Improving Over the Long Run
October 22, 2013
A participant in a 5K run told me recently that when she first entered races, her goal was just to finish. After those early successes, her goal in entering races was to improve her personal best time.
It was only after several years of consistent improvement that she entertained the thought of actually trying to attain a spot in the top 20. Eventually, a “Top 10” and then a “Top 5” finish became the goal. And only recently has she made it a goal to try to win one of these races.
This is a wise way to approach sports. Engage at first to improve your health and fitness. Then to enhance your speed, coordination and/or endurance. Then to test the limits of your abilities. And only then to test yourself against others.
Adults might look to this as a natural, healthy way to improve themselves in almost any endeavor. And adults who are coaching youth should look to it as a healthy way to lead young people to improve both as athletes and as human beings.
Volleyball Mentors Achieve Milestones
September 26, 2012
Over the last three weeks, two of Michigan's most successful volleyball coaches ever moved further up the all-time list with milestone victories.
On Sept. 8, Clinton Township Chippewa Valley coach Bill Rice became the fifth volleyball coach in MHSAA history to win 1,000 matches when his team defeated Lutheran Westland at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Invitational. And Battle Creek St. Philip's Vicki Groat became the 12th coach to win 800 matches, earning her monumental win against Jackson Christian on Thursday.
Groat has coached the Tigers since 1998, when she took over for her mother Sheila Guerra. At St. Philip's current pace -- it is again considered the favorite to win the MHSAA Class D championship this fall and has claimed six straight -- she could match her mom's 862 career wins during the 2012 season. St. Philip is 35-1-1 this season.
Rice began at Chippewa Valley in 1980 and has led his team to four league and 11 Class A District championships, plus back-to-back 50-plus win seasons from 2002-04. His team is 10-13-2 this fall.