CIAC Glory Days
The CIAC Glory Days podcast immerses listeners into the world of high school athletics. Explore the purpose and impact of interscholastic athletics on student-athletes as administrators, coaches, players, officials, parents, and State Athletic Association staff take listeners on a journey from tryouts to championships.
CIAC Glory Days
Glory Days Podcast S2:E6 - The Powerhouse of Bloomfield Girls Indoor Track Program 🏆
CIAC Glory Days Podcast host Jada Mirabelle is joined by Bloomfield Girls Indoor Track, a CT track powerhouse! 🏆🎙️
Tune in as Head Coach Anne Burrows and Captains Kiylah Williams and Jahniya Barclay share their keys to success, and talk about the mindset and dedication required to reach their level of success. Plus, stick around for a rapid Q&A with Bloomfield’s champions! 🥇
Welcome to CIC's Glory Days podcast. I'm your host, jada Maribel, and today I'm joined by Bloomfield Girls Indoor Track, a track dynasty and the class of state champions. For the 14th year in a row. I'm joined by head coach Ann Burrows and two awesome athletes and captains, jania Barclay and Kyla Williams. Thank you, guys, for joining me here today. I'm so excited to have you here. Thank you for having us.
Speaker 1:Of course. So for some background for the viewers who may not know about the dynasty of Bloomfield Girls Indoor Track, it is one of the most impressive records in Connecticut sports. Last year you won the 14th straight class as title. You have three state open titles in total, I believe. And then last year you won the 4x200 by 6 seconds, which is just incredible. Right, and you two were a part of that relay, right.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And then you also won the 55 dash finals, which the top four were Bloomfield runners, and then the four by 400,. You won by 10 seconds, along with the 1600 SMR relay and the 600, which is just. These are unheard of records, so it's truly a powerhouse and it's very impressive. So tell us what sets Bloomfield girls indoor track apart?
Speaker 2:from other programs to continue to win all these titles every year. I would say winning all the time. So not wanting to go backwards with things, you know why would we want to win, then lose? So always just trying to exceed the expectations that we set last year and just try to, you know, pr more, set more records Like our 4x4 is going to try and break every single relay record that there is at every track we hit. So just trying to keep getting better.
Speaker 1:Continue improving, yeah definitely.
Speaker 3:Yeah, you don't want to be that class. It's a rough one when you're that class, like that people remember. So you got to keep it going.
Speaker 1:Just keep every year getting better and better. Yeah, so how has the success of the program stood the test of time? Because obviously, throughout the years, everything standards change, practices change, you have different athletes every year. How do you continue to be so successful?
Speaker 3:I want to say adaptability, like you have to be able to do what's best for the team. You have to be able to pick up different events. You have to be able to kind of see what we need, what we don't need. You know, not everybody can run the 55 and the 300, even though we're predominantly sprinter based, so like, for instance, janaya ran the 600 last week.
Speaker 3:She did great, but she's a short sprinter but it's going to make her 400 better, it's going to make her 300 better and you know, at first she was like I'm not doing this and running away and hiding on me and now she wants to run it this weekend, so like you kind of see like there are things like, oh, I really don't want to do this but I need to do it and you end up becoming more well-rounded.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's got to be hard if you're just used to short sprints to go and do a longer distance event it is A hard adjustment different, I guess. So, coach, you're clearly an awesome track coach and very effective. You've won the National Coach of the Year Award twice now, along with yes, along with other Connecticut. High School track coaching awards. So what is your background and what brought you to Bloomfield High School to be the girls indoor track coach?
Speaker 3:Well, so I was a thrower in high school and in college I went to CCSU. So when I started at Bloomfield I was actually student teaching there, so I walked in and I became the throwing coach and I was assistant coach for six years and then Crystal McKenzie was the head coach at the time was like you know, I'm just going to go to college, I'm going to go coach Del State, so have fun. And then I ended up with everything. So it's been a. It's been an adjustment, an adjustment. Runners and throwers are very different people.
Speaker 3:Throwers are very laid back, runners are very personable so, um, yeah, it's it's been, it's been great um being the head coach you know, for the past 12 years, so it was definitely at first it was a learning curve, but yeah, there had to be an adjustment if that wasn't in your background. Yeah, if you're only that was fun.
Speaker 1:I mean, it works. Whatever you're doing, it works. So you figured it out in a good way, and so we'll talk about the players now. So, jania, you've been a huge part of the program since you were a freshman and you're a junior now, but the last two years you've been competing against seasoned upperclassmen at these competitive meets. So how did you maintain focus and composure in those moments?
