Coaching Cross Country Successfully (Coaching Successfully) (Paperback)

~ (Author), Joe Henderson (Author) "Cross country is a school-based sport in the United States, with its season lasting only a couple of months each fall..." (more)
Key Phrases: cross country season, cross country coach, state cross country, Coaching Cross Country, Sunday Long, York High School (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"
"""Joe Newton's philosophy and methodology are
time-proven through his legacy of success. Coaching Cross Country Successfully provides immeasurable insights and techniques for programs of all levels. Knowing Joe Newton, it is not surprising he is willing to share the secrets of his success. This is a must addition to every aspiring cross country and track coach's personal library."""
Al Carius
Head Track/Cross Country Coach
North Central College
Winner of 9 NCAA Division III national championships

"""Coaching Cross Country Successfully is a must read for any cross country coach and a great motivator for any cross country runner. The book is simple, sophisticated, and reflects years of passion for the sport. It simply makes me want to go out and run!"""
Marius Bakken
Former member, Indiana University track team
Nordic recordholder, 3,000 and 5,000 meters
Top high school 2-miler in the U.S. in 1996
"

Review

"

""Joe Newton's philosophy and methodology are
time-proven through his legacy of success. Coaching Cross Country Successfully provides immeasurable insights and techniques for programs of all levels. Knowing Joe Newton, it is not surprising he is willing to share the secrets of his success. This is a must addition to every aspiring cross country and track coach's personal library.""

Al Carius
Head Track/Cross Country Coach
North Central College
Winner of 9 NCAA Division III national championships

""Coaching Cross Country Successfully is a must read for any cross country coach and a great motivator for any cross country runner. The book is simple, sophisticated, and reflects years of passion for the sport. It simply makes me want to go out and run!""

Marius Bakken
Former member, Indiana University track team
Nordic recordholder, 3,000 and 5,000 meters
Top high school 2-miler in the U.S. in 1996

"

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics; 1 edition (December 11, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 088011701X
• ISBN-13: 978-0880117012
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #43,163 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, a little too much of a boasting for york school, November 28, 1999

By	"clarissel" (NY city) - See all my reviews

I am a cross-country captain and wanted to educate myself on how to help my coach with our team. This book is a good, simple basis for those who are unexperienced with coaching cross country. I think it was a good help and gave me some basis but I learned much more about the school that this author coached than I needed to. This book is also a boasting of York school, who according to this book is state ranked and touches perfection. Having read this book twice, I still feel very unsure of what practises would be good for my team. Though it is a bit annoying, I recommend to someone who needs an idea, I also recommend buying another book with it, such as 'the competitive runner's handbook.'

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Limited Usefulness, October 22, 2008

By	R. Potter (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

There are very few current books directly intended to function as how-to guides for high-school cross-country coaches. This title's durability has, I think, more to do with the lack of competition in this niche (and with the author's level of renown) than with its intrinsic merit.

Joe Newton's approach to program development is simple. Recruit, if you can, huge numbers of runners from the student body, train them at very high mileages and intensities, and let the cross-country gods sort them out. While this Darwinist approach may yield some good results at very large schools with three-season running continuity (XC-indoor track-outdoor track), at small schools without year-round running, Newton's methods (if taken at face value) are likely to be a formula for team-shattering injury rates and rapid demoralization.

As regards technical matters, Newton's outlook was antique even when the book was published a decade ago. He disdains consideration of biomechanics and running form and chuckles at the notion that it might matter how runners breathe. If you have 150+ runners in your program (as Newton's York High School does), well, sure, those that have naturally fine form will reveal themselves as contenders for your top 7. Those of us with only 150 (or even 250) boys or girls in the whole high school might not be so lucky.

Much of the book is taken up with anectodes about Newton's undeniably impressive record of success in a very competitive region. However, while this may be entertaining to those who have an attachment to York High School or an interest in the recent history of scholastic running in northern Illinois, it comes across largely as unnecessary chest-thumping to those outside these circles.

The most commendable feature I find in Newton's book is its strong emphasis on discipline, athlete responsibility, and clear communication of expectations from coach to runner. With regard to this area, Newton's old-school toughness represents a refreshing change from the kind of compromising and equivocating attitude evident in too many high-school coaching staffs.

Many fine and successful high school coaches put their training programs and general observations on their school and personal websites. For beginning (or more experienced) coaches looking for ideas on workouts or program development, such websites represent a resource far superior to Joe Newton's book.

17 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Overworked in Illinois, January 5, 2000

By	Robbie McCallum (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

While this is a revolutionary book for it's type (there are not many guides to coaching cross country) I think that there is an underlying flaw with coach Newton's philosophy. From what I read of Newton's workout chart, it seems that he over works his runners. While this does get quality results and fast runners, it is not working in the runners best interest. High schoolers who are worked too much get burnt out easily and are overlooked by college cross country coaches.