Encouraging a naturally gifted teenage runner
Discussion
My lad has never been the most sporty and, beyond sports day at primary school, had never run.
Last year he ran his first school cross country (year 7, first year at secondary school). "How'd you get on lad?" I asked and got told he'd won it, as if that was perfectly normal. He actually won his 'half' of the school, in the other half (separate race) there were two kids faster.
Next cross country same, so he gets entered into a regional thing and REALLY didn't want to go. Mostly walked it, came 63rd or something daft (was during beast from the east). Spoke about running clubs etc but zero enthusiasm for it.
Fast forward to this year (year 8) and coming up to cross country season (all of two runs). Said I would buy him some trail running shoes and he could run the fields around us and perhaps see what he can do. He ran one afternoon for all of about 10 minutes, but then entered a local 5k (as raises money for his old school) and came 11th overall, ahead of the vast majority of the club runners (granted there was also a 10k, some running both and the 5k was more relaxed but still). When he came running back into the school field so early among the runners I was in floods! Proper proud dad!
Today was cross country. The other half of the school ran first, then my lad this afternoon. WON IT, new school record! School is 70 years young this year and they even added 200 metres to the course for good measure!
To me (a non runner) he has a natural ability. Trouble is he's 13. I've said I will run with him, buy a running watch, take him to clubs and all sorts but there's not any enthusiasm for it whatsoever. I said he was like Ronnie O'Sullivan where others have to train night and day to get close to the natural talent he has. He's run 6 times, 3 cross country wins, a school record, 11th in a 5k, a 10 minute jog over the field and a 63rd!
Any ideas how I can make it a social, fun, enjoyable thing for a teenager?
Last year he ran his first school cross country (year 7, first year at secondary school). "How'd you get on lad?" I asked and got told he'd won it, as if that was perfectly normal. He actually won his 'half' of the school, in the other half (separate race) there were two kids faster.
Next cross country same, so he gets entered into a regional thing and REALLY didn't want to go. Mostly walked it, came 63rd or something daft (was during beast from the east). Spoke about running clubs etc but zero enthusiasm for it.
Fast forward to this year (year 8) and coming up to cross country season (all of two runs). Said I would buy him some trail running shoes and he could run the fields around us and perhaps see what he can do. He ran one afternoon for all of about 10 minutes, but then entered a local 5k (as raises money for his old school) and came 11th overall, ahead of the vast majority of the club runners (granted there was also a 10k, some running both and the 5k was more relaxed but still). When he came running back into the school field so early among the runners I was in floods! Proper proud dad!
Today was cross country. The other half of the school ran first, then my lad this afternoon. WON IT, new school record! School is 70 years young this year and they even added 200 metres to the course for good measure!
To me (a non runner) he has a natural ability. Trouble is he's 13. I've said I will run with him, buy a running watch, take him to clubs and all sorts but there's not any enthusiasm for it whatsoever. I said he was like Ronnie O'Sullivan where others have to train night and day to get close to the natural talent he has. He's run 6 times, 3 cross country wins, a school record, 11th in a 5k, a 10 minute jog over the field and a 63rd!
Any ideas how I can make it a social, fun, enjoyable thing for a teenager?
Edited by 22 on Tuesday 16th October 17:32
I can see your frustration. I'd give a lot to be a gifted runner, rather than an enthusiastic rubbish one.
However, he has to want to do it. If he's going to make a go of it, it will involve committed training and pushing himself in cold weather, getting wet. You don't do that unless you want to.
Put it this way, I could find out tomorrow that I'm brilliant at fishing. But I still wouldn't do it because it's boring and I hate sitting in the cold.
Your best bet I would say is to find out if any of his mates do it or try and incentivise him in some way (not materially)
Is he not competitive? If he has no desire to win, this will double your problem.
Turns out the course record got broken this morning (by a second) and then my lad took a further 7 seconds off that this afternoon. He said the other lad won't have known his record got beaten and there was a glint of smugness in my lad's eye - progress!
He also pointed out that the other half of the school get another 2 cross countries this year, but the dates fall differently so only one more for my lad (the other lad having 2 more chances to get even). Something about an average time so maybe these things are starting to matter.
My lad is a nerd. Computer club not football club, coding not training so this is a world away from his small social circle. I said a running club would make new friendships etc, but he seems happy being good at something without having to put in the hard yards.
