It's official. Jerry Lawson is the new head boys distance coach at Episcopal high in Jacksonville.
After the departure of former head coach Joe McKinney and the transfer of Senior stand-out Tim Mcleod, Coach Lawson tackles one of the more high profile programs in the State. Episcopal Boys were 1A state Champions in 2003.
Coach Lawson currently holds 2 age group records in the 25K and is a re-known runner throughout the State of Florida. He currently holds the 13th fastest American Marathon time of 2:09.35 set in the 1997 Chicago Marathon.
Background Info:
Age: 38
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL (originally Chittenango, NY)
College: Mohawk Valley Comm. Coll.; Boston Univ.; Univ of North Florida
Major: Elementary Education was the last one I was working on when I was in school !
Question/Answer
DoctorBob: Coach, congratulations on your new job as the Boys Head CC Coach at Episcopal. Could you give us a little background about yourself and how you came into Coaching.
Jerry Lawson: Thanks. I have been running and competing since I was a sophomore in HS. I reached my pinnacle several years ago and have pursuing the glory days ever since :-) I had gone back and coached my old HS in the early 90s for a couple of XC seasons and really enjoyed it. But then my running really took off so I put that on the back burner. I did really enjoy XC the most, as a coach and especially as an athlete. I felt that the team concept was the strongest when the numbers were relatively small and everyone is competing for the same goal at the same time. As for how I came to coaching this year? I was contacted by an employee about coaching the XC team shortly after I had gotten some wind of the happenings there at Episcopal. It was quite ironic that earlier in the same week I had been approached by a coach from a different school that was looking at possibly getting out and I mentioned to him that now was not the best time (with my wife finishing up her graduate degree and my daughter about to start Kindergarten) So, it was on my mind when the school contacted me, but I was contemplating getting into it more next year. And when Episcopal contacted me, I immediately called my wife to see if it was something that we could withstand. I then had her blessing so I started calling a whole bunch of people that I knew to see just how feasible it could be (including other coaches, former coaches at the school, my boss at work, etc.) and THEN I called my contact back and we started seeing how we could all make it work..
DB: How would you describe your coaching style?
JL: I feel that XC is very much a strength sport, so much more than anything in track. I also feel that with XC it sets a great foundation for the rest of the year. With the strength you get from XC, everything else is relatively easy. So, I guess my coaching style is to strengthen your strengths and work on your weaknesses. I am not so much a mileage coach as many might be believed to think, being that I was more known as a marathoner. But I didn\'t run any marathons in HS and I certainly am not expecting my runners to even think about emulating anything I did. Hopefully I will be the coach that I wanted and can help to steer them through some of the trials and tribulations I endured.
DB: Do you have any major changes or immediate plans for the program:
JL: The previous coach had these guys doing more than I probably will. From original contact from the school until the time I was hired a few other things transpired, that and I really don\'t have much of an idea of what the rules are about summer practices, so I am just now starting to piece together the team and how I can make them all fit.
DB: As returning State Champs, where do you see the team in relation to the rest of the State Teams in 1A at this point in time.
JL: I must plead naive about what other teams we\'re up against. I can\'t do much about what kind of training those athletes are doing anyway. All I can do is get my team to be best prepared to meet any and all challenges that come our way this fall, and beyond.
DB: What kind of a base do you expect your athletes to have heading into the first day of practice after summer conditioning?
JL: I spoke with my athletes recently to see where they were with regard to training, and I think that if I can get everyone healthy and in the right frame of mind before day 1, we\'ll be all right. I had some guys with late spring season injuries. I had some guys taking their spring season into early summer, thus making for a shorter summer season of conditioning if they get any kind of rest. I honestly think that it all boils down to how much they want it, how hard they are willing to work, and if we can get a few younger guys up to par in time to make a difference.
DB: As you mentioned, running cross country requires a lot of strength. When do you think is the right time to cut back on some certain training so your athletes are not prone to injuries and can stay strong all season long?
JL: The key to being a good coach is to pay attention to ALL of your athletes, not just the \'stars\'. When you have 7 guys running for a varsity team, you still have at least three different programs running at once. Some guys are work horses, some are speed demons, and some are gifted, you have to be able to address all of them with the right touch to be able to help them get the most out of themselves by season\'s end. The real key, is base work from the summer. I came in too late to give them that guidance but I am still certain that we can make it work.
DB: Besides running, how do you like to spend your free time.
JL: I was married just about a year and a half ago, and I now have a 5 year old daughter along with a wife. I am having fun spending time with my family!
DB: What\'s the best part about being a head coach and leading your student-athletes in the right direction?
JL: I just feel that this time in their lives is the most important for development on so many levels, athletics being just one plane. I want to be able to help to guide these young men to get the most out of the sport, for them. If at season\'s end, they say they really aren\'t interested in running for me any more, I still want them to have a love of the sport so that they will want to pursue it in some fashion, but for themselves.
DB: Lastly, what are your goals for the upcoming season at Episcopal
JL: Well, this is a learning year for both sides of this team, I have to learn the personalities as well as the athletes, and they have to learn how I operate and how I want them to want this for themselves. Being on this side of the coaching thing is a bit frustrating when you want the guys to have a burning desire to chase something, but you realize it\'s something that has to come from within and they really must discover it for themselves. And THEN I can really help them :-)
DB: It looks like Tim Mcleod may be transferring for his final year in high school to Arizona with his parents. How will that affect your team this season?
JL: Losing Tim definitely hurts the team from a scoring aspect, it usually does when you lose one of your top 5 scorers. I think Tim was a leader of sorts and I\'m looking to see who wants to be the one to step up and be the guiding hand to control the pack from within. As I stated earlier, I think our core is strong, and we will persevere!
DB: What are your thoughts on Nike Nationals? Is that something you may be shooting for?
JL: I think that from the moment I was hired, and the team that I had at that time, I was all gung-ho about taking the team to the Nike Nationals. We have a few changes, we will make adjustments to how we attain our goals, but that is still to be one of the best teams in the state. I have a strong core group that seems committed to making things happen. They have been there before and only they know how much they want to go there again. I think if we run to the best of our potential, it will be hard to not see ourselves as a contender. Ideally, I thought we would definitely be one of the teams in the region to beat, losing Tim was a blow to the point structure of the team. I do think that I have a strong enough core though (numbers-wise, I\'ve been told, they would have won states without Tim last year) that we could still put ourselves in a position to be a contender for a spot. I think the concept is great, it gives the teams another carrot to chase. I just hope that it doesn\'t detract from the individual Footlocker National Championships
DB: Thanks Jerry and best of luck at Episcopal !