For us Coaches. We need to concentrate our athletes more in just a few events rather than running the Maximum four. I know with small teams this is hard to do espceially when you have that dominating athlete. But we need to think about the strain we put on our athletes. We have seen distance athletes run the 3200, 1600, 800 and run a leg on the 4X400 Is this too much and what chance does that athlete have of running a dominating time that is Nationally ranked? Mississippi does not rank very often in the Top Ten Nationally in any event much less an athlete in multiple events. Okay coaches I can hear it now, but a great sprinter can run the 100, 200, 4X100 and 4X200 or maybe a field event in place of a relay. I agree sure they can but what type of times would they run in later events in the day like the 200 meters or the 800 meters if they did not run 2 or 3 other events. Just some ramblings of this webmaster and coach.
Events I would like to see more in meets. The 4X800 meter relay to develope our 800 meter runners and it also gives another event for different distance runners to compete in. It is a shame when our State Championships are won by a runner doing only 2:01 for a boy or 2:20 something for girls. I would like to see permission for some schools to host the Javelin as an event in invitationals if only at the Colleges that host meets. More pole vaulting in Middle School meets. More pure Middle School meets. Occasionaly maybe run the 400 meter hurdles at invitationals. If running the 4X800 do it during the field events and put the 3200 meter run 2nd to last before the 4X400, This would allow some 200 meter runners a chance to recover and run this relay.
Things for the website. I would love to have more meets reporting results. If a meet is run in Mississippi send in the results even if hand timed. I can label a hand timed meet as such. South State we would really love to have more of your meets reported. If you say you do not have meet software or cannot afford it remember that Racetab meet software is still free to Coaches and Schools. I will be glad to come and help people with this software preseason especially if you can get a group together at a site with internet. Help cross country get away from cards and into using numbers and meet software. Again there are free numbers available and racetab meet software. Photographers that love to shoot pictures at track meets. Please send them into milesplit where the athletes can see themselves. Plus you can tag the athlete with Milesplit so that college coaches can recognize your athletes. More subscriptions, yes we are a paysite for many of our services but the more subscriptions we have the more we can maybe pay photographers and people to write articles about meets that I cannot attend.
Athletes we need your blogs about running and I would love more senior type articles. Things like Where they are going for Seniors that are going on to run in college and Senior top memories of the year so that other people can see what a senior thinks about that last year in High School track or cross country. You do not have to be the number one runner in the state for this just be an athlete.
Well enough from me but I cannot close with out a Happy New Year to all Coaches, Athletes and families. Plus I want to offer a prayer for Robert Galliet and his family may he recover in the New Year and they be blessed with him returning home.