scrunners: What made you decide to resign this year?
kilbreth: The new program for teachers to resign and begin teaching again made it financially enticing, and I love a new challenge in life at any age.
scrunners: Making the announcement at last night\'s award ceremony, what was the reaction of the audience and who was in attendance?
kilbreth: When Jim announced to the audience and the teams that we were resigning, I could hear audible gasps from the kids who were seated behind us. I was most touched that since this was announced at the very end of the program, all runners from both teams immediately lined up to shake Jim\'s hand and give me a big hug. We were not expecting that. Afterwards, a few parents gathered to express their feelings.
scrunners: How many years did you coach at Spartanburg?
kilbreth: I just completed my 21st year of coaching at Spartanburg.
scrunners: When and where did you start to coach?
kilbreth: I began coaching at Spartanburg in 1984 and this has been my only coaching experience.
scrunners: Are you looking to continue coaching?
kilbreth: I am looking to teach and coach again. I cannot imagine my life without coaching.
scrunners: What else is in your plans for the future?
kilbreth: My plans for the future are to teach and coach elsewhere and help continue a program.
scrunners: What will you remember the most from being a coach at Spartanburg?
kilbreth: I will remember the most from being a coach at Spartanburg the night that they honored us at our Alumni Meet where athletes from all our years of coaching returned, some even bringing their own children who are involved in running. Just the other day an old runner in his 40s emailed us from India where he was on business. He was sad to hear of Jim\'s retirement.
scrunners: Over the years, as running and the sports of cross country and track and field continue to improve, what major factors have you seen in why these changes are occurring?
kilbreth: The major factors causing the improvement in cross country and track are the number of races held in cities and as benefits for causes; also the introduction of running clubs in the elementary grades have increased the interest and participation in the sport. People are realizing that whole families can even participate together. On our team we had families who vacationed where they could run marathons or other races together.
scrunners: How many hours on an average week did you spend with coaching responsibilities?
kilbreth: The average hours a week spent with coaching responsibilities were really uncountable. I don\'t really think I want to add them up and divide by my supplement. I would have been financially better off by asking, \"Would you like fries with that?\"
scrunners: What other areas of Spartanburg High were influenced by your work?
kilbreth: Other areas of Spartanburg that were influenced by me was my recruiting for prospective runners in my junior high language arts classes that I taught. I also spent my evenings selling football tickets on Friday nights, selling basketball tickets from 4:30-9 p.m., teaching summer school for nearly 20 years, working track meet invitationals throughout the state, and helping at benefit races throughout the Spartanburg area, and working the Shrine Bowl Run yearly. In working benefit races, Shrine Bowl, and track invitationals, Jim and I dearly believe that coaches should be obligated by their consciences to give back to the sport of cross country what it and the runners have given to them.
scrunners: As a coach and role model to athletes, what was your biggest challenge as a coach?
kilbreth: My biggest challenge as a coach and role model to athletes was to do always do what we had taught and expected the kids to do. I remember one time we had just flown back from Denver to Atlanta, arriving at 2 a.m., from a cross country national championship race with two of our athletes. After arriving at 2 a.m. we still had to drive home from Atlanta. We arrived in Spartanburg about 5 a.m. with practice at 6:30 a.m. as usual. It was so tempting to just call off practice, but we knew we could make it to morning practice, teach summer school, and crash for a long nap afterwards. The summer afternoons were always so tempting for naps, too, but we knew we needed to meet the team for some afternoon practices and weights. How could we ever show less of ourselves than we expected of our runners?
scrunners: How did you motivate athletes to achieve their best on a daily basis in life, academics and athletics?
kilbreth: We motivate athletes to achieve their best on a daily basis in life, academics and athletics by keeping up their morale and teaching time management skills that will hopefully serve them well in life. Just as in cross country, life is a race of endurance, not a sprint. So many athletes over the years have contacted us to tell us that the things they learned in cross country are the things they use in their professions and businesses. \"When the going gets tough, the tough just keep on going.\"
kilbreth: The new program for teachers to resign and begin teaching again made it financially enticing, and I love a new challenge in life at any age.
