One proud G/pa

[archangel]

Yesterday I attended the Nevada State Cross Country Finals for HS participants...I am proud to say that VCHS took second place in the 2A race for the girls team...This is after taking 1st place in the Northern 2A title last week to qualify for the state competition at the UNR course 3.1 miles and alot of really hard hills...


This was VCHS girls first ever win in the 2A Northern competition and first ever showing in second place in the state finals...each girl on the team improved their time between two and four minutes from the qualifying win in the Northern 2A finals...

This being said as I watched my grandaughter Jolene and her team members play football with the boys while waiting for the awards ceremony and observing the first place winners writher on the ground in agony I smiled...


Jolenes coach was a little disappointed because the girls did not win first place...as he was critiquing them and they began to show pain and I had to step up to the plate...I told Mr.Young... hey...they did great taking into consideration the one member of the team who placed second for the individual silver medal is a senior with four years cross country experience and two are just sophomores... my grandaughter and her best friend Brittany..the other three are just freshmen and of which the two sophomores and the freshmen members are in their first year of cross country...ya gotta admitt they did great and taking second was a great accomplishment...wait until next year they will kick ass!


Mr.Young looked at me with a blank stare and then gave the biggest smile I ever saw...he became a "Happy Camper" and the girls began to smile and all was well!

The moral to this story is to look at the big picture rather than a instant win!
And too watch them play football and have all that energy left after a really hard run goes to show what heart and potential they have for next year...it is better to compete hard and do your best without destroying the body in the process! go VCHS Girls!

 

[Annie]

Yesterday I attended the Nevada State Cross Country Finals for HS participants...I am proud to say that VCHS took second place in the 2A race for the girls team...This is after taking 1st place in the Northern 2A title last week to qualify for the state competition at the UNR course 3.1 miles and alot of really hard hills...


This was VCHS girls first ever win in the 2A Northern competition and first ever showing in second place in the state finals...each girl on the team improved their time between two and four minutes from the qualifying win in the Northern 2A finals...

This being said as I watched my grandaughter Jolene and her team members play football with the boys while waiting for the awards ceremony and observing the first place winners writher on the ground in agony I smiled...


Jolenes coach was a little disappointed because the girls did not win first place...as he was critiquing them and they began to show pain and I had to step up to the plate...I told Mr.Young... hey...they did great taking into consideration the one member of the team who placed second for the individual silver medal is a senior with four years cross country experience and two are just sophomores... my grandaughter and her best friend Brittany..the other three are just freshmen and of which the two sophomores and the freshmen members are in their first year of cross country...ya gotta admitt they did great and taking second was a great accomplishment...wait until next year they will kick ass!


Mr.Young looked at me with a blank stare and then gave the biggest smile I ever saw...he became a "Happy Camper" and the girls began to smile and all was well!

The moral to this story is to look at the big picture rather than a instant win!
And too watch them play football and have all that energy left after a really hard run goes to show what heart and potential they have for next year...it is better to compete hard and do your best without destroying the body in the process! go VCHS Girls!

Congrats to the grandaughter! I remember when my son's HS won State! Was there the partying!!! Big win for a small school!

 

[archangel]

Congrats to the grandaughter! I remember when my son's HS won State! Was there the partying!!! Big win for a small school!

I'm kinda a hard ass and was embarrassed when tears began to roll down my checks...it is so rewarding to see kids from a small school only... 194 in the VCHS...compete with larger schools and do so good...makes a old fart proud!

I'm sure you were proud of your son too...damn it feels good to see the underdogs do so well!

 

[Annie]

I'm kinda a hard ass and was embarrassed when tears began to roll down my checks...it is so rewarding to see kids from a small school only... 194 in the VCHS...compete with larger schools and do so good...makes a old fart proud!

I'm sure you were proud of your son too...damn it feels good to see the underdogs do so well!

Enjoy it! I won't tell you about the subsequent years-they weren't terrible! But none so sweet!

 

[archangel]

Enjoy it! I won't tell you about the subsequent years-they weren't terrible! But none so sweet!

I'm not a pessimist...ya gotta know these girls...they compete hard and will not abuse their bodies for the win...but they will prosper over the years...they may not be number one now or in the future but will give the competition a run for the money...and I am sure all these girls will succeed in life!

 

[Annie]

I'm not a pessimist...ya gotta know these girls...they compete hard and will not abuse their bodies for the win...but they will prosper over the years...they may not be number one now or in the future but will give the competition a run for the money...and I am sure all these girls will succeed in life!

That describe Xcountry perfectly! Though they are a 'team' they compete as individuals. It is how they succeed.

BTW, my son's team placed his frosh year, came in 2nd in soph. year and 1st jr. year.

 

[archangel]

That describe Xcountry perfectly! Though they are a 'team' they compete as individuals. It is how they succeed.

BTW, my son's team placed his frosh year, came in 2nd in soph. year and 1st jr. year.

