Champaign, IL--Coach Pat Tyson’s impressive 20-year stint at Mead High School in Washington speaks volumes on the importance of proper training and motivation of cross country athletes. Under Tyson’s guidance, the Harriers achieved a record of 180-8, winning 12 state titles and going 9 years without losing a competition. Tyson, now the head cross country coach at Gonzaga University, has gathered his years of experience into Coaching Cross Country Successfully (Human Kinetics, August 2013), a guide that provides tips and insights from one of the elite cross country coaches in the nation. He teams up with Doug Binder, editor of DyeStat, the internet home of high school cross country and track and field to present a complete view of coaching a successful cross country team.
Coaching Cross Country Successfully covers everything a coach needs to know to build and maintain a successful cross country program. Offering real-world advice for coaches from the middle school to collegiate levels, the book explores the most important aspects of coaching a successful cross country team, including training and race tactics, tailoring training so runners improve, and evaluating individual runners and the team as a whole. The book goes past the physical aspects of running to describe other factors related to performance, such as motivating runners and getting athletes hooked on running, so that the team stays excited about running every day.
Coaching Cross Country Successfully contains proven advice for managing the off-course tasks related to philosophy, administration, relationships, and planning. Tyson covers vital information that coaches need but often fail to consider, such as attracting students to the program; working with coaching staff, school administrators, parents, and volunteers; fund-raising; and preparing for and hosting meets. Filled with inspiration and anecdotes from Tyson on what has worked well with his teams and what has not, Coaching Cross Country Successfully will become an essential guide for coaches at all levels of experience.
For more information on Coaching Cross Country Successfully or other running resources, visit www.HumanKinetics.com.