Speaker 4:I try not to think of them as like upperclassmen. I try to think of everybody as the same age because, like running in, like youth, we ran up against our age group, but coming into high school you got to run up against different varieties of people, so you just have to like not worry about them at all.
Speaker 1:That's true. Just don't think about it At not worry about them at all. That's true. Just don't think about it At Class S in 2023, I know we talked a little bit about this off camera, but I believe you're the only freshman in the finals for the Class S and the State Open, so that's a big accomplishment. So it just goes to show you really don't think about the pressure of who you're competing against, which is that's a good trait.
Speaker 4:Thank you.
Speaker 1:And Kyla, congratulations. I heard you just recently committed to Florida Atlantic.
Speaker 2:University for track.
Speaker 1:Yes, that's, super exciting.
Speaker 2:Yes, it is, I'm ready, ready to take the next step. Yeah, go down south.
Speaker 3:Yes, oh yes.
Speaker 1:So how have your years track for Bloomfield High School helped prepare you for this commitment? I?
Speaker 2:would say every year. Like I said before, we just wanted to get better, more and more each year, so just always wanted to PR and hit the track and hit it better than I did last year. So obviously you always want to go down with your numbers and stuff like that and over the years our team has done that as a whole. So it's just made our team dynamic get better, everybody getting faster, everybody pushing each other more and more. So I would say my teammates definitely did have a big um play onto my commitment because obviously without their competition and practice and stuff like that it wouldn't be possible that's very true.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it sounds like you've learned the trade of a work ethic which is so important in college athletics definitely in life in general. So what are you most excited for for college athletics?
Speaker 2:I think I'm excited for the opportunities that it's going to bring Getting better. You know, college sports is obviously more competitive. You know, way harder, harder workouts, harder lifts and stuff like that. So I'm really excited to keep seeing my numbers drop and, you know, get the feel of the team and, you know, be a part of a team like that.
Speaker 1:Just to continue improving and learn that new environment. Have you picked what you're going to major in yet?
Speaker 2:I'm thinking to go in business management, business finances, because I later on do want to be going to real estate. So I just chose the more broader aspect yeah, that's smart.
Speaker 1:And real estate. I feel like that area is so big right now it's building really quickly. So what are both of your race strategies when you step onto the track? Are there different approaches for different events?
Speaker 4:For each event I think there's a different approach. Like if I'm going into like a 55, I'm just going to say just run, but if I'm going into the 400, I try to strategize my four Like pacing yeah. I can't run it straight. She doesn't like to get out.
Speaker 1:True, yeah, you would have to, because you can't just go full gas the whole time.
Speaker 4:Yeah, and I feel like I got no stamina.
Speaker 1:I feel like I had no stamina, you know, by the end of it.
Speaker 2:I think I'm more of the opposite, because where Janiya is a sprinter, so a lot of the 400, 400 runners at least whoever was in the top eight or nine um at state opens is a four, two runner mostly. So I'm more of a four, not the two runner um. So it's harder for me to get out. My beginning of my race is a little slower, so I'm more of a just just run, like just just run, don't think about where to do what, because then it's going to take away something from another part of my race. So I try to just like hit the track and just run and get it over with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just give it your all. That probably makes it more fun to just go out there and run, don't? Think about it Something like that. So how do you all, as a team, build the championship lineup? Because I know there's a strategy with placement of athletes to get many points as possible. So how does that work for Bloomfield?
Speaker 3:Well, we have to load events because we don't have a lot of things Like no one wants to run distance, you know, it's like the dreaded, you know. So I can get a couple kids to run the six, but no one wants to run the thousand, the mile, the 32. We don't have any pole vaulters currently, so we end up loading up where we can. So the 55, the 300, all the relays, the throws, the jumps, so you're going to see us heavy in all of those. And again, our practice is like a championship because the better people in the events they're training with them every day. I tell them all the time when you hit the line and there's four of you and there's one of another kid at thing, like that has to be very intimidating and you know you guys should build upon that and you know, feel that ease, that basically it's just like another training day like, but more competitive.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. Kids, you're with every day. Yeah, that's. That's a good advantage and it makes up for the areas that you may not have athletes to fill it in with, but you have those strong sprinting. So how do you all prepare mentally and physically for a race? Take me through your pre-race routine and warm-ups.
