Ok, here's a decision I never in a million years thought I would have to make, so I'm asking you lovely ladies for help. Here it is...

Should I accept an assistant cross country coach position?

As you all know, I've gotten REALLY into running, and I love it, but it's still new to me. I haven't even been running for a year. Well, my husband is a hardcore runner and he coaches cross country and track at the school where we both teach. He loves it, and I've always tried to support him and the runners, especially since I've become one too and have become more interested in it. I knew the day was coming when he would be the HEAD coach, because the former head coach was preparing to work at a different school. I joked about being my husband's assistant coach but I never really thought I would do it, or that he would take it seriously.

The time has come, and he wants me to do it! It would be this year, which means we'd start having practices in August, even before school starts.

Here are my fears:
*I'll be too slow to keep up with the kids on our practice runs. Granted, I'll be running with the girls, who are generally slower than the boys, but I'm afraid I'll be too slow for them, which will look bad for a COACH.
*I won't be taken seriously. Yes, I look different than I used to, and most of the kids know that I run now, but these kids saw me at 275. Will they respect me as a coach?
*I'm new to running. Most coaches did it in high school. Heck, my husband was in the Junior Olympics and has records at his school that still haven't been broken, I believe. Will they listen to anything I say? And DO I know enough, just from reading up on it?
*As much as I feel like I've gotten over it, I'm still the last-picked fat girl in gym class. Can I really consider being a COACH of a SPORT? It seems insane!

I guess I want to hear encouraging words, but I also want a dose of reality if you guys think it seems absurd! The other thing is that I coach an academic competition team in the fall (much more my speed!) and there may be schedule conflicts, but those can probably be worked out.

X

I absolutely, positively, without a doubt think that you should do it! You are not making a life-altering decision here, so there's very little downside to trying it, not liking it, and only doing it for a year. However, the upside, at least as I see it, is overwhelming.

1 - You will get to hang out more with your husband. I've seen his picture - he's hot!

2 - Maybe I'm the only one who worries about this, but I am scared to death that I will come up against an obstacle and quit this struggle. You have a year under your belt, so maybe this is not so much a concern. But I know that for me, having the extra incentive to continue my fitness program would be a major positive for me.

3 - I know that childhood obesity is becoming epidemic, and I know that many kids who are even slightly overweight are afraid of becoming involved in athletics. How inspirational will you be to those kids?

4 - You're concerned about lack of knowledge. What greater opportunity will you have to gain knowledge? You will have access to so many experts in the field, and you will have the opportunity to research new things as they come up. If your husband didn't think that you already had enough knowledge to be useful, he would not have asked you. This is just an opportunity for you to grow.

5 - You've said before that one of the blessings you've found from weight loss is becoming an inspiration for so many people (like me!). This position will give you greater exposure, and thus, greater opportunities to bless the lives of others.

As for being taken seriously as a coach, I've got to tell you that I personally have difficulty with these skinny women who tell me how to lose weight. Suzanne Somers? Never struggled, at least from what I know. How does she know what it's like? It is knowing that you were determined enough to drag your 250-pound body through runs that first inspired me to put my 220-pound body through it. I think you'll be taken MORE seriously because of what you've done the past year.

Really, it's up to you. But if it's just anxiety that you're not good enough, I hope that you come to realize very quickly that you would be as much of a blessing to those kids as you are to us!

Laurie

Lisa - I've posted my answer in Cool Runners
Heather

Our girl's track coach weighs more than 275 pounds and her sister heads up volleyball and might be even bigger.The have almost all the girls in the school participating in some sort of athletics, recognized each and everyone of them on awards day and they are winning at what they are doing.
What counts is they love what they are doing.
The kids dare not say a word.The sisters also teach regular PE.
I'm not saying that it would easy- but it would be easier for you to do then teaching shop. This challenge would reinforce your new lifestyle.
Will you be fast enough for them ? No not all of them- but there will always be someone to blow your sneakers off. The ones that need you will be the ones you will find in the middle and back of the pack. You can push them along ( and yourself). You can teach the jackrabbits a lesson about discipline and commitment.
Reading up on it is just as important. It's like having spent time reading cookbooks and suddenly needing to make menus for a restaurant.Sometimes those who have years of experience are blind to new ideas or just plain blind because they have been running the same race every day.
Our "Teacher of the Year" didn't start out as a teacher- she was a graphic artist before she came to teach middle school art. She's a bit outside the box-but good with parents and kids.
It's the adults you have to watch out for - the kids are there for the sport- the adults are there to win.
Go for it Lisa !