scrunners: Making the announcement at last night\'s award ceremony, what was the reaction of the audience and who was in attendance?
kilbreth: When Jim announced to the audience and the teams that we were resigning, I could hear audible gasps from the kids who were seated behind us. I was most touched that since this was announced at the very end of the program, all runners from both teams immediately lined up to shake Jim\'s hand and give me a big hug. We were not expecting that. Afterwards, a few parents gathered to express their feelings.
scrunners: How many years did you coach at Spartanburg?
kilbreth: I just completed my 21st year of coaching at Spartanburg.
scrunners: When and where did you start to coach?
kilbreth: I began coaching at Spartanburg in 1984 and this has been my only coaching experience.
scrunners: Are you looking to continue coaching?
kilbreth: I am looking to teach and coach again. I cannot imagine my life without coaching.
scrunners: What else is in your plans for the future?
kilbreth: My plans for the future are to teach and coach elsewhere and help continue a program.
scrunners: What will you remember the most from being a coach at Spartanburg?
kilbreth: I will remember the most from being a coach at Spartanburg the night that they honored us at our Alumni Meet where athletes from all our years of coaching returned, some even bringing their own children who are involved in running. Just the other day an old runner in his 40s emailed us from India where he was on business. He was sad to hear of Jim\'s retirement.
scrunners: Over the years, as running and the sports of cross country and track and field continue to improve, what major factors have you seen in why these changes are occurring?
kilbreth: The major factors causing the improvement in cross country and track are the number of races held in cities and as benefits for causes; also the introduction of running clubs in the elementary grades have increased the interest and participation in the sport. People are realizing that whole families can even participate together. On our team we had families who vacationed where they could run marathons or other races together.
scrunners: How many hours on an average week did you spend with coaching responsibilities?
kilbreth: The average hours a week spent with coaching responsibilities were really uncountable. I don\'t really think I want to add them up and divide by my supplement. I would have been financially better off by asking, \"Would you like fries with that?\"
scrunners: What other areas of Spartanburg High were influenced by your work?
kilbreth: Other areas of Spartanburg that were influenced by me was my recruiting for prospective runners in my junior high language arts classes that I taught. I also spent my evenings selling football tickets on Friday nights, selling basketball tickets from 4:30-9 p.m., teaching summer school for nearly 20 years, working track meet invitationals throughout the state, and helping at benefit races throughout the Spartanburg area, and working the Shrine Bowl Run yearly. In working benefit races, Shrine Bowl, and track invitationals, Jim and I dearly believe that coaches should be obligated by their consciences to give back to the sport of cross country what it and the runners have given to them.
scrunners: As a coach and role model to athletes, what was your biggest challenge as a coach?
kilbreth: My biggest challenge as a coach and role model to athletes was to do always do what we had taught and expected the kids to do. I remember one time we had just flown back from Denver to Atlanta, arriving at 2 a.m., from a cross country national championship race with two of our athletes. After arriving at 2 a.m. we still had to drive home from Atlanta. We arrived in Spartanburg about 5 a.m. with practice at 6:30 a.m. as usual. It was so tempting to just call off practice, but we knew we could make it to morning practice, teach summer school, and crash for a long nap afterwards. The summer afternoons were always so tempting for naps, too, but we knew we needed to meet the team for some afternoon practices and weights. How could we ever show less of ourselves than we expected of our runners?
scrunners: How did you motivate athletes to achieve their best on a daily basis in life, academics and athletics?
kilbreth: We motivate athletes to achieve their best on a daily basis in life, academics and athletics by keeping up their morale and teaching time management skills that will hopefully serve them well in life. Just as in cross country, life is a race of endurance, not a sprint. So many athletes over the years have contacted us to tell us that the things they learned in cross country are the things they use in their professions and businesses. \"When the going gets tough, the tough just keep on going.\"