Speaker 2:So pre-meet, so the practice that we'll have before a meet, we'll just do some stride-outs, work on more technical things, block starts, everything like that, handoffs. The day of meets, everybody has their own different thing. A lot of us play our music in the morning, walk in, warm up, we'll do outdoor or two laps. We'll typically do two laps or 800 real quick get our muscles working stretches, drills, everything like that and then handoffs. But we also tend to add, like bigger meets, so state open, states conference, anything like that You'll usually see us do like a team prayer. You know, make sure everybody's good batons are good, our 4x4, 4x2, we'll always do like a pre--race prayer pray over the baton, pray over our race that we're about to do, make sure everybody's legs are good. Um, so definitely the mental aspect and the um religious aspect. You know, making sure you pray, get god in there before you run oh, it's beautiful.
Speaker 1:I love to hear that. Do you have the same routine or is it any different?
Speaker 4:I feel like I think we all have like the same routine. We listen to music. Sometimes we listen like on a speaker out loud bringing good energy. We eat together in the mornings, always dunking, we're just like just bringing good energy. We're happy on the bus talking, always excited to run.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, that's awesome. That mental side of it makes a big difference when you're out there, I'm sure yeah.
Speaker 3:Duncan makes a pretty penny off us every Saturday morning. Everybody walks in with a Duncan bag.
Speaker 1:Really they should sponsor you guys, they should Duncan. They got a little shout-out on here. So, besides Duncan, what do you all think are the main keys to success for coaches, teams and players?
Speaker 2:I would say just your mental. You can't go into a race or to a meet with bad mental because automatically you just messed up everything. If you're not mentally in it, you're not physically going to be in it. That's just how a lot of things work, especially with track. It's a very mental sport. So if you're out of it you're just not really feeling it and it shows, or it's going to show on the track for sure. So going into it with a good mental, clean mind, eased mind, it makes the race go by way better.
Speaker 1:It's an awesome perspective that goes for life too.
Speaker 3:Everyone's got to be on the same accord. Everyone's got to be the same thing, the same goal. You can't have those toxic people that don't really want to be there, that think it's like a social thing. You've got to be there to perform.
Speaker 1:You have to be aligned as a team.
Speaker 3:That's very true.
Speaker 2:But the good thing about our team, I feel like, though, is once we do all hit the track. We do know that so it's. We all go on to the track with the mentality of just once we hit the track, like everything else doesn't matter. You know we're like at this point. We're a family. We all go into a tracking with the same goal, with the same, you know, yeah, with the same goal in place just to win, to PR, to do what we need to do, get off the track, you know, handle everything else off the track, but once we get on the track, we know that it's time to go.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's nice to hear, because, track, there's a lot of individual sides of it, a lot of individual events, so it's nice to hear that you think of it from the team perspective as well, because that would probably be, yeah, I think that's what we try to stress the most like that.
Speaker 3:they need everybody. Everybody has a track program, but in order to succeed or in order to win all these classes, championships, five for the CCC conference and stayed open, they have to come together as a team. It doesn't matter, Even if you win your three events, you're only bringing home 30 points. 30 points isn't going to win any of those things. So they all need each other. So everybody has to be on their A game and step up.
Speaker 1:That's true, you all. So everybody has to be on their A game and step up. That's true. You'll have to put your all into it, yeah, so, coach, what do you think these extremely successful past seasons not only say about the type of coach you are, but the type of athletes that you continue to have on your team?
Speaker 3:I mean I definitely have had some of the most talented athletes. I mean it has been a gift, honestly. Every year more and more athletes come into the program and whether they grow or they come in from youth track and they already have the talent base, I mean they continue to develop upon it and you know my goal is to get as many of them to college as we can. So we've been very lucky in that many of our athletes have got Division I or Division II scholarships, gone on to the next level, had successful college careers you know, succeeded in life.
Speaker 3:So that's definitely my main goal is just to get them through the program, win as much as we can, and then, you know, have them be successful in life.
Speaker 1:Yeah, help develop them for the next time yeah. That's awesome. So what do you think are your strengths as? A team heading into the season.
Speaker 2:Besides all the talent, I would say just the love that everybody has for the sport I think plays a part in it too. Just everybody wanting everybody with the same goal, everybody with the same mindset on winning, pring and just trying to get better. The fact that we all go into state opens or states not wanting to lose, you know, wanting to keep up with our state titles, it just keeps the motivation going. So it makes all of our teammates and the athletes on our team just perform way better than expected, like State Opens last year.
