Track Personalities

I coached basketball for 4 years. Each kid I had was pretty similar, attitude and personality wise. They varied in skill level for sure, but all in all they acted the same. I had a bad apple or two in there, don't get me wrong. But even those kids would respond to things the same as the others.

Now that I've coached track for two seasons, I've really realized the personality differences. It could be that I coach boys and girls now rather than just boys, or maybe that it's on the varsity level whereas when I coached basketball it was 8th grade. I'm not really sure, but either way, track stars are their own breed.

So here we go. I give you the list of track and field personalities:

The Stars: You'll have alphas in nearly everything and track and field is no exception. They are the leaders, both athletically and vocally on your team. They are your captains.

The Assassins: Assassins are silent killers. They keep to themselves the majority of the time. They are very focused or a little shy (maybe both). These types are very common and successful in track.

The Coaches: Very common amongst jumpers and especially pole vaulters. They are always helping each other. They'll even give advice to their competition, which can result in setting themselves up to fail.

The Independant: Not to be confused with Assassins. They are similar to them however. They probably don't have the same focus and intensity as your assassins. Their work ethic varies greatly. They can be lazy or one of your hardest workers who spends time after practice working alone because they may not get along with their teammates.

The Teammate: Teammates are always cheering and rooting for their team. After their events are over, they might even be more excited to watch their teammates compete.

The Aggressors: These are your feisty and angry ones. Very common in your throwers. A lot of these can be on the football or wrestling teams as well. The majority of the time they are males, but I've seen several female Aggresors as well.

The Goofs: The goofs are the ones that are always cracking jokes and making others laugh. The good news is that they are always upbeat and positive. The bad news is that they may not always be the hardest workers. Although that isn't always the case. They may just want to be social while the practice or compete.

This is definitely not all the personalities in track, but it fits most. Eventually I'm going to write something on each personality and share experiences with each.

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Excuses Excuses

Why do you do with a ridiculously talented athlete but he/she doesn't want to work for it? It seems like a pretty common issue nowadays.

My particular athlete is one of the best athletes on my team, but is extremely lazy. They have certain events that they specialize in, but as soon as you put them into something else, they walk across the finish line. At practice, they don't put everything into drills and try to shortcut everything. If I walk away and they think I'm not watching, they will come to a complete stop and lie to me about finishing whatever they were doing. During drills, I hear this person complain that it is helping and that it's pointless.

And now we are a week away from state and they are still shortcutting everything. This really bothers me. I hate to say this, but I know this person won't make it to state this year because of laziness.

So what do I do?

You can't rely on natural talent alone.

4x4 breakdown

I love putting together 4x4 teams. It's almost as fun as watching a 4x4 race. The reason why is because each leg has to have it's own personality. And it usually seems that way for every 4x4 relay team, or atleast close. So let's break down each leg and characteristics I look for.

1st Leg / The Starter: I like fitting seniors into this spot. Since the 1st leg is running in their lane with no cutdown, they need to have run a boat load of 400s. Getting into a lower lane works out, but if you end up in an outer lane, it's hard to tell the pace of the other runners until it's way too late. This person needs to be intelligent and experienced, which is why I look towards a senior. The person you add into this lane should also always be someone who strives to improve. They also need to be a bit of a cheerleader to push the others on.

2nd Leg / The Pacer: If you have a young runner, this is a good spot for them. Keep in mind, young does not mean weak or slow. I look at young as someone who will listen, learn, and someone who might just be inexperienced enough to not know any better. These are the ones that often surprise you in a relay because they might get a lead on a team they aren't supposed to be beating. They are too "dumb" to realize they shouldn't have a lead at this point. You never know what you are going to get. If you have an athlete who is willing to do anything, this is a great spot for them. They might not be the best 400 runner, but they are one of your best all-around athletes.

3rd Leg / The Finisher: This is my own personal favorite leg of the 4x4. This is a great spot for your best 800 runner. They know racing strategy already if they run 800s. I also like someone who is your most competitive person here. They are never content with their position. If they are in 2nd or worse, they will pull you up to the best of their abilities. If they are in first after the handoff, they will pull you out even farther. They are a fighter who has a fire in them. Possibly a sore loser as well.

4th Leg / The Punisher: Typically going to be your fastest leg, but most of the passing is done in the 2nd or 3rd leg. But you definitely want your best open 400 runner here. You'll want consistancy and a strider here. They can hold a lead that way. Biggest thing I look for is someone with mental discipline. That way they won't have a breakdown if someone pushes at a 200 mark. This also let's you know that if someone pulls along side your last leg, they aren't going to panic. They know to run their race.

Let's run track!

Or maybe not run track.

Words From Track Kids

Here's a few words of wisdom from some of athletes this season. I hope you learn something.

"My sweat does really not smell good."

"What was I thinking?" (said on the first day of practice.)

"I'm not blessed in speed. Im blessed in beauty."

Don't Give Up!

Words From Gandhi