OATCCC Meet

[madman]

I find it interesting that there is so little talk about this meet. The most recent thread regarding was started Feb 8th ("When was the first OATCCC meet?") and beyond the factual answer there wasn't much to that thread.

I have never placed much importance on this meet and that seems to be common among coaches, but it seems like athletes place far more importance on it.

I think it's a great opportunity for a handful of elite athletes who may only have a few competitive races until Regionals or State.

I like the indoor season, especially for newbies. They get to learn about the sport without the challenging weather conditions most of us see in the spring. This is especially true in the technique events. I like having athletes race a couple times in the winter as it helps remind them why they are training.

Trying to peak for the OATCCC meet and nationals and then again at the end of outdoor track seems less than ideal.

What do you think?

 

[lane4]

I can't speak for the lack of chatter, but I sincerely hope once Ohio State builds their new state of the art indoor facility the meet is moved there. If it's anything like Louisville's new track it will be lightning fast, and a much easier trip for teams in the southern part of the state.

 

[JAVMAN83]

I can't speak for the lack of chatter, but I sincerely hope once Ohio State builds their new state of the art indoor facility the meet is moved there. If it's anything like Louisville's new track it will be lightning fast, and a much easier trip for teams in the southern part of the state.

Agree 100%. Time to return that meet to CENTRAL Ohio. This would better serve the whole state.

 

[Runningfast]

I'll echo the sentiment to get the meet back to Columbus if OSU has a suitable facility. SPIRE is an AMAZING facility, but gosh darn it is far from SW Ohio.

As far as the meet goes, I'm extremely excited to see every race, but specifically, I want to see Ackley really wind up and go for it. He ran 4:08 and 9:00 at Akron, and in both races, he looked very within himself. Can someone force him to really go to the well?

I'm excited to see the 4x8 race. Especially indoors, very few teams really load up and go for it often. Olentangy Orange is the only one under 8 so far - I suspect that won't be true after Saturday. What can loaded up Mason and Lancaster squads do?

I wish Troy Lane was in the 60. Racing Beasley, Bryant, and others would have been fun to watch.

 

[JAVMAN83]

Another reason for me to support the move is to return to a legal-sized track of 200m.

 

[galesxc]

Quote: "I have never placed much importance on this meet and that seems to be common among coaches, but it seems like athletes place far more importance on it."

We have over 60 guys participating on our indoor T&F team, primarily because it is fun; fun to be with the team/friends and fun to compete. From a coaching perspective, participating in the indoor season allows us to work with the kids and further their athletic development as we more closely monitor/push their academic performance. Competition provides exposure for our college-bound athletes and opportunities for cursory campus visits often triggering interest and leading to further research.

My personal perspective on the Indoor State Championship is this: participation is a reward for persistent hard work through the difficult winter months; chasing qualification motivates many kids... multiple PRs are a reward for others, building confidence and leading to further improvement.

OATCCC has reported that 920 "verified" teams participated indoors this season. A rough count indicates ~175 DI high schools declared athletes for the upcoming State Championship. How many other high school sports can boast that level of participation/competition? In the end, athletes will be honored, a score tallied and a champion determined... therefore, it's my opinion, the competition is legitimate and worthwhile.

In addition, I believe competing indoors also has an impact on outdoor and XC team-building and competitive success. Some athletes are attracted by the promise of (measurable) improvement and/or a "winning" culture. Others join us because of our promise to support them to the highest level of competition their abilities and training will allow. Finally, it seems logical that six months of training/preparation will lead to greater development and success than three.

 

[EuclidandViren]

Quote: "I have never placed much importance on this meet and that seems to be common among coaches, but it seems like athletes place far more importance on it."

We have over 60 guys participating on our indoor T&F team, primarily because it is fun; fun to be with the team/friends and fun to compete. From a coaching perspective, participating in the indoor season allows us to work with the kids and further their athletic development as we more closely monitor/push their academic performance. Competition provides exposure for our college-bound athletes and opportunities for cursory campus visits often triggering interest and leading to further research.

My personal perspective on the Indoor State Championship is this: participation is a reward for persistent hard work through the difficult winter months; chasing qualification motivates many kids... multiple PRs are a reward for others, building confidence and leading to further improvement.

OATCCC has reported that 920 "verified" teams participated indoors this season. A rough count indicates ~175 DI high schools declared athletes for the upcoming State Championship. How many other high school sports can boast that level of participation/competition? In the end, athletes will be honored, a score tallied and a champion determined... therefore, it's my opinion, the competition is legitimate and worthwhile.

In addition, I believe competing indoors also has an impact on outdoor and XC team-building and competitive success. Some athletes are attracted by the promise of (measurable) improvement and/or a "winning" culture. Others join us because of our promise to support them to the highest level of competition their abilities and training will allow. Finally, it seems logical that six months of training/preparation will lead to greater development and success than three.

I agree indoor is a favorite of mine.
As an athlete, I loved the tight racing, the bumping, the grinding, and seeing improvements.

As a coach, I love to see the kids work toward a goal and achieve it during the indoor season. The best part is that the variables are limited with the weather conditions being neutral. Sometimes in April and May the athletes don't get paid and rewarded for their hard work because of the inconsistent Ohio weather.
I also love indoor as a coach because I can place athletes in a race of their ability. I love going to a meet with 8-10 heats for the 1600. I can place an athlete at 5:20 and he/she can race people of their ability.
Another aspect of coaching indoor is the time schedule. We can go to just the first half of meets or I can take a jumper here or a distance runner there just as an individual. The ability and freedom of indoor with not being 100% sanctioned and rule defined is what attracts many parents and athletes.