of that would be football or basketball players. Before the game, each athlete has his or her own ritual before game time. That concentration is called "getting in the zone." "What I do know is how to get you in the best shape of your life so that you'll be stronger and more explosive than you've ever been. I can also help you prepare your mind for competition" (Connolly 14).

1999

When one becomes a track coach, one has to make many important decisions concerning their athletes. When accessing an athlete, the coach will have to decide what events will work best for the athlete, and the team. If an athlete gets injured, the coach will have to decide whether or not the athlete should compete or not. The coach will then have to see that a trainer or a doctor looks at the athlete's injury to see what workouts the athlete can and cannot do. The coach will then have to design another program to get the athlete back on track while the injury is healing, so the athlete can stay in shape. Another important decision that the coach must make is what track meets the athletes should compete in. A

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Approximate Word count = 1684
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)