Speaker 4:We're all very determined, very determined, determined at practice, determined at meets, determined on the offseason. I feel like just our determination.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that makes a big difference to get through it.
Speaker 3:And when you have such a competitive team, it's like if you're not on your A game, there's always someone that can step up. Or you know, you can move things around. You can shuffle the deck Like you know if they're not. Somebody's not performing well, they're off that week, they're sick. There's always somebody that can fill that place, fill that role.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 2:I feel like that's what makes our team so competitive and so good, because we are such a stacked team. So just knowing that you know your spot can get taken or get replaced in a second just keeps you wanting to get better, keep getting better, keep, you know, improving. And then it also goes into winning all the time, like winning our state championships all the time. And it also goes into winning all the time like winning our state championships all the time, like now we're honestly looking at oh, what's the like state record on how many points you could score at state opens? Like let's try to beat that. So it's just trying to beat ourselves. At this point, you know wanting to just get better and better and better, because at this point our competition is ourself.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, and just continue to be your best.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So how do you all, as individuals and as a team, push through injuries or setbacks?
Speaker 4:Because I'm sure you've dealt with some throughout your running careers. I run through the injuries. I try to think like it's a mental thing and that I'm not hurting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's actually. I mean, it's probably not good for your body, but it's good mentally. Yeah, you can get through it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's like 90% of our team. Honestly, whenever something's wrong with us, we're just like brush it off, kind of. You know we have, oh, this meet is coming up. You know we have to get this done. So we kind of just push through our injuries as best as we can and try not to let it affect us as much, while still treating. At the same time, though, you know getting icing and you know rubbing out, getting your. You know, yeah, stretching, do what you need to do to get better, but also trying not to. You know, set your team or not, set your team back, but you know not upset your team with not performing the way you should be or not performing at all.
Speaker 1:So you try to not let it overcome and just find that balance, not letting it affect you too much. That's a good answer. So now I know this may be a tough question because you're already a powerhouse, but are there any areas that you'll be focusing on for improvement in this upcoming season? Distance- Distance.
Speaker 3:I would love to have some distance people. Nobody wants to be them, though as a jurisdiction. We have a bunch of new freshmen and stuff, so I tell them, like it's really hard If you're trying to be a 55, 300, long jumper, like it's probably not going to be the year that you get to meet for these, unfortunately.
Speaker 3:I was like so you're training? I'm like, but you know we have room in high jump pole vault, anything from the 600 up. So if you can, you know, mentally figure out like, oh, I can do this and you train for it like you can get on the bus.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's an open spot, it's an open spot.
Speaker 3:If not, you're kind of waiting for outdoor until we get to dual meets. You can train. But you know, when you have some of the top athletes numerous top athletes in the state in those events and you're a freshman walking in and you've never run track, it's kind of adapt or you're just training.
Speaker 1:That would be tough, trying to push some kids that way. Well, maybe they'll develop themselves into distance runners hopefully underclassmen Something. And pole vaulters. Pole vaulters, yeah.
Speaker 2:Those events that you guys need filled.
Speaker 1:Hopefully they fill those.
Speaker 2:So, heading into the season, how will you both help to lead the team as captains.
Speaker 2:I feel like I'm kind of like the mom of the team you know just making sure everybody's good, making sure everybody's healthy, making sure everybody's mental is all set ready, everybody's in a good spirit, especially for these team meets, you know, because up until you know conference and state-to-state opens, everything is mostly individual. Because up until you know conference and state-to-state opens, everything is mostly individual. So just kind of making sure everybody is good until then to keep that momentum going into these meets where we have to score points, and just making sure everybody's good, this team is dynamic is good, chemistry is good for handoffs and, you know, just making sure everything goes good on the track uh, I think I bring good energy, like, very like.
Speaker 4:Oh, I talk a lot, so just you know, making sure everybody's having a good time, making sure everybody's laughing, nobody's like sad or anything.
Speaker 1:We don't need that for meets, so yeah you know that's very important keep the mood up basically, if I need somebody to regulate peer-to-peer, I call kyla that is me and if I need someone to like you know, good energy, like.
Speaker 3:You know, like the funny one I'll call her there you go. You got like something's going on I'll call her like you need to, whatever, but I need somebody to check somebody. I I'm calling.
Speaker 1:Kyla, there you go. You got a good pairing right here.
