New recruiting video
Just messing around today with iMovie on my Mac. Took a stab at making a recruiting video for the track and XC teams.
Long Green Line available on Hulu.com
How awesome is this?! The Long Green Line is available for free on Hulu.com! Pass this along!
“It’s called mindset”
I talked to the sprint squad recently about the apparent feeling throughout Yorkville athletics that we can’t compete at the state level, or the fact that we “just don’t have the athletes” to compete.
We have proved this wrong with our cross country team, and so have a few other teams at our school.
It’s all about mindset—believing you can do something has a lot of power.
When all of us are working toward the same goal (have the same mindset), we can’t help but be successful.
Just found this online. Click to make it a bit larger:
In the news: Group wants to build cross country trail on YHS property
As always, we love the Kendall County Record! Support our great local paper and subscribe today!
Group wants to build cross country trail on YHS property
By Kathy Farren
Yorkville School Board members learned Monday that a group of community members is hoping to raise enough money to build a cross country trail on property behind the high school on Game Farm Road.Don Duffy, a former part-time cross country and track coach at the high school, said he felt such a trail, which could also be used as a recreational trail by others, “Would be a great asset to the community.” He envisioned it could be used by others when not in use by students, much like the tennis courts at the Yorkville High School Academy.
He said a plat of the high school property showed that there was room for a 1.5 mile trail that would stop and start near the corner of the high school parking lot. The area between the school and Blackberry Creek could continue to be used for zoology and botany classes as it is now.
The high school cross country team now runs at Harris Forest Preserve, but must be bused there for meets. Duffy also noted the difficulty in running along county roads like River Road, Fox Road or Van Emmon, saying, “You take your life in your hands.”
He told the board he was trying to raise the $250,000 estimated cost of putting a trail on the property. Since the city of Yorkville is also looking for grant money to add trails in town, Duffy said he had spoken to city employees and Mayor Valerie Burd to see if this could be part of their plans. He has also talked to the cross country coach Chris Muth and Athletic Director Seth Schoonover. All were in favor of the trail if it can be built.
Duffy presented an aerial photo of the school property and said he felt it might be possible to connect the trail to Jaycee Pond, near Blackberry Creek at the end of West Center Street. He offered to pay the cost of forming the necessary 501C3 non-profit group for fund raising himself.
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Engler told the board that Duffy had been working on the project for some time and he felt it was something the board and district administrators would be interested in.
Board member Dean Fisher asked that the topic be put on a future board meeting agenda for discussion.
Joe Newton clip: “Don’t be afraid to fail”
Here is a great clip I saw on Facebook from the Long Green Line. It is of York CC Coach Joe Newton, who is a favorite of many on our team (and someone whom many of you now have autographs after the state meet).
Awesome message:
Shoes and Spikes
This post was originally published Feb. 27, 2009. I am bumping it up for the educational value.
All preseason you have heard me harp on the need for a quality running shoe.
Unlike other sports, Track and Field essentially provides you with almost all of the equipment you need. We provide your jerseys, field event equipment, batons, tape measures, etc.
What is “required?”
All that is required of you is a quality running shoe.
On top of that, you may also want to purchase a pair of spikes. Anyone running the 400m and down, plus any jump, really should be in a spike during competition. Mid-distance/distance folks can benefit greatly from spikes, but they are not 100% necessary.
So let’s break that down again: You absolutely need a quality running shoe, and a spike is also ideal for best performances.
How expensive?
I am not going to lie to you and say a quality running shoe is going to be inexpensive. Expect to pay anywhere from $80-$130 for a shoe that offers the best support, cushioning, etc. However, if you are looking for a good deal, you can usually find spikes for dirt cheap (as low as $9.99 on Eastbay!), so definitely take advantage of that savings.
Where should I buy shoes?
There are some stores that offer YHS athletes a discount. You can find that list here.
The three places listed there will actually take the time to find the correct shoe for your foot. Just because it is the most expensive shoe on display does NOT mean it is the best shoe for you. The people that work at the three stores I have listed in the above link (Dick Pond, Naperville Running Company and New Balance Geneva) understand this.
The one drawback from these places, is even with the discount that a couple of them provide, you will still probably pay more than if you found the same shoe at Dick’s Sporting Goods. The difference is definitely the customer service.
If cash is at a premium and you need to find a much cheaper option for your primary running shoe, this is not a problem. You’ll need to let me (Draper) know ASAP, and I will be more than happy to meet you at Dick’s Sporting Goods, Famous Footwear, or any other local store and assist you with the fit of your shoe.
I am happy to do this for any YHS Track and XC athlete, but please just give me a little warning so I can adjust my schedule if needed. My number is (630) 703-9201. If I can’t answer, please leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I am able.
If you are interested in learning more, please read a article I wrote for my newspaper about shoes and getting the proper fit.
What about spike purchases?
I would strongly urge everyone to use Eastbay as their first destination when shopping for spikes. But that doesn’t mean you can find similar deals elsewhere.
The thing with track spikes is that retailers really have a tough time moving them out the door. Think about it: A track spike is a really niche product, with a limited market. When the retailer gets the “new” shipment of this year’s models, they usually heavily discount last year’s to get them out of the stock room.
ADVICE: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
Look for “last year’s” model when shopping for spikes, and you will save a ton of money. Period.
Here are some links to Eastbay:
Sprint Spikes (400m and down; Horizontal Jumpers)
Mid Distance Spikes (400m-1600m)
Search
inspiration
To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice your gift.
—
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Monday, Feb 8
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