I have spent the past four years as an assistant coach on the cross country (XC) team. Historically, our team has had an appearance in the state championship finals. XC is also the most consistently successful sport on campus. Recent times haven't been kind. 

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The former head coach made choices that planted the seeds of the current dysfunction of the team. I was unable to appeal to this coach, so the team I am inheriting needs a major cultural cleansing. The team needs to reclaim its former success as well as get back to the basics that got it there. 

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This is the focus of my leadership project. 

My first step in creating my program will be to answer the following questions:

 

Who is in the group? 

The cross country team will consist of returning veteran runners as well as incoming freshman and transfer students. 

What do they want to accomplish? 

The younger, more junior varsity runners have one goal: to get faster. The goal of the varsity runners is singular: make the state meet. 

How many participants will there be? 

The size of the team varies each year but averages around 35-40 runners. 

How long will the program last? 

The program will begin during the summer (preseason) and continue through the end of the season. 

Where will the program take place? 

The program will take place everywhere we practice and race. 

Are there any special considerations? 

Special considerations always spring up, such as when injury or illness occur. 

The real question to be answered is how to bring about a culture shift. The program I've created will be multi-pronged but holistic enough to address the roots of issues and hopefully bring about change. 

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Summer

Everything begins in summer, and the stage for the summer training is set at an end of school year meeting. Here, I will introduce the summer training plan but also the expectations to be introduced in the fall. The majority of the team will be at this meeting (sans the newcomers), so they will be aware that the status quo won't be any longer. 

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First Weeks of Practice (Preseason) 

#1 Mandatory Attendance

Attendance has not been emphasized in recent years, and this has caused a sense of entitlement for some team members to think they don't need to show up. This not only has a negative impact on their training and performance but also the other runners who depend on each runner to be at his/her best. As such, a new attendance policy will be introduced: 3 unexcused absences means you are off the team. (Two tardy arrivals to practice will equal one absence.) 

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This will set the tone for the season, that there attendance is nonnegotiable. 

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#2 What They Can Expect of Me

One of the biggest complaints runners have had as of late is the lack of set practice times. The previous coach loved running and lived to coach, so he didn't mind if practice ended after the specified time. From me they will know that practice begins at 3:00 and ends at 5:00 (at the latest). This will communicate to them that I value their time while at the same time expect us to maximize the time allotted. 

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#3 Full Value Contract (FVC)

The FVC is a mutual/collaborative contract between the group members and the coaches that lays out how the group will function as it pursues its goals. The idea of a FVC is to have a group contract that “fully values” each member of the group. The group agrees to find positive value in the efforts of its members. Themes of encouragement, goal setting, mutual expectation (of both fellow athletes and the coaches), conflict negotiation, and etc. usually wind up in a contract. This agreement encourages the:

• Valuing of Self

• Valuing of Each Other

• Valuing of the Team

 

One of the most important things to communicate to my team is that their voice matters, and this is why I choose to employ a full value contract. Of course, there are certain things that are nonnegotiable, but many things are up for debate. The purpose of a full value contract is to allow for the voices of the participants to help shape the type and nature of what we do as a team. This will be done on the first day of full team practice; the athletes and parents will have a copy of the contract; and it will be used as a reference tool throughout the season, when an issue arises or to revisit and see if any alterations are needed or as a way to assess how well we as a team are abiding by what we mutually agreed to. 

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#4 Team Building 

A lack of team unity accompanies spotty attendance. As such, there will be team building activities and exercises incorporated weekly. Some examples are: 

 

• "Running Buddies" is an activity wherein the runners will be paired on a rotational basis during training runs to facilitate getting to know one another better. 

• "Don't Drop the Rope" is an activity where a group of runners have a rope they all must hold with at least one hand while running. This requires communication, good for getting to know teammates, and pacing, which is a secondary benefit of the activity. 

• "Scavenger Hunt/Geocaching" is a fun running activity where pairs (or small groups) of runners must run from location to location and either bring something or solve a problem in order to get to the next stop. This inserts a bit of fun in long training days that can become monotonous, though are imperative to a training program. 

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Invitational Season and League

The competitive season commences with numerous invitationals. Many of these require at least a little bit of travel. This also sometimes separates the junior varsity and varsity teams (some invitationals are varsity only), but each one creates great opportunities in both the team van and at the hotel for team bonding. We will include more team building activities during this time to capitalize on our isolation away from the norm. 

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Another important component that is missing is reflection. Many runners finish a race and either forget about it or stew on their finish. I will introduce an After Race Report (ARR) in order to help the runner reflect on their preparation going into the race, their mindset and feeling on race day, their performance, and how this will inform future training. 

There are two groups who play crucial roles in the role out and execution of this program: my coaching staff and the team captains. 

 

I am already holding meetings with my potential assistant coaching hires and touching base with the ones returning. We must be on the same page, and so communicating clearly to them the what and why of the program is key.

 

I have compiled empirical data on the past few years about team size, attendance, place finishes, and etc. to add with my observations from the recent past. Having coaches' meetings prior to the end of the year XC team meeting is vital to having all our ducks in a row. 

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The team captains play an equally important role in this program. They are the middle management of the team as they are the direct contact for many of the runners. They play a liaison role, and as such they must be fully verses and have bought into the program plan for the team. I will very shortly begin to have meetings with them prior to the end of the year XC meeting. 

Everything will be in print and emailed to both the runners and their parents. That is first and foremost, so if there is a problem we can refer to the "syllabus" (for lack of a better word) for XC. 

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In addition, when a new activity is being introduced or reused, I will explain the nuts and bolts of it as well as the importance of it. Runners always want to know why? so I will preempt that by being up front and clear about things each time something comes up. On the back end, either myself, an assistant coach, or a team captain will facilitate a debrief or reflection. 

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Repetition and consistency are the keys to the success of everything I've programmed. Without either/both, the entire thing falls apart. 

There will be numerous ways I will see if the culture shift I am working to achieve is actually successful. 

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Attendance: If I see runners skipping practice or quitting the team, I will know that my program isn't to their liking. This doesn't necessarily mean I must hit the brakes, but if a mass exodus occurs, then I will need to analyze why. 

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Attitude: Running is a sport that lays your emotions raw. That said, it is very easy to spot certain attitudes in runners. Also, captains' reports will help us have a better pulse on the team. 

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Feedback: I will seek both informal and formal feedback. Informally, I will ask for direct feedback along the way. I will not wait for an end of season evaluation; I will seek out feedback from my fellow coaches, parents, captains, and runners. Formally, I will send out anonymous surveys at a midway point in the season as well as after the season is complete. Some sample questions* will be: 

• My coaches believe in me. 

• My coaches communicate a "can-do" attitude to me. 

• Practices are well-organized. 

• My progress is important to the coaches.

• My coaches care about me as a person, not just as an athlete. 

 

*Answers will vary from strongly disagree--disagree--neutral--agree-strongly agree.

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A place at the state meet would not validate this program, nor would missing the state meet invalidate it. This program is meant to appeal to the core of a runner, his/her person-hood. As such, quantifiable results aren't what I am seeking. I am looking for real change in the attendance, countenance, and performance of the runners.