New UTSA cross country coach Scott Slade sat down with goUTSA.com this week to discuss the upcoming season.
You arrived at UTSA right before preseason practices began. Was it a challenge to get the team ready for the first week in such a short time frame?
“I got here the day before our first practice, so there has been a lot of catching up to do. The team has adapted really well. Part of my job is just getting to know the athletes and finding out what makes them tick, figuring out their current fitness level and how hard we can push them. The first few practices were mostly me evaluating the talent. We’re going to be successful as a team or not successful as a team. Everything we’ve done so far has been focused on team performance.”
How has the team adjusted during the first few weeks of training under you?
“My first job is to build their confidence in me. I had to earn that respect right up front and they’ve been wonderful in believing in what I’m doing. They’ve bought into it and everybody’s on the same page. That’s what is going to develop a good team for us. We’re going to be better than most people probably think we are because we’re all on the same page. One thing that has been great is that even though I am new, I’m getting along with the guys like we’ve been training together for two years. It has been a really smooth transition. The team has been great about believing in what we’re doing and we’re gelling really fast. As a coach, I can see when you have a team developing or whether you have a bunch of individuals and we definitely are developing into a team really quickly. They believe in and are doing what they are supposed to be doing. It’s actually been a very positive and smooth transition.”
Is the team ready for Friday’s meet at SFA?
“Well, Friday’s meet is a different format than what I’m used to. I’m pairing up people to run the same legs together and they are going to work as a team on those same legs. I’m not worried about where each team finishes. The main reason we’re going is to see the conference course and to learn what we need to do to be successful at the conference meet later this year.”
How tough is the schedule and how does it prepare the team for the important meets at the end of the season?
“The schedule is certainly challenging. We go to Texas A&M, Stanford and Texas this year, so we have high aspirations for what this program can do. If we’re going to be competitive on a national level, then we have to start competing against some of the better teams. We’re preparing the team to run well at conference. Nobody remembers how well you run at the beginning of the season. We will evaluate our program primarily on how well we do at the conference meet and regionals if we qualify. One of the good things about cross country is you don’t have a won-loss record. We can prepare to do well later in the season by experimenting early in the season; seeing what works and what doesn’t. Throughout the season, we’re going to practice the things that will make us successful at the conference meet.”
What attracted you to UTSA?
“What attracted me here was the coaching staff. I really believe in the vision Coach Fox has for the program. I’ve know Coach Monday for a while. She told me this is a place where we can develop a successful program nationally, then that makes me excited to be here, too. I want to be somewhere where we can be successful. I see all the things that are happening here and the way this school is growing. There are a lot of positive things happening here.”