My Friend Jon...

On the bus with the team going to some XC meet or other.

So when I began my XC coaching journey it was becasue of Jon (picutred left) who is part of my regular, once a week, running gang. He went to the athletic director at the high school we were both teaching in back then (2004, I believe) and said we would both be interested in taking the cross country coaching position that had recently opened up. The thing is we had never discussed it. I didn't even know he was interested! Nevertheless, when I found out, I was excited and of course surprised. Jon and I coached together for four years. His older brother had coached XC as well at another high school and I feel like he wanted to follow in his footsteps to some extent. I met Jon initially when we ran together on our high school XC team. Little did I know that we would be coaching together let alone both be teaching English at the same high school across town from where we went to school. In the end it was a great experience to learn how to be "the coach" alongside such a fine friend whom I've known for so long. I think my recent success in coaching my daughter's team at her school could not have happened so smoothly had it not been for my formative years learning how to actually be a coach with Jon. The picture says it all really. Two Englsih teachers who are having fun being XC coaches together. Who is Oscar and who is Felix? We still debate that one. While running of course. Here's to you my friend!