Chad Harrison is already preparing for a bad night’s sleep on Thursday.
Pima Community College’s track and field season starts on Friday at the Puma Indoor Track and Field Meet at Paradise Valley Community College, and Harrison is still gearing up.
A track opening day might not have the same buzz as the first pitch of the season, or the first tip-off, but just because a track season has its peaks and valleys doesn’t mean it can’t get off to a rousing start.
The Star spoke with Pima’s associate head coach this week as the Aztecs prepared to kick off the season:
How is the preparation for a track and field season different than for, say, a baseball or basketball season?
A: “The biggest thing with track and field is it’s kind of an individual sport where everything comes together to be a team sport. The mental preparation for track and field is the hardest. Most people can be on a team and feed off their teammates. In track, you have to be great on your own. The constant grind is much more difficult.”
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Does the first meet on the schedule have a similar kind of “opening day” feeling as some of the other sports? Or, because the approach is different, is the hype different for the first meet?
A: “Track is very methodical. We have our goals. Typically, we’re booting up for indoor nationals, but you want to get out to a hot start. If you come out of the season running a great time, as long as the coaches know what they’re doing, you’re going to be running a better time at the end. Our preseason is really rigorous and difficult.”
Break down how the preseason went for you.
A: “We end nationals in May, and the kids get a couple weeks off. They are very dedicated kids, so basically 95 percent will take three weeks off max because they just champ at the bit to get back. By August, it’s like the season has started. They really get back in their grind. They start getting back in the weight room. September, they probably have their body in their best shape. It’s about building that big solid frame. By October, we’re getting more specific in our technical events. December, we’re fine-tuning, lifting pretty hard. We give them a little mental break, and then January you hope all those things come together.”
Does it feel like the athletes now are focused on the season?
A: “You can tell being around your athletes that the mental aspect gets sharper. They get more volatile. In my mind, that means they’re ready to compete. I know when they’re ready to go, they’re getting really moody. I’m starting to see muscle growth, and as practice proceeds, their smiles are increasing. I’m looking in the eyes of 70, 80 percent of the kids and they’re ready to go for this week.”
Does preparation change based on expectations? Is the national contender training the same as the kid who barely made the team?
A: “We hold them all to the exact same expectations. If you’re the fifth-best sprinter or number one, we hold you to the same standard. You’re championship could just be you beating you that day. If you’re a 4-11 high jumper and you get to 5-1, that’s a big day. We set that standard in August. You will meet these goals, and here’s what we expect. And 99 percent of our kids like that push.”
Does anything change for opening week?
A: “We try to stay pretty regimented. Throughout the year, we treat our Thursdays like our Thursdays. We’re going to have a big solid recovery day. We had a big pep talk on Monday. I probably won’t sleep very much. It’s another season. Our goal is to help kids grow, but also to win. With the success we’ve had, it’s like this is what we need to do.”
