As the spring sports season officially starts up, the preseason for the track and field athletes has already been strong. According to the team’s head Coach Nick DeGennaro, building a successful season starts with “organization, communication, and a clear plan of action”.
The coach’s first, of many, matters of business: Structuring the season, finalizing the roster, collecting contact information, and ensuring smooth communication between coaches and athletes. Another big part of their responsibility is scheduling meets, like the DodgerTown Relay, which requires lots of planning, coordinating, and logistics to run successfully and efficiently. Similarly to the DodgerTown Relay, Madison track and field coaches also take on the responsibility of hosting the conference championship meet, which comes with much of the same backend work.
On the asphalt, the team is promising and has some clear strengths. Head Coach DeGennaro praised the Boys Sprint group as one of the focal points of the team, while also touching upon the girl’s middle to long distance groups, alongside their jump events. However, Coach D made it very clear that the success of the team is defined by the entire effort, not just the times of the strongest few.
One the topic of philosophy, Coach DeGennaro had much to say in regard to the journey over the destination. Speaking about core principles of growth, hard work, and the famous 1% better every day mindset. “Your results are a direct reflection of your preparation,” Coach D said.
One interesting point that Coach D brought up is that most of their athletes are multi-sport athletes, so when they get ready for the track and field competition, they tend to be in shape from the start. One of the more popular second sports among the group is indoor track and field, which takes place during the winter in an indoor facility.
The last piece of advice that Coach DeGennaro emphasized was that mindset is crucial in track and field. When athletes are hitting plateaus, or slowing down, he helps them focus on small “victories”, reaffirming his 1% every day mindset.
Ultimately, the sky is the limit for this team’s success this season. Although the outcome and performance of the group is important, Coach D is more focused on putting the work in and having fun while doing it. With their principles and values being so strong, it’s sure to be obvious how hard this team has worked.