http://library.la84.org/SportsLibrary/NCRR/1972/ncrr37.pdf
RELAXED GROUP SHOT OF SOME OF CARL COLOMBAT'S "SF CHUKKERS",
(LEFT TO RIGHT)—GEOFF HENDERSON, JOHN MCVEIGH, MIKE PORTER,
KEITH UJITA, COLOMBAT, CHRIS COLE, BRAD DUFFEY, DAVE POWER,
AND DARYL ZAPATA. /Bill Johnson Photo/
# COACH'S CORNER#
Meet Carlton B. Colombat: Misunderstood, a nice guy, controversia l, a loud-mouth, a loner: the many facets of Carlton Colombat are sometimes confusing. But that he is a dynamic personality that runners confide in can be seen every day throughout the year as kids from a l l over San Francisco come
to the Polo Grounds to learn from a man who has lived track all his l i f e .
Colombat is not the "normal" coach by any means. He is not a high school or collegiate coach, but is more-or-less a coach of stray individuals. Klaus Hofmann, a 4:11 miler from St. Ignatius; Willie Eashman, a
4:l4 miler at Washington High in S.F. and last year a finalist in the Olympic Trials 1500;
Brad Duffey of Lowell and Chris Cole o f St. Ignatius, both near 9:10 for two miles while in high school these four and many others like them have been heavily influenced by the man most people in The C ity know as "The P r o f i t " . Carl limited himself in high school to one competition in a P.E. class at 100 yards. He ran 10.6 in f la t s . When questioned about the highlights of his coaching career, Colombat replied, " I am not so interested in the development of great runners as I am in the social development I see when anti-social kids become noticeably less hostile , shy kids open up, relax, and develop more outgoing behavior,
quiet kids begin to express themselves, or self-centered kids begin to share and think of others as w e ll as themselves."
On training—"When I f i r s t started coaching, I was heavily into Igloi and interval training. I graduated to a Lydiard system, c rystalizing my ideas as I became more experienced in coaching. I cannot be too specific about training because all runners are individuals, and their workouts may vary according to many factors . A general schedule would see my runners doing complete distance work in the summer, a combination o f power and distance during cross country season, a straight distance program again in the winter except
for some short intervals for the indoor meets, and then track season blends the necessary track workouts with light distance running. I favor weight training only for those scrawny types who need i t . "
Perhaps one of the most unusual things about Colombat as coach's go is his feeling on the philosophy of running as a whole. He feels that the whole person is more important than the running. Health should come
f i r s t , studies second, then social relationships and development (getting along with others), and finally ...ru n n in g . "Running is like a building. First comes the foundation, then, in order, —walls, roof, & final embellishments. Therefore, we build slowly, both in distance and intervals . When the athlete is ready, increase the workout." Perhaps many coaches feel the same way, but few practice their philosophy like Colombat...perhaps because of the pressures of their "job" . With Colombat, his coaching is not something he gets paid for, but merely enjoys doing. Summing up this remarkable man's feelings : "Every athlete who
tries is worth recognition & praise. Any time a coach begins thinking that 'he' is the word on running, he
should realize that without athletes he is nothing, and that without him, the athlete might and probably would
s t i l l be an ath le te . The coach's reward is memories of his athletes, satisfaction with the end results of his work, and recognition from his athletes that he has tried to do his best."
Reprinted with permission of Editor Jack Leydig.
Northern California Running Review
Dec. 1972-Jan. 1973 (No. 37)
======================================================================
"We called him Proph (short for prophet) as he was always making great predictions for us."
Walt Van Zant (St. Ignatius HS)
Coach at Wilcox HS, Santa Clara
======================================================================
RELAXED GROUP SHOT OF SOME OF CARL COLOMBAT'S "SF CHUKKERS",
(LEFT TO RIGHT)—GEOFF HENDERSON, JOHN MCVEIGH, MIKE PORTER,
KEITH UJITA, COLOMBAT, CHRIS COLE, BRAD DUFFEY, DAVE POWER,
AND DARYL ZAPATA. /Bill Johnson Photo/
# COACH'S CORNER#
Meet Carlton B. Colombat: Misunderstood, a nice guy, controversia l, a loud-mouth, a loner: the many facets of Carlton Colombat are sometimes confusing. But that he is a dynamic personality that runners confide in can be seen every day throughout the year as kids from a l l over San Francisco come
to the Polo Grounds to learn from a man who has lived track all his l i f e .
Colombat is not the "normal" coach by any means. He is not a high school or collegiate coach, but is more-or-less a coach of stray individuals. Klaus Hofmann, a 4:11 miler from St. Ignatius; Willie Eashman, a
4:l4 miler at Washington High in S.F. and last year a finalist in the Olympic Trials 1500;
Brad Duffey of Lowell and Chris Cole o f St. Ignatius, both near 9:10 for two miles while in high school these four and many others like them have been heavily influenced by the man most people in The C ity know as "The P r o f i t " . Carl limited himself in high school to one competition in a P.E. class at 100 yards. He ran 10.6 in f la t s . When questioned about the highlights of his coaching career, Colombat replied, " I am not so interested in the development of great runners as I am in the social development I see when anti-social kids become noticeably less hostile , shy kids open up, relax, and develop more outgoing behavior,
quiet kids begin to express themselves, or self-centered kids begin to share and think of others as w e ll as themselves."
On training—"When I f i r s t started coaching, I was heavily into Igloi and interval training. I graduated to a Lydiard system, c rystalizing my ideas as I became more experienced in coaching. I cannot be too specific about training because all runners are individuals, and their workouts may vary according to many factors . A general schedule would see my runners doing complete distance work in the summer, a combination o f power and distance during cross country season, a straight distance program again in the winter except
for some short intervals for the indoor meets, and then track season blends the necessary track workouts with light distance running. I favor weight training only for those scrawny types who need i t . "
Perhaps one of the most unusual things about Colombat as coach's go is his feeling on the philosophy of running as a whole. He feels that the whole person is more important than the running. Health should come
f i r s t , studies second, then social relationships and development (getting along with others), and finally ...ru n n in g . "Running is like a building. First comes the foundation, then, in order, —walls, roof, & final embellishments. Therefore, we build slowly, both in distance and intervals . When the athlete is ready, increase the workout." Perhaps many coaches feel the same way, but few practice their philosophy like Colombat...perhaps because of the pressures of their "job" . With Colombat, his coaching is not something he gets paid for, but merely enjoys doing. Summing up this remarkable man's feelings : "Every athlete who
tries is worth recognition & praise. Any time a coach begins thinking that 'he' is the word on running, he
should realize that without athletes he is nothing, and that without him, the athlete might and probably would
s t i l l be an ath le te . The coach's reward is memories of his athletes, satisfaction with the end results of his work, and recognition from his athletes that he has tried to do his best."
Reprinted with permission of Editor Jack Leydig.
Northern California Running Review
Dec. 1972-Jan. 1973 (No. 37)
======================================================================
"We called him Proph (short for prophet) as he was always making great predictions for us."
Walt Van Zant (St. Ignatius HS)
Coach at Wilcox HS, Santa Clara
======================================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment