Josh Poole is the head cross country and assistant track and field coach at Mount Saint Mary's University. He has been head coach at The Mount for three years. Coach Poole was also a student-athlete himself, he competing in the sprints and relay events as team captain. With his wide range of experience, Coach Pool gave us 8 amazing pieces of advice for cross country and track and field recruits!
1. What are some of the most important qualities you look for in a recruit?
I usually look for three main things:
- What is your talent level entering college and are there signs that you can develop?
- Who are you as an individual outside of your sport? Who are you as a person?
- Do I think you will fit with the overall team and add value to the program?
2. What is the best way for a recruit to get on your radar?
Emailing me is always the best way to get in contact or fill out the recruiting questionnaire on our website. Reaching out on social media (Twitter or our team's Instagram page) is another viable option. What I typically say is if you don't get a response the first time don't get discouraged. Just shoot me another email. Coaches get busy, especially when we are in season, so it doesn't hurt to always send another email just so we're reminded to get back to you.
3. When and how should an athlete contact you?
Personally, I typically focus my recruiting class on seniors getting ready to graduate and begin to reach out to juniors during April/May of their junior year. When juniors reach out to me in the summer or fall I appreciate the interest and I make a note of it but ask them to follow up with me in the spring when I'm more focused on their class year.
4. What are your expectations for incoming players in the classroom, in the weight room, and on the course/track?
My expectation for incoming athletes is to just try to learn as quickly as you can. Focus on school and focus on cross country/track and field and you will adjust quicker to the college experience and changes that come with it.
5. What is the top advice you can offer a recruit?
Be pro-active. Make sure you've looked into the school before you contact the coach and be realistic about what might be a good fit for you. See where you line up with current athletes and how you would do within the conference. Knowledge of this will help give you a starting point on who to target during your recruiting process.
6. What can a player expect when they enter college?
Every institution is different in what you can expect. Differences you will see across schools are in gear distribution, travel schedule, and access to resources (i.e. nutritionist, facilities, etc.). Make sure you ask those questions to a coach when you are talking to them and know what aspects are important to you ahead of time.
7. What does it take to be successful on your team?
To be successful and gain the respect of your teammates within our program, all you need to do is show up every day and work hard. Learn the system, ask questions, and try to get better every day. If you do that over the course of your career, you will grow as a person and as an athlete. In my experience, that translates to improvements in performance as well.
8. What platforms do you use to discover or recruit athletes?
Streamline, NCSA, and MileSplit are platforms that we use to recruit athletes every year.
9. If an athlete is looking to become a coach, what advice would you give them?
Connections within the collegiate sports industry are huge. Look for volunteer opportunities and talk to your coach about your goals to get into the industry. Some coaches get their start as graduate assistants for programs as they pursue their master's degree, which provides them with their first coaching opportunity. Like any career, getting ahead and preparing yourself helps the odds that you will be able to get your foot in the door.
Image Credit: Mount Athletics