He also pointed out that the other half of the school get another 2 cross countries this year, but the dates fall differently so only one more for my lad (the other lad having 2 more chances to get even). Something about an average time so maybe these things are starting to matter.
My lad is a nerd. Computer club not football club, coding not training so this is a world away from his small social circle. I said a running club would make new friendships etc, but he seems happy being good at something without having to put in the hard yards.
They have to want to do it. You can’t force it. My son has enjoyed cross country since year 4 in primary and was always naturally good. He just wasn’t interested in joining a club.....until year 8 when he finally decided he was interesting and went along to our local club and now loves it, training twice a week ( he also plays football so is limiting his athletics training) and his school team just won the Bucks county team x country..he’s now year 10.
I see you are based in Bucks.....where abouts ? If he is interested, I’d suggest get him along to one of the local clubs and see how he gets on. Don’t push too hard....no matter how much you want him to do it, if he doesn’t fancy it.....you’ll just become the pushy dad and he’ll likely rally against you at that age !
PS being “really good” in your school doesn’t always equate to being good at an athletics club, so be prepared for him potentially getting a bit of a shock when he goes to train ..... unless he is truly gifted. If you are interested, all uk athletics data for affiliated athletes can be seen on Powerof10 website.....it will show you roughly how good is good for his age group if you know what times he’s running distances & wanted to look....good luck !
I see you are based in Bucks.....where abouts ? If he is interested, I’d suggest get him along to one of the local clubs and see how he gets on. Don’t push too hard....no matter how much you want him to do it, if he doesn’t fancy it.....you’ll just become the pushy dad and he’ll likely rally against you at that age !
PS being “really good” in your school doesn’t always equate to being good at an athletics club, so be prepared for him potentially getting a bit of a shock when he goes to train ..... unless he is truly gifted. If you are interested, all uk athletics data for affiliated athletes can be seen on Powerof10 website.....it will show you roughly how good is good for his age group if you know what times he’s running distances & wanted to look....good luck !
Edited by Steve Campbell on Wednesday 17th October 02:05
Steve Campbell said:
They have to want to do it. You can’t force it. My son has enjoyed cross country since year 4 in primary and was always naturally good. He just wasn’t interested in joining a club.....until year 8 when he finally decided he was interesting and went along to our local club and now loves it, training twice a week ( he also plays football so is limiting his athletics training) and his school team just won the Bucks county team x country..he’s now year 10.
I see you are based in Bucks.....where abouts ? If he is interested, I’d suggest get him along to one of the local clubs and see how he gets on. Don’t push too hard....no matter how much you want him to do it, if he doesn’t fancy it.....you’ll just become the pushy dad and he’ll likely rally against you at that age !
PS being “really good” in your school doesn’t always equate to being good at an athletics club, so be prepared for him potentially getting a bit of a shock when he goes to train ..... unless he is truly gifted. If you are interested, all uk athletics data for affiliated athletes can be seen on Powerof10 website.....it will show you roughly how good is good for his age group if you know what times he’s running distances & wanted to look....good luck !
all true, i had natural ability (I assume I did as both my sisters were olympic athletes), however I had (and still have) zero interest in running so did all I could to avoid it.I see you are based in Bucks.....where abouts ? If he is interested, I’d suggest get him along to one of the local clubs and see how he gets on. Don’t push too hard....no matter how much you want him to do it, if he doesn’t fancy it.....you’ll just become the pushy dad and he’ll likely rally against you at that age !
PS being “really good” in your school doesn’t always equate to being good at an athletics club, so be prepared for him potentially getting a bit of a shock when he goes to train ..... unless he is truly gifted. If you are interested, all uk athletics data for affiliated athletes can be seen on Powerof10 website.....it will show you roughly how good is good for his age group if you know what times he’s running distances & wanted to look....good luck !
Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 17th October 02:05
I also second the comment about the difference between club and school running, so don't build up your dreams too much (and these do seem to be your dreams btw not his)
Steve Campbell said:
PS being “really good” in your school doesn’t always equate to being good at an athletics club, so be prepared for him potentially getting a bit of a shock when he goes to train ..... unless he is truly gifted. If you are interested, all uk athletics data for affiliated athletes can be seen on Powerof10 website.....it will show you roughly how good is good for his age group if you know what times he’s running distances & wanted to look....good luck !
