A little tidbit on respect for my coaches

Recently an article came out in the globe about Steve and his progression as a coach at Newton South;

http://www.boston.com/sports/schools/articles/2009/09/13/winning_newton_south_cross_country_coach_shares_his_love_of_running/

Favorite quote by now senior Elizabeth May--

“He’s so good at getting the best out of you without yelling at you or pushing you,’’ said May. “He’s got this way of recognizing someone’s potential from day one and then he just gets it out of you. You see how much he loves the sport, how much it’s given him, and how much he gives to it. You want to work hard and be as passionate about it as he is.’’

Truth. I credit Steve mostly for getting me to feel passionate about the sport of running, even as a 15 year old. Steve, Matt Capstick, and my coach John Evans all have pretty similar coaching philosophies which is something I really value.
Steve and Matt really worked on my growth as an athlete, while John is now helping me realize my potential as a collegiate runner.

What I really respect about Steve, Matt, and John is their unconditional belief in my ability and progression as a competitor. Steve and Matt always believed in me, whether it was during a dual meet against LS and CC, or during the mile finals at the All State Meet.

John is very consistent with his goals and belief as well. After having a good race, he'll remind me that I'm in great shape and that it's to be expected; the good performances will come from the good training. When he talks to us one-on-one he'll tell us the goals he has for us. Sometimes I'm taken aback to how far (How fast) he thinks we can go. I really feed off of this self-actualization and belief in one's potential.

I can't thank my coaches enough really for the satisfactions and rewarding experiences I've had as a runner.