Welcome to the Johnnies Track and Field blog. I love track and field. I spend most of my day either at the track with a fun group of athletes or talking about track with Joe Vardas, SJU Assistant Track Coach and my office-mate. If I’m honest, I spend a fair amount of my time at home talking about track and field, too. Thankfully my wife, Erica, loves the sport, too. Most of the discussions with Joe center around the idea of making someone run faster, jump better, or throw farther. In theory, this should be easy. However, we spend hours pouring over the details and watching videos.
More important than running, jumping, and throwing; I truly believe being an athlete makes you a better person. The voluntary hardship of training for an event and showcasing that skill for a handful of teammates and fans provides a structure to challenge yourself and grow. That is what drew me to track and field and makes me excited to coach.
In coaching, I am often asked, “How does the team look?” or “How was the meet?” My quick response is usually, “Fine.” The non-track fan probably appreciates the brief answer. It is rare that I get a captive audience that wants to know more about the team and will listen about track and field. Every meet has surprises, disappointments and excitements; some strikes and gutters. I hope the track and field blog will provide an opportunity to share more of the nuances of the season rather than just a few times, distance, and heights for those of you who also love the sport or might have loved ones on the team.
With this blog we hope to share:
Weekly updates: Highlight some outstanding performances from the previous week and what to look forward to in the upcoming meet. Beyond meet info, I may feel the need to have guest posts by our fabulous coaching staff to comment on their event groups, spotlight some of their magic workouts, or general shenanigans in practice (did we really spend 5 minutes debating Goldfish crackers vs.Cheez-Its?)
Athlete profiles: Learn about the current team members, their academic interests, and future goals. Hopefully this will connect current athletes to the SJU alumni and create relationships to help them reach their goals.
Future direction of Johnnie Track and Field: I am excited about our current team but have high goals for the future of track and field at Saint John’s. I will share information about upcoming events for alumni involvement, fundraising, and the J-Club.
Alumnus spotlight: Feature updates on Johnnie Track and Field alumni. We want to show the success of our alumni and answer the important question of, “What ever happened to …” I am always impressed with what our alumni are doing, and I hope that inspires current team members and recruits.
I am excited to share about our season and increase the connection you have to Johnnie Track and Field. I hope you enjoy the blog and please contact me with any ideas or questions at jeremykg@csbsju.edu or 320-363-2775.