Speaker 3:You're a little bit of covers everything right.
Speaker 1:So we're just coming out of the off season, so what did you find was the most effective way to stay active and train?
Speaker 2:We have summer conditionings three times a week.
Speaker 2:It's a little hot during the summer but we're mostly in the weight room getting our endurance back up. So you know we'll go on like little around the school runs, hills, things like that to get your speed and your endurance, to maintain it mostly, not necessarily to get it back but to maintain it. And then hitting the weight room, you know your squats, your off season, so you can really muscle up and get your tone back and everything like that. And then going into the preparing for the cross country season, because we do have to participate in cross country.
Speaker 4:Yes, Cross country soccer or volleyball? Oh yes.
Speaker 3:You have to do a fall sport. They do. You don't do a fall sport.
Speaker 1:Is that just this program rule? That's my rule, it's your rule. Well, sport they do don't do a fall sport is. Is that just a this program rule or is it my rule? It's your rule? What keeps you in shape?
Speaker 3:yeah, because I can't have them sitting around. You know, three days a week is fine all summer, but mostly we're just doing heavy lifting, so they do that and then they're not sitting from september to november doing nothing. And then you know, once indoor season starts like we're on the track within two weeks, like competitively. So you have to be ready. So if you're not a soccer or volleyball star, you will be on my cross country.
Speaker 1:That's a good rule. Keeps you mentally and physically in shape for the season.
Speaker 3:Unfortunately, yeah, you'll be there, whether you run the 55 or long jump or whatever you do.
Speaker 1:You'll be on cross country. There you go. Did you guys like cross country? No?
Speaker 4:They hate it. They hate it, but you got through it and now you're. 3.1 miles is crazy Wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that is probably different from what you're used to. Way different it's a good time.
Speaker 3:It's my favorite season.
Speaker 2:It's like a little social hour.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's probably a different pace.
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, pace, oh yeah, definitely different. Yeah, they think it's very hard, but I'm like the only day you're really running three miles is on meat day.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because compared to like a team where hall or you know these big different are these big distance teams you know that are going on like five mile runs or like two mile runs before school.
Speaker 3:We're not doing that, yeah every morning when I drive in I see hall and conard running miles and I'm really, I'm like they're so disciplined, I'm like and I'm getting and they're screaming at me over two miles at practice but we win right, but we win so see, that's their niche is distance, yours is sprint exactly everyone's got their own thing so for this season, if you had to choose one motto or one mantra, what would it be?
Speaker 2:Probably just don't go backwards. Honestly, I feel like there's no room to go backwards. I don't like going from winning to losing. Losing indoor state opens last year was kind of hard because we uh won it janiya's freshman year, my sophomore year, so losing it or my junior year was a little was a little rough, but we did get it back outdoor. But just going backwards I don't think is like an option this year, to be honest. Um, like I said, our competition is ourselves. So just wanting to be better, be a better version of our team, be a better version of ourselves individually, just get better yeah, that's great if you say you're gonna lose, you're gonna lose.
Speaker 4:If you say you're gonna win, you're gonna win.
Speaker 3:It's true it's all mental right. Yeah, indoor indoors typically are harder season because it is more distance based. There's more distance events out there, um, you know. Uh, so just kind of attaining the things that we've fallen short on the last couple years indoor, trying to go out the best we can for our seniors and just continue to be better and get better and beat yourselves.
Speaker 1:So what are some of the takeaways that you've learned from high school sports and indoor track?
Speaker 4:It's real competitive.
Speaker 1:Yes, Really, I'm sure, yes.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because we both participated in AU and youth track. So just running where you're running like 9 and 10, 11, 12, you know. So you're running with people your age or maybe like a year older, so it's not that big of a difference. But, like Janiyah when she was a freshman, running with seniors, it's a little different. So I think just being able to adjust to new things is a very big takeaway because you know, a lot of the time you're not in high school sports, you're not doing something that you want to necessarily do all the time, especially so going into college I know that's a big thing where you know your coach might see you as something else. So you know you're doing something else. So I think just learning to trust your coach and making sure that they know what's best for you, so just to do it.
Speaker 1:And be open-minded because they may see things that you don't see about yourself. Exactly that's good.
