2019 Summer Training - Continue To Love!

We are improving by realizing that if we want to see our greatest success, then our season begins in the summer.  The three most important words in cross country are June, July and August.  Consistent training in these months forms the necessary habit for success in season, and builds the strength to help you get the most out of your season.  The training is extremely fun and you'll realize that each day the focus is on getting better.  You get to decide what you want to do for your team, and have fun motivating each other to be great.

Entering the 2019 summer and fall season, it is clear that Joshua Truchon will be our team captain as he has been a model of what we expect out of our Hale cross country and track athletes.  He has trust in the coaches and takes full advantage of his abilities by doing anything it takes to improve.  Many of our boys are really buying in and the program is getting stronger because of this.  Joshua will help encourage others to understand that by putting in their best effort and trust that they too can be at their best.  Our coaches thoughts on a captain is that he is there to allow others to feel comfortable leading.  The captain will be someone who allows others to take leadership and holds teammates accountable to our purpose and standards.  Joshua will also be there to encourage and help bring guys together toward a common cause.  

For the 2019 Summer and Fall seasons, I'm going to have weekly themes similar to last year.  The themes will be repeated and applied to that week, but are going to be essential teaching themes that we carry with us each day. 

My message for week 1 of summer to the entire team will be to be fearless and take risks.  Feel comfortable on this team to be creative and know that you guys are the ones who run this program.  Be creative by coming up with new ideas, creating new routes, and by making the right decisions.  Be fearless and take chances by running up a group, motivating others to go faster, and looking to do more mileage.  You are loved here, so there is nothing to fear.  Any failures are ways to learn and mistakes mean we are pushing our creativity and efforts.  Both are necessary as a program improves.  Understand that you guys are amazing.  You train at a high level while balancing school and other extracurricular activities.  This is an amazing group of people doing extraordinary things every day!

For freshman, my message is PATIENCE!  You will love this sport, but it takes a belief and patience the first few weeks.  Many of our freshmen from last year could not even run two miles consecutively during the early summer, but now all of them can run 60 minutes with many having run 10 plus mile runs!  Right now is exciting because you do not know what you are capable of or what your future will bring.  Latch on to the leadership and experience of our returning guys, and believe from day one that you are great and that you will make history at Hale.  Great mountain climbers do not climb giant mountains their first day, but they have the belief from day one that they will get better.  There are no limits to what you can achieve, so believe that you are great because you are likely to be what your mind believes.  It's never a matter of where you start, but rather where you could go.  That's what makes the journey so fun.  You guys too, as you grow comfortable, be willing to take chances and run aggressively!  I'd always rather you go out too hard rather than never try that at all.  Keep doing that, it will eventually stick!  

The first week of summer training is not starting over, but rather continuing our journey we are on.  It's about continuing our progression as athletes and people.  We have made awesome progress as a team over the past year, showing our commitment to love and being our best.  We can't become complacent and rely on the past, we have our best opportunity to grow and get better over these next 3 months!  Our standards will never diminish and we must hold each other accountable.  Assume the role of underdogs again and know that you are always capable of more because we don't set any limits.  Have big dreams, but be mission focused and control what you can.  You can control things such as your daily attitude, your efforts, and the way you treat others.  Not many high school students get the opportunities that you guys have, so make it fun and make it about each other.   WE are in this together.

Love
​Be Kids
Fearless
No Limits!

-Mach