Heart racing, suddenly everything goes quiet, Boom!, a pop goes off. Your body is hit with a sudden blast of cold air, your lungs filled like a balloon of fresh air. You blink and you see the finish line. Thanks to Head Track Coach Jacy Reil and Coach Brian McGee, pre-season student athletes are able to train effectively with a plan they’ve devised.

Coach Reil and McGee have created a plan for pre-season designed to improve athletes performances. Faced with difficulties of the pandemic, they’ve created a plan that continues to help student athletes. Being asked in a recent interview, they explain (separately) what changes have been made to create a successful plan and how it’s beneficial. Giving the public insight in the thought process and considerations being made while making this plan.

“The purpose of pre-season is to get everybody conditioned and [gain] some strength before we actually have the normal season.” Head track coach, Jacy Reil said.

When looking at successful athletes, people often only pay attention to their successes, overlooking the factors that contributed to their success. Just as in-season training is important, what you do during that time “off” is equally important. There are many who understand this concept of staying consistent and disciplined. They don’t always have the resources to carry out this part of their training.

During an interview with Head football & Shot Put Coach, Brian McGee, (who’s been planning pre-season for 15 years) he’s able to take past experiences as well as the help of his son into creating a successful plan for all. Calling it the strength and conditioning program.

Coach McGee explains that John is his source, being a D1 coach for Iowa State Football, working with student athletes from different sports. His son is able to provide him with info to help develop a plan that works for a variety.

“While he was at Wyoming he worked with football, he worked with track, he worked with girls soccer and golf.’’[John, Mr. McGee’s son] Head Football Coach, Brian McGee said.

Coach McGee creates a plan that is successful for all, meaning you have to include all. He does this by going over everyone’s needs. Then he continues on with research on the types of plans made for them specifically and how it relates to the needs of everyone else. This can be difficult but with the right focus and resources it can be executed successfully.

Since John, D1 coach who has worked with a variety of athletes, it makes sense that he would go to him as a source. The important information he provides gives way to a successful plan, beneficial to all.

People looking in from a different point of view only see the surface leve. Never breaking down what contributes to their success. It’s their dedication and hard work that makes them great. It’s also the way they train, what plan they follow and who trains them up.

Head Athletic Director, Patrick Decamillis says,
”Yes, I think that coach Reil does an amazing job with students and that any opportunity that our student athletes have to be with her is positive.”

In past years student athletes who’ve worked with her have found they were able to make small changes that impact their performance in a positive way. She evaluates and makes suggestions on how to make corrections. Based on the feed back it can be the difference between qualifying and barely missing the mark.

Students athletes who have worked with Coach Reil have reached success with both coach and student dedication.

Reil was previously named “CHSAA High School Cross Country Assistant Coach of the Year in 2014”. She also took a 4x800m and 800m Sprint relay team to the State Championship. Working to help both one on one and everyone. She is able to evenly balance out the two. Coaches put in the work to best help student athletes by providing them with the support and resources. Facing the challenges of the pandemic. They’re making way for a more flexible plan.

Still fighting to get athletes back in the weight room, she offers a piece of advice for those training solo. Coach Reil says “Absolutely even going in the weight room and knowing what the movements are and what you know our lifts are and they’re definitely ahead of the game. Get in the weight room,” Reil said..

With the season slowly approaching, student athletes slowly start to get back into the weight room. Helping them get used to the training schedule that is similar to that off the official season. In addition it offers one on one help from the coaches.

Knowing there is a team of dedicated coaches who are willing to help, provides stability to being able to follow through with goals for this upcoming season.

As the season begins students and staff will be able to see how pre-season can be a helping beneficial factor for a successful season.