Speaker 3:I mean I think they learn a lot. I mean, I know on my team I don't know how anybody else runs their team like they're there till at least six o'clock every single day. So they have to have time management, they have to be able to. You know we're in the weight room at 2.30 after school, so they have to go home after practice. They got to get their work done. You know, grades are a huge thing with me, like if you're not in the honor roll, I'm shaming you, like really shaming you. And then honestly, like for a high school kid, they don't have one Saturday. From December until June, every single Saturday is taken, you know, and sometimes we leave at 5 am and come home at midnight. So to be that disciplined, it's hard. It's hard Like, oh, could we do this on Sunday? I never have a Saturday, you know so, as a teenage girl in high school, like that's hard, you know so basically, they only have Sundays to themselves.
Speaker 3:So it's a lot of time management prioritizing. You know they miss out on a lot, you know.
Speaker 1:That is a good life skills, though. It is discipline and time management, because when you get to college or even just life and the workforce it will help prepare you. You'll know how to balance things.
Speaker 2:A lot of our team, though, has been doing that, I feel like, for years though, because youth track there's really no Saturdays either, sometimes no weekends. So I think literally 90% of our team has done youth track. So I think we've all already kind of are in that mindset or are pretty disciplined when it comes to you know, not really or learning, time management or being a very busy person, so it's kind of easy going into the high school doing that too.
Speaker 1:You had some practice getting into it. Yeah, you were used to it. So, as the Class S Girls Indoor Track Powerhouse, if you had to share a piece of advice to fellow athletes and fellow coaches, what would it be?
Speaker 2:Don't give up. I think it's really easy, especially for people who are just coming in doing track. It's really hard to give up. It's really hard at first because it's a very mental thing. You're so tired, you can't run or you just want to stop. So just keep going every day, keep trying to get better, because it's slowly and slowly going to get easier, because you're slowly and slowly going to start getting better. But baby steps, you have to start from somewhere. So don't try to rush it. Don't try to be great off your first day. If you are, you are, but don't rush it, because you will get there at some point.
Speaker 3:It's a process, yeah, every indoor class, as we lost to Weston and Weston was that can't be beat team. Like they were, you know they had all the pole vaulters they had, you know they had the deep team, and like we just kept falling short, falling short, and then we won and it was like, okay, now we need to keep winning. Like what can we do to keep winning, keep building? And you know, it just became like a formula, like how to spread the team and how to figure out how to get it done.
Speaker 1:So you probably remember it from both. Yeah, oh yeah, I remember.
Speaker 3:I remember when we were runner up runner up you know, and it was like oh, you know, we can win outdoor, but we can't win indoors, so yeah, what about you?
Speaker 4:What's your piece of advice? How you practice is how you'll compete. You can't go to practice and just think that you're not going to do anything and then expect to do something out of me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's true. You have to give it your all in practice. Yeah, that's a good piece of advice. Yeah, because you can't expect to go easy in practice and just have it come naturally. So now we're going to head into some rapid questions. So I'm sure you guys have seen these before.
Speaker 2:It's just the first answer that comes to your head, so okay right janiya favorite
Speaker 1:event to compete in it's rapid, it's gonna be a lot. Okay, I figured you weren't gonna say distance or something like that. Okay, kyla favorite part of race day uh, definitely warm up looking.
Speaker 2:I don't I like to look intimidating while we're warming up. You know, scare the competition a little bit. That's a good strategy.
Speaker 1:Coach. Favorite part about being a coach Ooh, oh, my God, rap Ada.
Speaker 2:The personalities.
Speaker 3:You never know what you're going to get. Never know. People ask me what my practice plan is. I'm like I don't know. I have to literally show up to practice and feel them out before I figure out what what I'm getting sure, it's probably different every day.
Speaker 1:It was every day too. Yeah, yeah, keeps it entertaining and different, right? Yeah, all right, janiya. Indoor outdoor track, outdoor.
Speaker 2:I hate indoor kyla stand up moment in your career so far um winning the four by four as state opens by so many seconds, winning the 4x4 as State opens by so many seconds and breaking the record Definitely.
Speaker 1:Coach any team traditions.
Speaker 3:Ooh, we try to do a dinner before we have States and we just try to prepare the best we can and see what we can get going before. Just a positive mindset.
Speaker 1:Nice team dinner. That's nice for team bonding too. That's good chemistry, yeah they make me cook. Is it the same food every year or is it different?
Speaker 3:It's usually like pasta, chicken wings, stuff like that Good protein. Yeah, try to get them ready to go.
Speaker 1:All right, Janiyah music or silence during warm-ups Music. That was quick, that was really rapid. I use it all the time. Is it the same playlist, same artist, or is it different every time?
