I've got a girl who set a PR of 19:01 her freshman year, but struggled as a sophomore, quitting several races. She wasn't injured, she just stopped running. We had the first meet yesterday. She finished 5th out of 97. Heat index of 98. She ran 21:27. Everyone who finished in front of her was off their PR by 90+ seconds.
At the finish yesterday her fat ass mother sneered and said,"Why do you need expensive shoes if you are gonna run that slow?"
The girl starts crying. Later on she asks me if she is too fat. She then told me she has panic attacks before practice and before meets.
I talked to the track coach today. He saw the same stuff in the spring.
I've got a girl who set a PR of 19:01 her freshman year, but struggled as a sophomore, quitting several races. She wasn't injured, she just stopped running. We had the first meet yesterday. She finished 5th out of 97. Heat index of 98. She ran 21:27. Everyone who finished in front of her was off their PR by 90+ seconds.
At the finish yesterday her fat ass mother sneered and said,"Why do you need expensive shoes if you are gonna run that slow?"
The girl starts crying. Later on she asks me if she is too fat. She then told me she has panic attacks before practice and before meets.
I talked to the track coach today. He saw the same stuff in the spring.
Any coaches here? Thoughts?
Unfortunately, parents aren't supportive and that is going to be hard to overcome. Try to boost her confidence any way you can. Try to find successes anywhere you can. Find a teammate to mentor/befriend her. Make it fun above all else.
I've got a girl who set a PR of 19:01 her freshman year, but struggled as a sophomore, quitting several races. She wasn't injured, she just stopped running. We had the first meet yesterday. She finished 5th out of 97. Heat index of 98. She ran 21:27. Everyone who finished in front of her was off their PR by 90+ seconds.
At the finish yesterday her fat ass mother sneered and said,"Why do you need expensive shoes if you are gonna run that slow?"
The girl starts crying. Later on she asks me if she is too fat. She then told me she has panic attacks before practice and before meets.
I talked to the track coach today. He saw the same stuff in the spring.
Any coaches here? Thoughts?
Unfortunately, parents aren't supportive and that is going to be hard to overcome. Try to boost her confidence any way you can. Try to find successes anywhere you can. Find a teammate to mentor/befriend her. Make it fun above all else.
I'm a public school teacher, so that really isn't an option...
If forced to choose between her parents and me, the kid chooses her home and family, so it is a no win situation if I confront mom directly.
This is America. Be passive aggressive with her.
Re: Working with an athlete of mine.
Posted: 28 Aug 2023 16:48
by texas
I can't speak to the coaching or the unfit mother, but I can speak from experience that anxiety/panic symptoms that are induced by exercise can be a sign of insufficient nutrition, particularly not enough complex carbohydrates.
I can't speak to the coaching or the unfit mother, but I can speak from experience that anxiety/panic symptoms that are induced by exercise can be a sign of insufficient nutrition, particularly not enough complex carbohydrates.
I don't know.
I do think she has an eating disorder. Apparently like half of HS XC girls have issues with food and body image.
I do think she has an eating disorder. Apparently like half of HS XC girls have issues with food and body image.
Yeah, unfortunately once she's stuck, it can be tough to get out, and I would not be surprised at all if the panic attacks went away if/when the eating disorder does. The body produces stress hormones when it goes into starvation mode and those can crank up anxiety. Hopefully she can get some help, and focus on the biophysiological components in addition to her mother.
