In His Own Words: Quincy O'Connor - Journal #5
Hey flrunners readers! Not a whole lot has been going on since my last blog a few weeks ago. I haven’t had too busy of a racing schedule in the past couple weeks so I have been focused on getting in some good workouts going into the championship season. I did run my conference meet this past Wednesday which went quite well. We treated the race as more of a glorified workout and I went out and perfectly executed the plan we had; allowing me to win my second straight OBC championship. Other than that, it has been quite uneventful. Therefore, this week I want to use my blog to talk about something that I am sure is on every up and coming underclassman’s mind, recruiting; basically just what to expect, and some tips to make the process run smoothly. I know for me, running in college has always been a dream, so when I began the recruiting process it was a bit daunting—yet exciting—at first, but with some good advice and some patience the process ultimately has been fun and exciting.
First and foremost, the biggest piece of advice I could give anyone beginning the recruiting process, is not to be shy. If there is a school that you want to go to, don’t be afraid to contact them and ask for information, and try and make yourself known. This is something that I was told during my junior year, and never quite took to heart; however, I now understand how important this is. There are thousands of high school athletes in this country, and coaches can’t possibly contact and search out all of them. So, if you know you want to go somewhere, don’t wait for a coach to contact you; make the first move, and just see what happens.
Another thing that I think can become problematic is when athletes eliminate schools without giving them a chance. For example, if you are a gators fan through and through, and grew up wanting rooting against the Seminoles, don’t necessarily eliminate Florida State from your list right away. Who knows, perhaps you could take a visit there and realize that the running program fits you as an athlete better, and therefore maybe is a better fit school than Florida (and I am not saying that one school is better than the other, this is merely an example). Give every school that you think you might want to attend an equal chance, because you never know what might happen.
The last thing I will say in terms of recruiting is to make sure to ask lots of questions of the coaches and athletes you may meet. The only way to truly find out about the university is by asking the people who are in the place that you would be if you attended that school. However, don’t simply ask them what they like about the university in question; ask them what they don’t like, or what they would change if they had the chance. This will give you an idea of both the good and bad aspects of a school; because no school is perfect (not that I have been fortunate enough to find anyways!). Also, some things that you may want to ask (prior to taking a visit) are types of surfaces that the team trains on. For me, I really hope to attend a school with nice trail systems close by, so that is something that I also ask coaches when I talk to them. It is things like that that you have to ask; picture yourself at your ideal school, and make a list of what you see, and those are the things you should look for.
I hope this helps some of you, and will help the underclassman in the coming years!
As far as my schedule goes, I am racing next at my district championship next weekend! Good luck to everyone doing the same!
More On Quincy
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In His Own Words: Quincy O'Connor (Article) Hey all, it has been another rough but rewarding week. After missing four days of school for a trip up to NY the week before, there was a lot of work to be made up. It never seems that I have an overwhelming amount of school work, but I guess when you pile four days of missed work on top of an already full load, it can get hectic. It was nice to get it all out of the way and then be able to end the week with a race. - 2011-10-17 20:15:00
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In His Own Words: Quincy O'Connor (Article)Hello again all Florida running fans, it has been a crazy few days, all culminating in my racing at the Manhattan Invite in New York City on Sunday. This was my first trip back to the state of New York since moving more than a year ago; and let me say, it was great to be back. The race itself left quite a bit to be desired, however it great to be back and racing at Van Cortlandt. - 2011-10-10 11:09:00
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In His Own Words: Quincy O'Connor (Article)Hello again everyone. This past week has been one of the best this season here in Celebration; both training and racing wise. The team traveled up to Gainesville for the Mt. Dew invitational at the University of Florida, and raced better than we have as a team in a long while. Our average time of 20:18 is the fastest that it has been since I began at Celebration, needless to say, it was a good weekend for the team. - 2011-09-26 11:46:00
Hey all Florida running fans, my name is Quincy O’Connor and I am just getting underway in my senior year at Celebration High School, right outside of Orlando. After a great summer of running and some fun, I am now getting my final XC season underway. My summer this year was nothing too crazy, just building mileage. I was lucky enough to be able to go to camp in Flagstaff, AZ, which for all those who like to travel, I would highly recommend. I have never been to a city more perfectly set up for runners than Flagstaff; and I cannot think of a better place to train. - 2011-09-19 11:15:00