Speaker 4:It really depends on the type of mood that you're in.
Speaker 1:True, Okay, you have a different playlist for every mood. Yeah, there you go, kyla. Any superstitions?
Speaker 2:For me not necessarily a superstition, but more of like a ritual. I can say I do a cross with my hands three times before I run. I have to three times. Really, yeah, oh, that's nice though, and praying over the baton before I release. Yeah, I like that, that's good.
Speaker 1:That's good to incorporate. God, all right Coach. Best piece of advice you've ever received.
Speaker 3:Don't take it too serious that another season's going to come, no matter what happened the season before. There's a chance for improvement the next season.
Speaker 1:Janiyah hardest race you've ever ran. The six that's stuck in your head.
Speaker 2:He loves it now that's stuck in your head. You just love it. Now you never know. Yeah, kyle a favorite workout or drill? Oh gosh, is there a favorite workout?
Speaker 1:um damn sorry, rapid, rapid, rapid um you could go least favorite too, if you oh, if that's easy, least favorite 500s for for sure, for sure you didn't like that broken six workout.
Speaker 3:No, no, no, no, no, no, those are brutal Timed yeah not too fun?
Speaker 1:No, not at all. Coach, favorite sport other than track?
Speaker 3:Ooh, wow, football, football okay.
Speaker 1:Janiyah, favorite athlete Me Ooh good, I've never had anyone answer that so close?
Speaker 3:Yeah, they're not playing themselves, Not at all.
Speaker 1:Self-confidence. That's what it is. All right, kyla.
Speaker 2:Favorite hobbies other than running I would say, is eating a hobby. Sure, yeah, plugged your hair business. Yes, I have a hair business too, so I like to do hair. Oh, do hobby. Sure, you got plugged your hair business. Yes, I have a hair business too, so I like to do hair.
Speaker 1:Oh, do you? Yes, oh, that's awesome. That's cool to get started in high school.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yes, I have clients, I have a page, I have yeah, oh, that's awesome, yes, cool, all right, coach favorite movie.
Speaker 3:Oh, wow, wow. Erin Brockovich. Okay, sorry, I gave you some tough ones. No, that is, it's great. You should watch it. It's very motivational.
Speaker 1:Really, I don't think I've heard of it. You've got to watch it All, ian does is watch TV.
Speaker 2:I love it yeah.
Speaker 1:You get some like motivational things.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I got to like wind the office, like running down the hall. The principal's like, oh, your team, Like they're always in my office and they're everywhere, and then we go from there to the weight room to practice 7 am to 7 am, you know football games, basketball games like a car full of kids all the way home.
Speaker 1:So it's all day long, all day long, yeah.
Speaker 3:Like seven to seven nonstop, and then your phone rings, endings.
Speaker 1:I'm sure, yeah, so then you do need to unwind with a movie or TV show. I go to sleep at eight, all right, well, awesome, those were good rapid fire answers. So lastly, in the Glory Days podcast, we always like to wrap up by asking our guests what do you think the purpose of high school sports is?
Speaker 2:I think it's. I think high school sports I don't think it actually has a purpose, but I think what it can help with. It can help with a lot of things in life. You know, like you were saying, the time management and just being disciplined and really finding yourself. I feel like you can find yourself through a lot of high school sports. You could find a lot of longtime friendships. It could just help you a lot in the long run.
Speaker 4:Definitely. I feel like it's another way to get into college without needing academics.
Speaker 1:That's true it opens doors.
Speaker 4:Yeah, if you need a scholarship and you know you're not really that good with academics, you still got the athletics. Yeah, that you need a scholarship and you know you're not really that good with academics, you still got the athletics.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's very true.
Speaker 3:I'm much older than them, so I see it from years past. But I feel like everything I learned I learned from sports, like work ethic, time management, basically how to be successful in life. I feel like that came from my time in sports.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's so much within athletics it's not just the sport itself. There's so much within athletics. It's not just the sport itself. There's so much behind it.
Speaker 3:I feel like if I went home every day after school and high school and napped or whatever or didn't do college athletics. I feel like I would be a completely different person. I feel like it just taught me everything.
Speaker 1:A lot of life skills yeah it's very true. Well, you guys did awesome today. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you.
Speaker 2:And guys did awesome today. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you, and I wish you the best of luck. I hope you're able to come out with a 15th class s title. Definitely, definitely, for sure.