How can I run unattached?



C

Comanch09

Guest
I'm currently in high school, a junior, and was wondering how I can go
about running unattached from my high school for Track and Field?

Here is the basic story why I will want to run unattached. I go to a
different high school currently than the one I went to freshman year.
My freshman school had a pretty good track team and program, but this
current school is different. This school track program is mediocre in
my opinion. The coaches don't know much at all about training for
track, and the head coach promotes the stealing of sticks/batons from
my old school, and accomplished doing it twice. Well, because of the
lack of training I got, my sophomore season didn't go well. I tried to
train myself, by asking him if I could, at the beginning of the year,
and he denied my request, saying he would start training "better", or
something like that soon. That never really ever happened. He did
something for like a week, which wasn't good at all, and clearly showed
he didn't know much about training, and then stopped. Around spring
break, I went back to my old school, and trained with them for a week,
and got a program, which I followed the later part of the season,
because, for some reason the coach let me. I just said I got it from
some coaches, so he let me do it. Again, it was too late, and my
season paid for it.

I'm not having it this season, and have three options currently. My
first option is to get this coach to let me train with my old school
and run for this school. The second option is to practice under my own
program at this school and run for this school. The third option is to
go unattached. I'm questioning the second option, because of my great
disgust with this guy, if I can get enough meets unattached. And,
then, at least, I can stop this whole stick stealing easier.

So my question remains, how can I go unattached, or where can I find
meets that allow me to go unattached? Is there any websites that you
know of that have meets that allow unattached runners? I currently
live in South Carolina, but would mind traveling to another state for
meets, that is bordering or nearby states to South Carolina. I would
be grateful for any help anyone is able to provide. Please, I need any
help I can get. Thanks.
 
>I'm currently in high school, a junior, and was wondering how I can go
>about running unattached from my high school for Track and Field?


Man that's EASY! When the gun goes off, just run in the opposite direction of
everyone else. The coach will "unattach" you personally.
 
FabulustRunner wrote:
> >I'm currently in high school, a junior, and was wondering how I can

go
> >about running unattached from my high school for Track and Field?

>
> Man that's EASY! When the gun goes off, just run in the opposite

direction of
> everyone else. The coach will "unattach" you personally.


Real funny, you should be a comedian. In all seriousness though, I
would like to know only about running unattached, not bad jokes.
Thanks for any serious responses.
 
On 2004-12-26, Comanch09 <[email protected]> wrote:
> I'm currently in high school, a junior, and was wondering how I can go
> about running unattached from my high school for Track and Field?
>

[snip]

You really need to talk to someone local who knows the system -- have
you talked about this with your old high school coach, for example ?

Cheers,
--
Donovan Rebbechi
http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/
 
Donovan Rebbechi wrote:
> On 2004-12-26, Comanch09 <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I'm currently in high school, a junior, and was wondering how I can

go
> > about running unattached from my high school for Track and Field?
> >

> [snip]
>
> You really need to talk to someone local who knows the system -- have


> you talked about this with your old high school coach, for example ?
>
> Cheers,
> --
> Donovan Rebbechi
> http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~elflord/


Yeah, he said he would be cool with me practicing with him, and running
for my current school, if this coach would agree to it. But, if that
dosn't work out, their is an option about running unattached in classic
meets in and out of this state, and practicing at my old school. The
only problem is I'm not positive about how to sign up, etc for those.
I will look that up this week. I was just curious if anyone knows
anything else about meets, websites, etc. or just info. on running
unattached.
 
>Real funny, you should be a comedian.

I am.

> In all seriousness though, I
>would like to know only about running unattached,


Simple: Stay single.

> not bad jokes


Agreed! Luckily mine are great.

>Thanks for any serious responses.
>


You're welcome.
 
>
>Yeah, he said he would be cool with me practicing with him, and running
>for my current school, if this coach would agree to it. But, if that
>dosn't work out, their is an option about running unattached in classic
>meets in and out of this state, and practicing at my old school. The
>only problem is I'm not positive about how to sign up, etc for those.
>I will look that up this week. I was just curious if anyone knows
>anything else about meets, websites, etc. or just info. on running
>unattached.
>

The running for your present school part could be an issue. High school
athletes using even private coaches/clubs has been done (you might remember
Julia Stamps), but your PRESENT coach has to go along with it. Without going
into too much detail, there are issues with your state federation to be
considered if your present coach doen't go along with it, and if you want to
run in high school meets. You are not normally allowed to wear a team uniform
if running unattached or if the meet is not sanctioned by your state federation
(this doesn't mean that you can't run in an unsanctioned meet, but this gets
complicated if you are on a team). Many high school (dual) meets do not accept
individual/unattached entries, but there are some which will accept these. Many
of the high school invitationals will accept you, but there may be entrance
standards (marks) that need to be met.