Thanks all and, to answer a previous point, he isn't overly competitive (at the moment). Edited by Steve Campbell on Wednesday 17th October 02:05
Under no illusions he's a world beater right now but to win races and break records without ever having trained or cared seems to be a good launch pad for something (grammar school with semi-serious cross-country teams/clubs). I can't even get him to join one of the cross country clubs at school (as that wouldn't be 'cool' apparently). He's already beating runners who train hard and often, and did pretty well in his first 5k with a lifetime preparation of 10 minutes. He likes his pushbike but had never ran* before winning the first cross country he entered. Of course I'm biased, of course there are faster runners, the majority of whom I presume have worked hard to be fast, I'd love to have something I'm naturally good at as a starting block.
I've seen the result of him being overly encouraged to do something (that time by the school), a walked regional cross country in protest.
Spoke last night about running clubs again and said I would take him to all and any. A throwaway comment of "we could even set up our own" got picked up on. We're pretty rural and all local farmers are friendly, so we have access to fields, woods, streams that are completely untouched and private. Escalated quickly from not wanting to join a club to wanting to set up his own. To get an understanding of his mindset, he said something along the lines of "a running club for those who don't want to be in a running club!" Go figure!
*excludes egg and spoon races.
If he's a "geek" as you say - perhaps getting him logging some runs and looking at the stats will be the way to encourage him?
GPS watch - then uploads to strava etc can help. Can run with app "ismoothrun" which will give live stats as running inc. pacing / intervals etc. Can be custom set.
If you can perhaps get him to engage with the tech side of running he might develop interest in that. I also use a mileston foot pod (amazon £25) gives unbelievable amount of info post run inc. foot strike, pace, cadence, stride length.
Also - try looking at parkrun - you could run with him, I know you're not a runner so beating you will surely provide incentive to him!!!
I'm a runner, and my kids love doing the junior par-run near us (he's 6, it's a 2km run) ....
Although the garmin watches are prob. the best for running overall, the new apple watch (series 4) is getting rave reviews for running and might hold appeal to a youngster as incentive?
just some ideas.
here's link to pod: TUrns out its £35 not £25 as it used to be ...... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milestone-Sports-MSP2001-...
GPS watch - then uploads to strava etc can help. Can run with app "ismoothrun" which will give live stats as running inc. pacing / intervals etc. Can be custom set.
If you can perhaps get him to engage with the tech side of running he might develop interest in that. I also use a mileston foot pod (amazon £25) gives unbelievable amount of info post run inc. foot strike, pace, cadence, stride length.
Also - try looking at parkrun - you could run with him, I know you're not a runner so beating you will surely provide incentive to him!!!
I'm a runner, and my kids love doing the junior par-run near us (he's 6, it's a 2km run) ....
Although the garmin watches are prob. the best for running overall, the new apple watch (series 4) is getting rave reviews for running and might hold appeal to a youngster as incentive?
just some ideas.
here's link to pod: TUrns out its £35 not £25 as it used to be ...... https://www.amazon.co.uk/Milestone-Sports-MSP2001-...
Edited by scotlandtim on Wednesday 17th October 09:06 edited to add amazon link
Edited by scotlandtim on Wednesday 17th October 09:08
Yes, it's annoying isn't it but it's not worth pushing it if they aren't interested. My own daughter was the same when she was pre-teen won everything she was entered for without bothering to train, was offered a place at an athletics academy where Linford Christie mentored but she refused to go and just didn't want to do it. The gene must have been passed down as her daughter who is 8 now also wins races without trying but has decided to do gymnastics/cheerleading instead!!
Goddamn, if i was 11 again. I could outrun everyone at school with ease at the 100m and 200m, i'd run them into the ground...i spent every night playing computer games and eating crap and everyone i competed against play football. How different would my life of been if you had been my dad and pushed me.
I know it's a tough call, but realistically you should probably stop trying to get him to fulfil your dreams and instead back him up on stuff that he does want to do.
