Coaching Teams To The Podium: Mike Phillips - Chiles Girls & Boys


Coach Mike Phillips guided the Chiles girls to the 3A Cross Country Finals title and the boys to a runner-up finish. Phillip's son Michael was the individual champion while Ana Wallace brought home the girls trophy. Both advanced to Foot Locker Nationals this past weekend in San Diego. We caught up with Coach Phillips to  talk about the 2017 season.

What kind of training did your teams do leading up to state?

Typical taper schedule. Slight cutback of mileage, continued interval and tempo runs till the very end.

What chances or belief did you have in your teams' chances and ability to make the podium?

We believed that we had a very good chance to podium this year, and worked hard all season to see that that happened. We thought that at the beginning of the year for both the boys and girls teams. 

What advice or points of emphasis did you give your teams prior to the race or the week leading into the state meet?

Simply to know that we had a chance to win, and to not let those expectations weigh us down, but rather to embrace them and see what we could do with ultimate focus. 

What was the game plan for state and how do you feel your both squads executed it?

The plan was to run our race. Not to get caught up in what others around us were doing, unless something that others did really required us to do something different. I trust them to know when that is happening. They executed the plan beautifully. They were aggressive, while being smart and disciplined, and were tough when needed. 

Who do you feel really stepped up individually the most for the team at the state meet?

Honestly, everyone ran very well at the meet. They ran exactly where they needed to be on our team, and against the other teams. We really believed that our number five could be near 19;00, and if she was close, we could win. She ran 19:01. They all ran great!

What were the biggest challenges for this year's team?

We had a number of injuries during the year, and many of our top seven were slowly but surely coming back to health. The challenge was to trust our depth and know that we did not need to rush those injured back. As they wanted more work, we had to see the big picture. The athletes responded well to our request for patience, and each of them came back faster and ran PR's. In the meantime, we had to ask the others (those not injured) to trust that the training was there, and that the times would come, even though our meet schedule and race strategies were not always allowing them to run as fast as they would have liked in certain races. 

Were there any low points in the season? How did the team bounce back?

I don't really think that we had any real low points per se. The hurricane was frustrating to every team, and posed challenges to all. Though we had injuries, we never had a real serious one, so we were very lucky in that regard. 

Was there a particular race, workout, or moment that you knew that your team was ready or had the potential to become state champions?

Our girls had a great showing at The Great American Race in NC, finishing second in a very talented field. Though we didn't all run PR's, many did, and I knew that those who didn't would come around. I think it was then that I knew what we COULD be. Still, there are certainly no guarantees, and that was fairly early season. 

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

My athletes, like most cross kids, are amazing. This year's teams are definitely the tightest knit group, top to bottom, that I have coached. The positive chemistry that we had certainly helped get us to where we got this year!

What role do your assistant coaches play with the program?

This year Coach Thomas played a larger role. She was very involved in helping to run the workouts, was a great sounding board when discussing athletes, was invaluable in helping to organize our many trips, and was a very trusted ear for the girls on the team. In addition, as a former Chiles runner, individual State Champion, and member of State Champion teams, she was a great example to the runners as to what it means to be a champion! 

What would be the best way to describe your coaching style?

I think that I am very honest with my athletes. If things are not going well, I will let my athletes know it. But I also will be the first to tell them how proud I am of them for their work. I try to always let them know why they are doing things, when and how we are asking them to do them. I try to keep things loose when I can, but let them know when it is time to focus. 

Who were the leaders on your team and what was the importance to the squad?

I had great leadership on my team this year. The teams were led by Michael Phillips and Ana Wallace, who led more by example. Not big rah-rah people, but show others what it takes to rise to the top and make the sacrifices necessary. Everyone on both teams saw how hard they both work. So many others on the teams showed leadership by organizing team events, keeping things fun and light at practice, and helping to provide the positive atmosphere it takes to have successful teams. 

Who was the biggest individual surprise or runner that most impressed you with their improvements this year?

Noah Grywacz was a senior for us this year. He has always been a tireless worker, but due to some health issues, was not always getting the results he wanted. This season, he busted through and became a constant in our top seven. His times continued to drop throughout the year. Everyone on the team was so very happy for him because they knew how hard he worked. He won our teams Most Improved award. 

For the girls, freshmen Brooke Waldal was a great surprise to us. She ran with us over the summer, and made steady progress throughout the year. She was able to work her way to our number eight and ran District with us, and was an alternate through the State series. We are very excited about how good she can be!

How would this team rank against some of the past teams that you coached?

Both of my teams, boys and girls, rank at the top of my list. Not because of the State rankings, which doesn't hurt, but because of the attitude and chemistry that they have carried throughout the season. Every single day was fun for me as a coach, and I can honestly say that that has never happened to the extent that it did this year! Having said that, they were also both extremely talented teams. The girls were by far the most talented I have coached. 

Every state championship/podium team seems to have a special or unique makeup that makes them state champions. What were some of those characteristics of this year's team?

Girls: ridiculously tough and consistent. Dedicated. Committed. Mix of talent and hard work

Boys: hard work, great Chemistry, same mix of talent and hard work.  

As we all know, not all runners on successful teams will be as talented as others. Some just grind it out. We had many of both this year. 

What are your expectations for next year's team?

I think that the boys will be interesting. We lose four of our top seven to graduation. That is a big loss. Everyone eventually goes through it. But we have three of our top seven coming back, and another returns who missed the entire season this year.  Plus, we have a very talented group of freshmen and sophomores. They will have to step up for us to compete, but I believe 100% that they will, and we will again be in the discussion in the end!  

The girls will lose three of the top seven to graduation. We will start with a very talented top five next year, including this year's State Runner-up, but will need others to rise up and add depth and get us through the inevitable injuries that all teams suffer through. I believe that we can be a podium team next year, and challenge for the title