Coach Mikes Blog

in Getting Started by coach mike on 26 Aug 2007

Goals-When I started helping with Selmaville, I was an unpaid assistant coach. I was helping Wayne Steavens coach. Wayne was getting paid like $150.00 or something like that. We both had other jobs, we weren’t teachers, no one wanted the job. Wayne’ s job won’t allow him to be there some days, so I would run practices until he got there, on the job training. The previous years the boys teams had been good, winning a trophy at state each year the school had a full team. (thats a record that still is on going, having one of the teams win a trophy at the state meet). The girls on the other hand had not been able to win anything. The team consisted of a very good runner, one of the better ones in southern Illinois, her name was Megan Grizzle. She was an 8th grader, when I started coaching, so I set the goal of putting a good team around her to try to win a state trophy. So that seed was put in the girls heads. Lets work hard to get a trophy, lets make history and be the first Selmaville girls team to win a state trophy. They worked hard all season, and ended being 4th at Clay City in the state meet. The year was 1994 the girls on the team were Megan, Erin McMullen, Rene Brubaker, Audrey Hargis, Sara Spencer, and two fifth graders Erica Jansen and Shandi Murphy. The fifth graders saved the day. Megan had a great race, along with Erin, and the girls made school history. Last time I checked the girls are still winning those state trophies out there at Selmaville!!!!

in Getting Started by coach mike on 25 Aug 2007

Talk about hot-I don’t remember what year it was, just that it was one of those first days of practice at Selmaville, its me and 65 graders.  Grades 3 thru 8. The temperature had to be around 95 plus degrees, a typical hot August afternoon. Humidity had to be almost 100. Practices consisted of stretching, agilities,  and then running around the school property.  There is almost no shade. Sun is beating down. I watch as these young kids run past for one lap, then start another, by the time they get less than half way thru the second lap, its over. They are walking, stopping, unable to go another step. My thoughts? Next practice the school nurse needs to be my assistant coach!   Things got better. They all came back the next day. Moral of the story- adjust your workouts to the weather and don’t try to over do things at the beginning. Good luck but try to make running fun!

in Getting Started by coach mike on 22 Aug 2007

How did i get into this mess? I remember my first meet as a cross country coach. Sam Dale Lake Invite. I was the new coach of the Selmaville Rockets, a small country grade school. That was probably over 15 years ago. this course was neat, you had woods, a lake, sand and a lot of people. I get my jv girls to the start line and I was taking care of something else, when i got back to line for last few words of wisdom. And all seven girls were crying. i thought oh no what have I  got myself into!!!! they ended up winning, so something was right!