But first, erratum. Thanks to my favorite hirsute duo for the correction, Club 402, not Club 420.
Nebraska Run Guru Events, LLC is now a USATF Nebraska Association member. And the Will Lindgren’s Festival of Races is taking shape. USATF Certification, sanctioning in progress. Because a couple of you poo pooed my call to recognize Grant’s 15:06 as the state record for road 5K. The 2017 edition will have it all tied down, thanks to y’all for the prompt.
Jordan Tucker. I miss you. So does the Nebraska Association LDR program. You were just a little ahead of your time. Or, we were so busy shaping athletics in Nebraska that one of our pet projects never kicked off. And now, that vision is being executed.
Jordan approached me about a camp for talented high school runners back in 2008 (!). As part of his business degree he put together a study/survey that went out to 385 Nebraska high school coaches. Of those, 42 were answered and returned.
Some of the more interesting findings:
“As a high school cross country/track coach in Nebraska, do you believe that your athletes would find a running camp hosted by **Team Nebraska** beneficial.
34 respondents Yes, 8 respondents No
“Where would you like to see the camp held?”
Lincoln- 26%
Omaha- 32%
Kearney- 21%
Western Nebraska- 9%
Other- 12%
“What type of venue would you prefer a running camp to be held?”
Small College-43%
State Park- 26%
Youth Camp-19%
Large University- 7%
Other- 5%
“How long should the camp last?”
3 days- 70%
5 days- 18%
1 day- 9%
1 Week- 3%
“What would you like to see offered at a running camp?”
Endurance Training, Injury Prevention, and Guest Speakers were the top 3
“What type of guest speakers would your athletes find interest in?”
Professional Runners led the list followed by college athletes, college coaches, sports psychologists, Inspirational, Professional coaches, and nutritionist and shoe experts further down the list.
“How far would you be willing to send your athletes?
Up to 1 hour- 34%
1-2 hours- 35%
Over 2 hours- 31%
“How much would you anticipate this camp should cost per participant?”
$51-$100- 43%
>$100- 33%
<$50- 18%
Other- 6%
Good segue into Dustin Llewellyn’s Nebraska Elite track club. He and his group have set up a program to advocate for some of the very best high school and middle school runners. Dustin ran for me way back in the day. I can only hope some of the high expectations I had of him and his mates helps to shape his message.
2008 USATF Club National Championships in Olathe, KS. Paul Wilson (Omaha Northwest), Matt Pohren (Athletic Director), Dustin Llewellyn, and Shannon Stenger (Papillion LVS) are all coaching today. The first group of Nebraska athletes forged by my expectations of excellence.
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