Amador’s Valley’s hurdling team has not hired a coach since last season and will likely run the upcoming 2023 season without a coach. The hurdlers previously had a coach in 2021 and are prepared to execute two straight seasons without one.

Since the end of winter break, the team has practiced every weekday after school. They worked together to develop their own workout plans and conditioning programs. 

“After school, we meet up and decide ourselves what we want to do. It kind of forces us to get more from each other because there’s no authority figure to help push us. The only person who can push us is each other,” said four-season hurdler veteran Daniel Beckley (‘23).

Other events like sprinting or long distance running don’t require a specific coach to hone  technique, but hurdlers miss fundamental guidance that a hurdling coach would provide. 

“We don’t have a hurdle specialist right now. Hurdling is the one event in track where it’s hard to find a specialized coach. We have an open position ready to fill, so we need to find somebody. We’re looking and it’s an active search right now,” said athletic director Alphonso Powell. 

The official track season begins on Feb. 6 with preseason already in progress for most spring sports. Many track and field athletes have already committed themselves to a specific event. 

“If we get to a point where we can’t find a hurdles coach, then the sprints coach will take the hurdlers. We’ll still try to find somebody to do some specializing on structure, basically some hurdle clinics,” said Powell. 

With no plans for a specialized coach, the team will continue to carry out their self-run practices throughout the season. The hurdlers have developed trust with one another to carry out their responsibilities and consistently attend practice.

“We’re really a close-knit group and we’re really small. We’re just trying to stay healthy and practice to have a really good hurdle form going into the season, and I think we’re doing good,” said 2022 hurdles captain Evan Lucero (‘23).