However as I never ran cross country in HS or College just track and football...well team effort plays a key roll...My GD's coach told her to run hard on the hills as she is a sprinter as I was and could wear down the competition for the win she complied as did some of the other girls on the team...it put the better long distance runners in a better position...so although individual effort is good... team effort wins the gold eventually! Sacrafice for the good of the team...as in life!

 

[Annie]

However as I never ran cross country in HS or College just track and footbal...well team effort plays a key roll...My GD's coach told her to run hard on the hills as she is a sprinter as I was and could wear down the competition for the win she complied as did some of the other girls on the team...it put the better long distance runners in a better position...so although individual effort is good... team effort wins the gold eventually! Sacrafice for the good of the team...as in life!

But unlike football, soccer, baseball, or basketball, they compete against themselves. Best time, etc. The worst placing team can have an 'All Stater'.

 

[archangel]

But unlike football, soccer, baseball, or basketball, they compete against themselves. Best time, etc. The worst placing team can have an 'All Stater'.

However team effort is the key here as we try to do in VC...as I said we had two really great long distance runners on the girls team..in order to win or place well in the State finals...the sprinters were used to wear out the competitions long distance runners....it worked quite well...so it is a individual as well as team effort that makes life complete!

 

[Annie]

However team effort is the key here as we try to do in VC...as I said we had two really great long distance runners on the girls team..in order to win or place well in the State finals...the sprinters were used to wear out the competitions long distance runners....it worked quite well...so it is a individual as well as team effort that makes life complete!

Well always. If you have 5 all staters, you have 1st! A dream team if you will.

 

[Annie]

Well always. If you have 5 all staters, you have 1st! A dream team if you will.

Then again, there is my alma mater, where it's more or less the status quo:

[ame]http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/088011701X/103-3484845-9965450?v=glance[/ame]

About the Author
Joe Newton is without question the most successful high school cross country coach in the United States. He started his scholastic coaching career in 1954 in Waterman, Illinois, before moving on three years later to York High School in Elmhurst, Illinois, where he’s been ever since. In his 42 years at York, Newton has built a running dynasty. His boys’ cross country teams have won an unprecedented 18 national championships, 19 state championships, and 113 conference titles. They have also won an impressive 98% of their home meets.

Newton’s coaching accomplishments have earned him a long list of awards and honors. He was named National High School Cross Country Coach of the Year by the National High School Coaches Association in 1975 and by the National Federation of High School Administrators in 1994. In addition, he has been named High School Cross Country Coach of the Year 16 times by the Northern Illinois Track Coaches Association and 15 times by the Illinois High School Coaches Association. In 1988, Newton was chosen as one of the coaches of the U.S. men’s track and field Olympic team in Seoul, South Korea. He was the first high school coach to ever receive this honor.

Known as a master motivator, Newton is a frequent guest speaker at corporate meetings and social gathering around the United States. He has delivered his message of teamwork, commitment, and discipline more than 5,000 times. He has also put his philosophy of coaching and life into print in his three books: Running to the Top of the Mountain, The Long Green Line, and Motivation: The Name of the Game.

Coach Newton lives in Naperville, Illinois, with his wife Joan. When he’s not winning cross country meets, he enjoys reading, working out, and touring the Old West.

Joe Henderson has been writing about running for more than 30 years. He’s not only the West Coast editor and a featured columnist for Runner's World magazine but also the author of more than a dozen books on running, including Better Runs, Long-Run Solution, Fitness Running, and Jog, Run, Race. In addition, he writes and produces a monthly newsletter called Running Commentary and is an adjunct assistant professor of journalism at the University of Oregon. Henderson lives in Eugene, Oregon.

 

[archangel]

Well always. If you have 5 all staters, you have 1st! A dream team if you will.

ya would have to have a HS with a core student body of some 5000 plus to draw from...touche...I was never a teacher...but did coach track and field as well as football at ROP for a short time! So a dream can come true from time to time with a little persistence!Even short the large draw!

 

[Annie]

ya would have to have a HS with a core student body of some 5000 plus to draw from...touche...I was never a teacher...but did coach track and field as well as football at ROP for a short time! So a dream can come true from time to time with a little persistence!Even short the large draw!

Well the son's team, that one great year, had 4 all staters! Out of a total student body of 800.

 

[archangel]

Well the son's team, that one great year, had 4 all staters! Out of a total student body of 800.

dreams can come true from time to time...great coaching is the key...team effort!

 

[archangel]

Well the son's team, that one great year, had 4 all staters! Out of a total student body of 800.

that puts ya about 3A not small not tops...considering the rating is 1A-4A!

 

[Annie]

that puts ya about 3A not small not tops...considering the rating is 1A-4A!

Yeah, but they were competing at 1A level. The school had a fit when they got moved there, after a couple they were dropped back to Red Division. Not so bad for X Country, other than against York, but was murder in basketball and football!