My first memory of
Coach Johnson was when I joined the Lions cross country team back in the
2011 season. My mother and I had been looking for a team to run with in
the area because I was wanting to compete against other schools and see
what it’s like to run with an actual team. After a little searching
around, we came across the team and decided to give it a shot.
I wasn’t entirely sure what to be expecting when we pulled into the first practice, but let me tell you, I knew almost right away that this was the right team. And that decision was almost entirely based off of meeting Coach Johnson—I hadn’t even met the athletes yet. The way he talked about making sure the season ahead was going to be exceptional felt so personalized and assured. It wasn’t a, “you’re going to run really hard workouts and run until you have nothing left at meets” kind of motivation. Rather, it was, “I’m going to show you what you’re capable of, and be right there by your side to push you along.” You can always tell the difference between a coach who just reads off workouts and yells at you, and a coach who pours their heart and soul into creating the best experience for their athletes. It takes a big heart to do something like that, and Coach Johnson has exactly that; the heart of a Lion.
One of the most important things I’ve learned from Coach Johnson is running negative splits. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s essentially taking the first part of your race slow, and progressively picking the pace up as you go along. It allows for a stronger finish and usually results in a better time. Most people who watch me race will find it odd that I start all the way at the back while everybody else is going out strong. But as everybody else begins to wear out, I still have a tank full of energy to pass them and charge to the front. I didn’t always used to be like this. In fact, for most of my first cross country races, I would begin my races running up in the top group. But, I would slowly drop behind as the race progressed and my energy wore out. It wasn’t until Coach Johnson told me to give negative splits a try that I began to learn the benefits of running a smart race. There would always be people telling me to speed up, but Coach Johnson would always tell me to ignore what everybody else was saying and just run my race. And it worked. I’ve been negative splitting for many seasons, and the positive results have been enthralling. Every time somebody mentions how cool my race strategy is, I always think back to when Coach Johnson taught me this amazing way of racing. I wouldn’t be the runner I am today without his mentoring.
Not only is Coach Johnson an incredible coach, but he’s run one of the best home school sports programs in, well, I want to say nation but really, it’s the best in the entire world. Mr and Mrs Johnson have committed a huge amount of time into making sure the team is a well oiled, athletic machine. It’s been more than a full-time job for them. If it seems like they’re constantly doing something, it’s because they are. And most of us don’t get to see all that wonderful paperwork and behind the scenes work. But we all know it’s a tough job, and we’re all very grateful for their enormous commitment. If this team hadn’t had existed, I wouldn’t have met all these great athletes and friends. See, we’re not a sports team, we’re a family. I couldn’t bare the thought of not meeting these wonderful people. Thank you, Larry and Marcie Johnson. I owe you my life.
Sincerely, Henry Bergin
I wasn’t entirely sure what to be expecting when we pulled into the first practice, but let me tell you, I knew almost right away that this was the right team. And that decision was almost entirely based off of meeting Coach Johnson—I hadn’t even met the athletes yet. The way he talked about making sure the season ahead was going to be exceptional felt so personalized and assured. It wasn’t a, “you’re going to run really hard workouts and run until you have nothing left at meets” kind of motivation. Rather, it was, “I’m going to show you what you’re capable of, and be right there by your side to push you along.” You can always tell the difference between a coach who just reads off workouts and yells at you, and a coach who pours their heart and soul into creating the best experience for their athletes. It takes a big heart to do something like that, and Coach Johnson has exactly that; the heart of a Lion.
One of the most important things I’ve learned from Coach Johnson is running negative splits. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it’s essentially taking the first part of your race slow, and progressively picking the pace up as you go along. It allows for a stronger finish and usually results in a better time. Most people who watch me race will find it odd that I start all the way at the back while everybody else is going out strong. But as everybody else begins to wear out, I still have a tank full of energy to pass them and charge to the front. I didn’t always used to be like this. In fact, for most of my first cross country races, I would begin my races running up in the top group. But, I would slowly drop behind as the race progressed and my energy wore out. It wasn’t until Coach Johnson told me to give negative splits a try that I began to learn the benefits of running a smart race. There would always be people telling me to speed up, but Coach Johnson would always tell me to ignore what everybody else was saying and just run my race. And it worked. I’ve been negative splitting for many seasons, and the positive results have been enthralling. Every time somebody mentions how cool my race strategy is, I always think back to when Coach Johnson taught me this amazing way of racing. I wouldn’t be the runner I am today without his mentoring.
Not only is Coach Johnson an incredible coach, but he’s run one of the best home school sports programs in, well, I want to say nation but really, it’s the best in the entire world. Mr and Mrs Johnson have committed a huge amount of time into making sure the team is a well oiled, athletic machine. It’s been more than a full-time job for them. If it seems like they’re constantly doing something, it’s because they are. And most of us don’t get to see all that wonderful paperwork and behind the scenes work. But we all know it’s a tough job, and we’re all very grateful for their enormous commitment. If this team hadn’t had existed, I wouldn’t have met all these great athletes and friends. See, we’re not a sports team, we’re a family. I couldn’t bare the thought of not meeting these wonderful people. Thank you, Larry and Marcie Johnson. I owe you my life.
Sincerely, Henry Bergin
~~~
Track and Cross Country Athlete
