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First year head coach Jeff Bartlett had the odds stacked against him when he began his tenure with the Swampscott cross country program. Like every young coach, he didn’t have a list of All-Americans or a trophy case of state championships to boast about. What he did bring with him was a passion for the sport and an understanding that people come first.
“Over the course of our season, our philosophy morphed into 'You Matter.' One of the biggest interview questions I was asked was if I treated all athletes the same, and the answer was and still is yes. Whether you are one of the top runners in the state or just someone who has never ran before, the kids need to know that they have a place on our team. Everyone contributes and helps push each other to achieve more than they thought possible.”
This people centered philosophy was critical to establishing the trust necessary to move the program forward. Swampscott has a rich history of distance running success; with a 2006 state title being the most recent accomplishment in a long list of accolades. There is extreme reverence and admiration for the way things were done in the past, but Bartlett knew that a connection had to be made to the future if his young crop of athletes were going to thrive in this new beginning.
“With the coaching change, a lot of people were wary. They didn't know what to expect, and I had some gigantic shoes to fill. Eyes were definitely on me. On the first day of practice, I had a sheet of paper with ‘The Past’ written on it, and I tore it up in front of the kids. Whatever had been said, or whatever things had been like, that was all done and over with...we were moving forward. I gained their trust, I learned all their names, tried to find out about their lives.”
And move forward they did. Behind the leadership of Bartlett and frontrunner Peter Hale, the Swampscott boys finished 10th at the state championships. The accomplishment capped a very successful resurgence of the Swampscott program, and like any good coach, Bartlett always takes time to reflect on the successes and failures of the season to plot the course of the future.
“I think the boys in the post-season helped us start the process of cementing ourselves at the state level. Obviously we have a top runner in Peter Hale, who is just beginning to realize his capabilities, but I think now that the boys have felt that excitement that the returners will want to feel that again.”
“For me as a coach, I think that it's important to always learn. I'm always reading up on what other programs do for ideas, and trying to examine what I do as a coach. I'd love to see the [team] numbers go back up a little next year, but the big thing will be to keep the ‘You Matter’ philosophy as our own.”
Members of the Swampscott team filmed, edited, and produced the entire video posted below prior to the state meet. MileSplitMass would like to thank them for providing us with a reflective look into a redeveloping program. We may look back a few years from now and realize this was just the beginning of something truly special. |