Lisa...don't make decisions based on being "the fat girl"...

you ARE NOT that girl anymore...you are a NEW YOU....so be everything you can be...the fat may have held you back before...but it's gone now and it shouldn't be holding you back anymore....

and why wouldn't they respect you?? you started running from a hard place...you know what you're doing!!!

if you went to school to learn to be an accountant, you wouldn't worry that people wouldn't respect you because you haven't been accounting since you were twelve.....

go be YOU....and respect YOURSELF and your accomplishments...and the rest will follow....!!

I think you should do it. If your cross country team is like the one at our school, they are the kids who love to run. You love to run. They are the kids that choose the most un-glamorous sport just like you. They run for the self-satisfaction. So do you. They run to improve themselves and better their own best effort. So do you. Sounds like you're an expert to me. :-)

you can do anything, you never thought you could lose 1oo pounds....go for it!

Hi Lisa,

Here are some things to keep in mind:

1) You love to run...and you love to encourage others to run.
2) You've just recently started running, so the basic beginning
information that students need is still fresh in your mind.
3) Many of these kids have seen you do incredible things...losing a large amount of weight and beginning a long distance running program. You worry about being taken seriously, but I really think these kids are going to admire you and be inspired to be like you.
4) Regarding running too slow....Hubby knows how fast you run, right? Yet, he has offered you the position. If you have faith in his ability to be the head coach, then you must know that he has faith in your ability to be the assistant. If he thinks you can do this, then he must be right.

My vote is yes, do it! You will be a phenominal source of inspiration to the kids. I wouldn't worry about running too slow. This is cross country, right? I am by no means a runner, but isn't cross country more about endurance than speed? If so, you've got it in spades!

You won't regret it! I coached varsity field hockey for several years (started as jv coach, went to assistant varsity, then by default became varsity). I was sooo insecure to take varsity. I played high school and college myself (division III college), but the school where I work has an awesome team. I know that the girls are regularly recruited for Div I schools, so I had the same insecurities you do - what if they are better than I am at this sport. However, I loved every minute of it and felt it was an incredible experience. A great coach does not have to have superior ability in the sport - I realized that I was really good at motivation, making them want to work hard, bringing the girls together as a team. I could have been a better player and not been good at those things. So, again, I say go for it. I think you will love it, and what a great thing for you and dh to do together. BTW, our current cc coach is a great runner and marathoner, etc. She regularly does run with the kids. But our former coach was excellent and he did not run with the kids. He was an athlete, but his knees could not do distance. He was a great coach, though, and very inspirational. The kids regularly won districts. Let us know what you decide

I think you should absolutely do it. I don't think that a coach needs to be able to compete with the kids in order to be a good leader - after all, when was the last time you saw the football coach out there taking tackles with the team?

And as to having enough knowledge to help the kids, well, I know enough about your hubby that I'm sure he'll help you out with technique and coaching tips for the early practices, and I think your story can be a really good example for kids.

Everyone else has pretty much covered the good reasons to do it.. but I say yes. As someone who is inspired by you almost daily on here, I think you'd do a great job, and do the girls a world of good!

Dee

Lisa, Wow, Everyone has already listed so many reasons. If you decide to do it, good for you. Personally I think you would be a great role model for any teenager - athlete or not.

One year ago, did you even dream that you would be in this position? You have really turned your life around.

I really can't add to what's already been said. I think it's a very exciting opportunity and how great is it that the offer is there! If I were in your position I would probably do it.