Getting to know Coach Evers, we asked seven questions to learn a little more about her 30 plus year of coaching and her perspective on running:
Q: How did you get started in Coaching Cross Country/Track?
J.E.: I ran track in high school and college. Having come from a small school, we didn't have cross country and I barely knew what it was. Fortunately, when I student taught, my supervising teacher was both a track and cross country coach. I was able to help coach the track team at Allegan High School. The following summer I kept running with those athletes and got my first taste of cross country, went to cross country camp and got hooked. By the next season I coached the middle school boys at Allegan. When I began teaching at Kent City in 1991, I volunteered to help the XC team right away. In 1993, the head coach was relieved of his duties after the season began, and it was assumed I'd continue coaching. I was never interviewed or officially hired! Thankfully, my contract is renewed every year!
Q: Were you/Are you a runner? Do you run at practice?
J.E.: Yes, I actually ran hurdles in school, but ran longer distances in college as training for our field hockey team. After college, when I started getting involved with XC, I started running longer.
I do run at many of the practices. I've always felt that it allows me to better know what my athletes are feeling. Plus, now they know that an old lady can handle the workouts!
Sometimes I will bike or ride the ElliptiGO so that I can check on all of the runners as they get spread out and then I can talk to each of them. Occasionally I need to time them rather than do either of the above.
Q: Is running cross country on the grass the same as running on track?
J.E.: No, it's not. There's much less impact, but it requires more strength to stabilize your leg/body on more uneven surfaces. We do a lot of trail running for injury prevention as well as specific training for softer surfaces.
Q: Living in Michigan what do your athletes do in the snow to run?
J.E.: Thankfully XC pre-season is the summertime. Some of our athletes do some indoor conditioning like speed and agility training in the winters, but I also encourage them to keep running outside. Once you stop, it's hard to start back up again.
Q: Which one do you like more and why?
J.E.: I tend to prefer XC. The teams are smaller and more close knit. We go places as a team--for camp, team outings, as well as practices. The practices aren't usually cold, wet and/or snowy like track season. I prefer being out in the woods and on the trails and getting my "nature" fix for the day. The meets don't take all day and I can get a workout in while spectating!
Additionally, everyone can be successful in cross country. Each athlete can improve. You can teach lifelong skills and habits.
Q: How do you get kids to want to come out and run for the team?
J.E.: It's tough. XC is not an easy sport. However, I encourage students to try it once. I basically guarantee that they will enjoy cross country camp, team outings, team dinners, and the camaraderie; and that they will be able to run the entire 5K after a certain amount of practicing. I usually try to entice them to be a part of our successful program. Right now our numbers aren't really high, so they have a good chance of making varsity at a young age. Unlike other sports, if a runner isn't very good, they get to "play" more or longer! (And we usually have snacks after most practices!)
Q: It takes five runners to score in a cross country meet. How is this different than needing five players on a basketball court?
J.E.: Each
person has to individually fight the desire to slow down during a 5K
race. It can be a constant battle to not allow one's determination to do
well to waver during the 15-30 minutes it takes to complete the course.
Runners need to remember that they are not suffering alone and that they have
prepared for this event. As a runner myself, I know that it helps me
persevere when I know that others and the team are depending on me. It's
such a combination of mental and physical ability. Unlike sports
with a scoreboard, you don't always know the outcome until after the
event. There are no timeouts, and everyone "plays" the entire
time. Each runner is a contributor and their role is the same as the next
person's--get to the finish line as quickly as possible.