My daughter was good and enjoyed running with me when she was younger, but now she's just not really interested and I have had to accept that and hope that she will find a new interest that she can invest her efforts into
My daughter was good and enjoyed running with me when she was younger, but now she's just not really interested and I have had to accept that and hope that she will find a new interest that she can invest her efforts into
Kids sport is brutal, if he enjoys running and wants to do it take him to a local club and see how he gets on... But if he isn't all that fussed about winning or isn't that fussed about pushing himself to new levels it quickly becomes clear in competition. Its a brutal business and you'll find the kids at the top at County level in u13s and u14s are both very gifted, very motivated to win and very well supported at home and by their club. Having a talented child is a burden sometimes I think from what I've observed.
FredClogs said:
Kids sport is brutal, ............. Having a talented child is a burden sometimes I think from what I've observed.
100% this. My young (12) daughter won a place on the England Netball Pathway, in 12 months Netball went from a sport she loved to "feeling sick" every Monday before training. This was a sport she was desperate to do well in and loved.After 2 yrs we binned it and she's now happier than ever training and playing for her local club.
Truckosaurus said:
FredClogs said:
Kids sport is brutal...
Parents at Kids Sport are brutal, more like...My daughter competes at a sport and she knows turning up she won't win, she does it because she enjoys it and long may it continue and I'm happy she's got an outlet and hopefully a lifelong passion but I stopped pushing her last year at U11s because it was clear, the good kids at u13 really are competing above where most very good adults are, pros and very good elites aside.
Some kids are happy to turn up and come 10th (as mine is) but it should be understood those that aren't, some of these comps arent friendly and are a decent commitment for the whole family to get to, piling on pressure and expectation won't make it easier.
scotlandtim said:
If he's a "geek" as you say - perhaps getting him logging some runs and looking at the stats will be the way to encourage him?
GPS watch - then uploads to strava etc can help. Can run with app "ismoothrun" which will give live stats as running inc. pacing / intervals etc. Can be custom set.
If you can perhaps get him to engage with the tech side of running he might develop interest in that. I also use a mileston foot pod (amazon £25) gives unbelievable amount of info post run inc. foot strike, pace, cadence, stride length.
Also - try looking at parkrun - you could run with him, I know you're not a runner so beating you will surely provide incentive to him!!!
Very much all of these things!GPS watch - then uploads to strava etc can help. Can run with app "ismoothrun" which will give live stats as running inc. pacing / intervals etc. Can be custom set.
If you can perhaps get him to engage with the tech side of running he might develop interest in that. I also use a mileston foot pod (amazon £25) gives unbelievable amount of info post run inc. foot strike, pace, cadence, stride length.
Also - try looking at parkrun - you could run with him, I know you're not a runner so beating you will surely provide incentive to him!!!
Game-ify it all with the help of technology and it quickly becomes a good addiction. Claiming the crown on Strava segments, getting your 10, 50, 100 Club t-shirts at parkrun, winning the odd age group prize in a race.
They time all these silly obstacle course races, there might be something in that, granted it's the tail end of the season for it and certainly not a cheap hobby.
But if he is old enough look into signing both of you up to one and see if he fancies the idea, lots of country running without being just running. Maybe it's an idea
But if he is old enough look into signing both of you up to one and see if he fancies the idea, lots of country running without being just running. Maybe it's an idea
Thank you all again.
I'm hopefully not pushy, it got mentioned a few times last year after he did so well in cross country out of the blue and then didn't come up again until the same time of year this time around. The cross countries he doesn't get a say in, but there must be a vague desire in there somewhere as he voluntarily ran a 5k (fundraiser for his old primary school).
If he runs great, if he doesn't fine. The fact he's doing well doesn't seem especially significant to him (not on the outside anyway). Although it appears to have earned him some respect and conversations at school with different groups that he wouldn't normally be party to, so maybe will open his eyes to other benefits. If he's happy, I'm happy.
I'm hopefully not pushy, it got mentioned a few times last year after he did so well in cross country out of the blue and then didn't come up again until the same time of year this time around. The cross countries he doesn't get a say in, but there must be a vague desire in there somewhere as he voluntarily ran a 5k (fundraiser for his old primary school).
If he runs great, if he doesn't fine. The fact he's doing well doesn't seem especially significant to him (not on the outside anyway). Although it appears to have earned him some respect and conversations at school with different groups that he wouldn't normally be party to, so maybe will open his eyes to other benefits. If he's happy, I'm happy.
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