Coaching Champions: Ricky Argro - The First Academy


(Photo by Darrell Laxton)


In this series we take a look at state championship and runner-up coaches, their outlook on the team, the season, and the future of the program. Ricky Argro is in his second year at The First Academy. After scoring 0 points in 2012, the Royals finished runner-up in 2013 and 2014. 

TFA scored 0 points in 2012. You helped turn the program and guided them to runner-up finishes in 2013 and 2014. What do you attribute that growth to and what was it like working with those kids you had on that 2012 team?

I believe our growth has comes from just the change in mentality. Before i got here it didnt seem as if the kids in the school took track and field seriously. I guess upon arriving here i brought with me a good reputation with athletes I had coached. So kids knew things would be quite different. The kids, especially the boys, from that 2012 team that hadnt scored any points at state were an absolute joy to work with. My mentality matched perfect with their hunger to want to succeed and erase the memory of 2012.

You had some kids transfer in this year. How did that help and factor into this team?

The transfers were great because after 2013 we had such a great year and of course you want to keep that momentum going. We lost alot from that year. We lost our team leader and biggest point scorer in Colton Plante. I lost my state champion in the long jump (Lloyd Hylton) and I found out soon after states of Kwad's (Kwadarius Smith) situation and that i would be losing him. So I lost my 100m state champion. I knew it would be an uphill battle replacing them. When the new kids came in it was basically a blessing from God because they immediately filled those voids created by those loses.

What kind of training did your team do leading up to state?
 
Our training leading up to states was alot of event specific training. Really, working all of the finute points of each athletes races to maximize their potential for success.


What chances or belief did you have in your team's chance and ability to make the podium?
 
I try not to get to high or low on rankings, but its hard to ignore when you have so many people who you admire and respect in the coaching circle tell you how well your team could do. So i believed we had a legitmate shot at the podium. I also knew Westminster was a great program who were all around great and deep in many areas, and to even compete with them we'd have to have our best meet on the biggest stage.
 
What advice or points of emphasis did you give your team prior to the race or the week leading into the state meet?
 
The main thing i preached to them is all we can do is control what we can control within our own lane. Dont get caught up in the hype of what outside folks are projecting you to do. Track meets arent ran on paper or on internet websites. They are ran in 8 lanes on a oval and whoever wants it more and executes better will win. Even bigger then track and field we must always remember what we represent and we are children of God first, and we will act that way. 

What was the game plan for state and how do you feel your team executed it?
 
We really didnt have much of a game plan. We practiced hard and worked at perfecting each specific event and hoped for the best. The only game plan i believe we ever had was to enjoy the moment and have fun. I believe you can not ask for a better execution of a track meet then what we accomplished. I was and still am very proud.  

 
Who do you feel really stepped up individually the most for the team at the state meet?
 
Without question that would be Chris Miller (pictured above). I pride myself on doing all that I can to be a knowledgable coach, but i did Chris no justice in the fact that I have no throws coach and knew very little about the event. Chris Miller throughout the year not only coached himself, everyday, he coached my other throwers. He went from a 45 foot shot put guy last year to winning state by three feet with a 53 foot throw. He performed in an event we knew going in Westminster would dominate. To do that without a coach showed me the type of character he has. 

What were the biggest challenges for this year's team?
 
I think the biggest challenges were dealing with the new personalities on the team and hoping they all gelled together while also handling the new expectations.
 
Were there any low points in the season and if so how did the team bounce back?
 
We didnt have any real low points, but I believe our most eye opening experience was Bob Hayes. Up to that point we had been running pretty well and competing at a high level and i believe the kids got a little to relaxed. Practices werent as sharp as they needed to be and we went to Bob Hayes and got our butts handed to us. It was an eye opener. It made the team realize what I had been preaching and that was in order for us to be elite its more then just talent. We watched how teams like Miami Northwestern and St. Thomas Aquinas, two of the best programs in the state, thrived off of competition and how they handled themselves as a team. We grew from that day forth.
 