Dyestat.com has a list of high school track meets, and many of these have meet
info pages that you can look at. This is where I would start.

Outside the high school world, you can look at usatf.org, which has a
searchable calandar (you can select high school, if you want), you can also
look at the USATF sanctioned meets in your area by going to your local USATF
association through usatf.org.

I normally run in NCAA (Div I) meets. For instance, I'm running at the
University of Washington (indoors, 60m) in about 3 weeks. You can find these
in your local area by going to the local college or university websites (Univ
of South Carolina, UNC, Duke, Georgia Tech, etc.), going to track and field
under athletics and looking through the schedule. Most such meets accept
unattached entries. There are a few places such as the University of Nevada,
Reno that actually have a separate high school competition that follows the
open meet, but in most college/university meets you will be pitted against
college and open runners.

If you have more questions, send me an email.

Lyndon


"Speed Kills...It kills those that don't have it!" --US Olympic Track Coach
Brooks Johnson
 
Comanch09 wrote:
> I'm currently in high school, a junior, and was wondering how I can

go
> about running unattached from my high school for Track and Field?


Look, I have zero experience with high-school level Track and Field,
but I do have a Master's degree in Education and know first hand how
bad teachers can hold a kid back. That's the bad news. The good news
is that you CAN take charge of your own education.

I can't give you advice on running - you'll have to figure that out for
yourself-- but I can give you a bit of advice dealing with idiot
teachers.

Get books on running. Not the overall running books for beginners, but
get the ones on improving your race times - that sort of thing. Then
read them, and on your own time, try out the advice, and see what
works. If I remember correctly from my high school, the track season
is only a few months out of the year - use the rest of the year to
train on your own. You'll have to time things carefully to not reach
your peak at the wrong time, but I'll bet it's doable.

You can even do some of your training WITH the current coach. When he
sayd "do a 2-mile warm up", and you have a specific program that you do
within the 2 miles, then do it then. And if you have very specific
training schedules that you've put together from books, then show him
the books, and the shedules and see what he says.

Do NOT walk in and say "I want to try this program from the book" and
give him a mumbled synopsis. Instead, walk in with your stack of
books, with paper clips marking important chapters, and a written- or
typed-out schedule of training. Include what you'll do during the next
several workouts - so that it shows both the individual picture (the
workouts) and the bigger picture (overall training - so he can see the
progression).

Be firm but reasonable, and most importantly, NON-CONFRONTATIONAL.
Don't tell him his training program sucks. Just say, I've done some
research, and I've been working up to this during the rest of the year,
and here's what I'd like to do because I think it'll work for me. And
then give him reasons to believe you (when I started, I ran the mile in
X minutes, and since then I've shaved X minutes off my time). Show him
training logs, with times so he can see the improvement.

Here's the rub: If you can show that your own training schedule WORKS,
and that you'll be an asset to the team, AND he still looks like he's
in charge, he'll be more likely to let you run for the team, AND let
you do your own schedule.

If he's too much of a jerk, then maybe it's time to go unattached. Or
bide your time until you're in college.

Cathy Weeks
 
<< Here's the rub: If you can show that your own training schedule WORKS,
and that you'll be an asset to the team, AND he still looks like he's
in charge, he'll be more likely to let you run for the team, AND let
you do your own schedule.

If he's too much of a jerk, then maybe it's time to go unattached. Or
bide your time until you're in college.

Cathy Weeks >>

Great advice, all the way around!

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Thank you Lyndon and Cathy for the information, its definitely helpful.
Lyndon, I've looked at the USATF.org and didn't find much, but will
check the other site out for information. Cathy, your advice is really
helpful, and if I don't go unattached, I'll definitely try some of the
things you've said. Also, yes, I've been training on the off season,
since around just after sophomore year ended, and have looked into
reading, and other things about training since I left my last school.
I am always learning more, believe I am confident in my own belief on
how to train and in what I've learned from other coaches, and am
always looking for ways to improve my training. One of the books I
recently finished reading was a Charlie Francis book about a month ago,
just for extra information. I'll check out some of the information you
guys provided, and might ask for some more advice as I look into this
stuff. Thanks again for the helpful responses.
 
>Thanks again for the helpful responses.
>


You're welcome punk.
 
FabulustRunner wrote:
> >Real funny, you should be a comedian.

>
> I am.


An unemployed one, and a legend in his own mind:


> > not bad jokes

>
> Agreed! Luckily mine are great.



Comanch09, others in this group will give you serious
and useful advice. With your mental maturity (being
in high school), you should have a great future, while
FabulustRunner will remain in his kindergarten class
calling you "punk" when you thank the others for their
advice. :)

-- Bob.