Running through the halls

At this time of the year, schools might want to consider hiring traffic officers to control the athletic congestion in hallways.

With many spring sports starting practice and the weather outside being most uncooperative this year, hallways are prime real estate after school for teams to get in conditioning work.

And the prime tenants of these area hallways are the boys and girls track teams who have been officially hard at work since the start of the Illinois high school track and field season on January 14.

"It can get tricky," laughed Crystal Lake South senior Aimee Schuh. "Sometimes the guys hurdle on the same days we do and sometimes there are other teams running around. The hallways get pretty crowded."

But to a tee, area coaches and track athletes are more than willing to put up with the sometimes less than ideal training conditions that come with indoor track. The vast majority of area schools do not have a traditional indoor track facility where meets can be held.

"Anything is better than nothing," said Burlington Central senior hurdles star Dan Hagberg. "You worry sometimes because teachers and fellow students and cheerleaders are in the hallway. It gets crowded.

"But the earlier start helps you get a more gradual start into the season. When you get to the outdoor season, it's not a shock to your body anymore. Track is all about running. If you don't run a lot before the season starts, you aren't going to get a lot of chances before the meets come around. It's important to do stuff indoors."

When Haberg's coach Mike Schmidt started coaching track at Central 13 years ago, things were a lot different in terms of the indoor season.

"When I started, there was no indoor track," said Schmidt. "You started the first week in March and ran a few hallways and you tried to prepare for the season. There wasn't enough time to see kids really bring times down at the end of the season. Now the last six years, it's really expanded. We have 5 indoor meets now and we start in mid-January. It helps to really get kids in shape. Putting in the miles is what you need to do to get the benefits in late May. It's a matter of getting in shape."

In addition to the conditioning benefits, technique can still be perfected despite the presence of traditional track facilities.

"We still have to work on jumping and hurdling and hand-offs," said South's Schuh. "All of that can be done inside."

"You've got long jump, pole vault and hurdles and even passing the baton, you can do those things so much earlier," said Dundee-Crown coach Tom Smith, the dean of area track coaches, whose team has a fully-functional indoor track facility.

"It's the whole repetition thing. We've had some great hurdlers the past few years and it corresponds to the repetition we have. The indoor season gives the kids more opportunity to come out of the blocks, go over hurdles and then you throw in some meets. I think it's helped."

In addition to using the school hallways, Burlington Central's athletes also run outside on occasion.

"We have the 25-degree rule," said Schmidt. "If it's over 25 degrees we go outside as long as there is no ice and snow."

Bartlett coach Jeff Bral also gets creative with his team's situation.

"We'll use the pool at school and the guys go outside as much as possible," said Bral. "We'll do some plyometric stuff -- anything to avoid pounding."

Dundee-Crown senior Connor Kustief sees a mental advantage to having an indoor slate.

"You are getting out there and getting a good start to the season and seeing what you can do," said Kustief. "You don't set expectations too high. You get to see around where you can be. Indoor track is such a good starter."

Kustief is part of a D-C team that is one of the few area teams that has an indoor track facility where meets can be held.

"Coach (Tom Smith) was just talking about this (Tuesday)," said Kustief. "We had a big discussion on how our field house does help a lot. There are a lot of teams that aren't as fortunate as us. It gives us kind of an advantage. It gives us a mental edge with all the workouts and training we've done on it."

There is also the injury factor that comes into play -- or the prevention thereof.

"One of the big benefits is it's preventative maintenance against injuries," said Elgin boys coach Adam Freed. "Guys that try and go 100 percent after a week or two of practice tend to get injuries. With 6 or 8 weeks of practice, you have an opportunity to get into shape before you get outdoors and you keep yourself from getting hurt so you can get that success outdoors."

Bartlett's Bral said the indoor season is a very necessary tool in this day and age of increased competition with teams and athletes in the Chicago suburban area.

"With how competitive the Chicago suburbs are, you need to have it," said Bral. "It sure does have benefits. It gets kids aerobically fit and it helps build the strength that you need to maintain things the rest of the year."

The indoor season can also help with team-related dynamics.

"Our goals are to build for the outdoor season and establish team building and the strong relationships that will carry through the year," said Bral. "It helps give you an understanding of what the season is about."

"The indoor season lets you learn your team's strong suits and weaknesses," said Elgin senior Chase Riddle. "You get to know each other as a team."

Riddle, for one, doesn't mind the traffic in the hallways.

"It's nice to work inside the school and connect with the teachers who come out of their offices," said Riddle. "The teachers and administrators see us putting in the work."

D-C's Smith enjoys the eventual build involved with the January through March portion of the schedule.

"We try and start low-key and laidback and build on it," said Smith. "We build up to the point when we get to spring break instead of having 100 things to do, we can almost rest as a group and then start the next phase. By the time we get to mid-March we're up and running instead of just getting started. The bottom line with the indoor season is the kids are all starting to think track and getting ready for track and getting used to a routine. There are a lot of positives."

In terms of competition, many area teams compete in a handful of indoor meets. The Upstate Eight Conference has been holding an indoor conference meet for both boys and girls for many years. There has been talk of possibly replicating that with the Big Northern Conference and the Fox Valley Conference in the future. D-C will host an upcoming invitational on March 20 that will feature many of the FVC teams.