building a cross country team: developing a culture … · develop a team culture of success and...

BUILDING A CROSS COUNTRY TEAM:

DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF SUCCESS

Jonathan DalbyMountain Vista HS

1Thursday, August 1, 2013

Figure out where you are

Get the right coaching staff

Learn how to coach (and keep learning)

Develop a TEAM culture of success and have fun!

Goal Setting

Clear Communication

Parent and Community Involvement

Get kids on your TEAM that want to be a part of something special

Be Patient

Training and Racing (Part II)

Building Your XC TEAM


WOODROW “IRONMAN” HATFIELD (A.K.A. BUDDY)UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, 1931-1933


COACH DAVE DENNYLEE’S SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL, MO


Figure out where your TEAM is at

The Bad

• 4 kids in the summer of 2007• Never been to state• Subpar League finishes• Negative culture• No idea how to train• No buy in• Worst team in Colorado

The Good

• Great community• Great school• Tons of potential• Big middle school

program• Lots of places to run• Coach Selle


Get the Right Coaching Staff

Being great with high school kids is more important than knowing a lot about training.

Get people on board that share and support your vision


Learn how to coach (and keep learning)

I knew a few things about training, but didn’t really understand how to Coach.

Tried to surrounded myself with people that were better coaches (Eric Selle)

Talk with as many successful coaches as you can

Read everything you can get your hands on


Coaching Resources Tony Dungy, “Quiet Strength”

Jim Collins “Good to Great”

John Wooden, “Coach Wooden’s Pyramid of Success”



Have things that are unique to your program that kids identify with

Social is more important than running

Once they know running is cool, challenge them physically and mentally

Get every kid on the same page, not just your varsity


Part of our Culture

Vista NationNames Down Legs

Superman and Mileage ShirtsSuits at banquet

Camping Trip


Get Every Kid on the Same Page.... JV, Open and Varsity

League Championships


Goal SettingHelp your kids set goals as a TEAM

Sit down with your kids individually and help them goal set

Focus on the process more than the outcome

Get your upperclassmen to take the lead


Coaching Resources

Championship Team Building by Jeff Jansen

Road to the Top by Dr. Joe Vigil

Chapter 11 “Team Dynamics”


Clear CommunicationCommunicate your vision to everyone involved

Teach everyone involved what it will take to achieve goals

Deal with conflict immediately, but keep your cool and be fair

Technology can help, especially when communicating with parents (we use emails/text and a blog)


Parent and Community Involvement

Mountain Ridge Middle School XC

Supportive Vista Nation Parents


Parent InvolvementParents are your best support system

Parents want to help, let them!

The more involved your parents are the more buy in they will have for your TEAM vision


Community InvolvementSupport your feeder programs and coaches. Help get kids excited about running in your community!

If you don’t have them, find ways to make running more visible in your community

Give back to the community

Things we do: MS XC, Community triathlon help, Kids Run America Elementary XC Race, running camps

Have a relationship with your MS coaches


Get kids on your TEAM that want to be a part of something special

Kids want to be a part of something special

Kids are your best recruiters.

Friends and siblings will come out if they see your TEAM having fun and being successful

“Success is contagious”

Always be coaching towards the future of your TEAM


Be Patient“In the sport of distance running their are no short cuts to success”

Patience and persistence pays off

It may take 3 to 5 years

Believe in what you are doing, and don’t let others tell you it can’t be done


THANK YOU!JONATHAN DALBY

[email protected]


mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.vistanationxc.com

http://www.vistanationxc.com

building a cross country team: developing a culture … · develop a team culture of success and...

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