Was there a particular race, workout, or moment that you knew that your team was ready or had the potential to make the podium?
 
There were two races I would say let me know we were ready. The Florida Relays and our regional championship meet in which we hosted two regions and it was the biggest meet we had ever put on. Florida Relays we ran very well and competed hard. We didn't win any of the relays, but the team competed very well. What i enjoyed though came off the track. At Florida Relays, for whatever reason, being one of the faster teams entered in the meet we were not in either of the fast heats of the 4x1 and 4x4. My kids felt disrespected and it really lit a fire under them because they wanted to have the chance to compete against Booker T. and see how they stacked against the best. There was no nervousness or shying away from the moment like we had done at Bob Hayes and it was great for me to see that.  Our regional we started really putting things together and I started seeing the fire i had been waiting to see from the kids. They not only wanted to win our class, they competed as if we were racing the 2A schools also and we finally started thriving off the competition like elite the teams do.


 
How would you best describe the group of kids that you coach?

Wacky. These kids had me on my toes all year but they made it good for me because sometimes I can be to intense and they always knew something to say or do to lighten the mood and keep me laughing. It was an enjoyable day everyday.
 
What role do your assistant coaches play with the program?

My assistant coaches are my lifeline. I couldn't do any of this or have any of this success without them. Coach Kimileah Williams my hurdle coach was a teammate of mine at FSU and has been one of my best friends for almost 10 years now. She's a hurdle expert always looking to better herself as a coach and she loves the kids. She most importantly keeps me grounded so I don't go to far overboard. Coach Moushaumi Robinson has been a professional athlete for 10 years, shes an olympic gold medalist, a great and humble woman, and she volunteered her time to help coach the 400m and 4x400m relays. Coach Bryan Crist my distance coach balances me in the distance events in which im not very strong in, but he works diligently at his craft and does anything i ask of him. Coach Ted Benz has been around high school track and field for over 40 years. He's like a grandfather to all of us yet he always is willing to do anything needed of him. Words dont express my gratitude for these people without you all i am nothing.
 
What would be the best way to describe your coaching style?
 
Intense and meticulous. I'm very intense, hands on, and I search for perfection in all areas on and off the track. I know sometimes my kids feel they can do no right, but its a matter of me just trying to get the best out of them in everything. I want my practices to be harder then any pressure you may ever feel in a track meet. Everyday is a state meet in my eyes and we have to perform at our best while also performing with great technique.
 
Who were the leaders on your team and what was the importance to the squad?

The leaders on my team were Jahquez Durham, and Teahna Daniels. Jah is an absolute animal. He sets the tone everyday in terms of working hard and sometimes i have to pull him off the track because he will run himself to death. He also is a great christian leader, he's always cheering everyone on, he tries to organize things for team growth, and he carries a 4.93 gpa. Teahna is both a leader for the girls and the boys in how she works. Even with all the hype surrounding her she is always a team first person and  gets along and encourages everyone.

Who was the biggest individual surprise or runner that most impressed you with their improvements this year?
 
The biggest surprise this year would be Rayshad Lewis. He came out really only because being his position coach in football I told him I'd get him faster for football by running for me, and he became one of our best hurdlers. His season was cut short due to a false start in the district meet, but he will be a great hurdler for years to come for us. He works very hard, never complains, and I expect him to continue to grow next year.
 
How would this team rank against some of the past teams that you coached?

Well, I have been very blessed in the fact I've only coached two years and had two state runner-up teams so I won't disrespect either teams accomplishments by ranking them in an order. They both mean alot to me as a coach.
 
Every podium team seems to have a special or unique makeup that makes them . What were some of those characteristics of this year's team?

Our makeup would just be hardworkers. We will never go to track meet with large numbers of kids but when we do go we will compete hard and leave it all on the track. 
 
What are your expectations for next year's team?

I have no expectations for next years team in terms of stats. I expect them to understand the standard we have set in terms of work ethic, be young warriors for Christ, and have fun. My major expectation is always for myself. As a coach I must grow and be an even better coach next year for them.
 


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