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Thoughts
from Mick Grant,
coach of home schooled runner Chantelle Dron:
(as told to Stephen “SteveU” Underwood)
1. Coach Grant on discovering and starting out with
Chantelle:
“I first met Chantelle when she was 10 years old. She used
to run in a fun run in Haverhill (where I live) which is put on
by Mark Donais (Melissa's dad). Mark was my assistant coach at that
time and he told me about Chantelle. It was quite clear then that
she had great ability. Chantelle was very keen to run on a team
with other girls her age, plus she was going to the Hershey Nationals
and we had ten kids from our team also going. That year, our group
at Hershey included Chantelle, Russell Brown, Melissa Donais, Mike
Grant and many others.
“Chantelle won the 800 at Hershey Nationals on pure talent,
no help from me at all. She was a Hershey National Champion three
times.”
2. Coach Grant on Chantelle’s training and development
“In terms of training, Chantelle is on a long term development
plan. She doesn't race unless there is a very good reason. I don't
believe in running lots of races. We look for development and gradual
improvement. We try to do the right things for the right reasons.
We have been pretty lucky that she has been on course since age
10. I believe in leaving room for training development. She must
be able to do more next year, the year after, etc.”
3. Coach Grant on coaching Chantelle as a home-schooler:
“I don't think there is much difference, other than the obvious,
in the daily life of a home-schooler. She studies all day, goes
for a run and practices piano. I have one other athlete, Tim Galebach,
who was home schooled for several years. Both Tim and Chantelle
did extremely well academically as home schoolers.
“Chantelle is great. We have really super communication.
Her family is incredibly supportive also. They certainly help her
much more than I do. All I really do is try to oversee her recovery.
She trains quite a bit by herself, as many elite high schoolers
do, but she does run with me or our boys from time to time.”
4. Coach Grant on his coaching background:
“Our team is Lynx Elite Athletics Club, based in Haverhill,
MA. Our boys; Harry Norton, Will Seidel, Mike Grant and Russell
Brown, won Junior Olympic nationals this past summer in the 4x800m
relay. The same four boys also won last year, in an Intermediate
Boys National Record, when we were representing the Whirlaway Racing
Team. The current roster also includes Tim Galebach, Phil Shaw and
Katie Dlesk, as well as up-and-coming Keara Thomas and Ashley Farnsworth.
Some of the athletes who have run on my youth teams and have gone
on to success in high school include Melissa Donais, Marian Bihrle,
Natasha Stevenson, Kaitlyn Wallace, Kyle Bransfield, John Gillespie,
Jen Rippell, Vanessa Rodgers and others.
“When the kids are in school, we obviously leave their training
up to the high school coaches. Some of the kids only train with
the club during the summer, where we just need to keep them healthy
and increase their strength while making the training rewarding
and enjoyable. We are here to help both athletes and coaches by
providing a positive training environment for athletes.”
5. Coach Grant on Chantelle’s recent races and
racing philosophy:
“Finding races is not an issue. We select a goal race and
work the schedule back. The goal is quality over quantity. We try
to race well in cross country, but it is mostly preparation for
track.
“As a freshman, she ran cross and indoors for Manchester
Central with great success. One of the more exciting races I have
seen was her New England Championship race indoors, where, competing
for Manchester Central, she somehow managed to hold off Meghan Owen
in the 1600 for the win in 4:53. The field included Chantelle's
teammate Liz Gesel (a Foot Locker Finalist last year), Ari Lambie
and others.
“Last summer, Chantelle finished 6th at Junior Nationals
in the 1500, running 4:30.92 and 4:31.16 on back-to-back days; a
very tough double for a 14-year-old.”
6. Coach Grant on whether an athlete such as Chantelle
is missing out by not being with a high school team
“She may or may not miss out a little, but she has maintained
good relationships with her former teammates at Central. We have
also had the opportunity to participate in programs such as the
USATF Junior Elite Training Camp, in Chula Vista, CA, where girls
who share many common interests, in addition to running, spend lots
of time together. Chantelle made several friends there who will
very likely be prominent at Foot Locker this year. It's also really
great for the coaches!
“We are interested in and focused on running fast. I couldn't
be prouder of my kids. When a young, dedicated athlete gives you
the opportunity to help him or her, that requires a 100% commitment
to take care of that athlete. To me, that means helping that athlete
develop over time so they run in high school, college and beyond.
7. Coach Grant on Chantelle’s chances at Foot
Locker NE:
“Chantelle is ready to run fast at the Footlocker NE this
weekend. It is great to run this year because there are a large
number of elite girls, each having a legitimate chance to advance.
We will go there and run as hard as we can and we'll see what happens.
“I enjoy working with the kids and helping them to improve.
It is important that they get the attention and not me. They are
doing the work and giving 100% effort in the race. It is not about
the coach.”
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