FIRST camp directors Mickey McCauley and Scott Murr talk about the organization of camp, running, and future ideas.
scrunners: What made you two decide to have a running camp?
camp directors: FIRST (Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training) began in 2003 with the primary goal of promoting running as a healthy and lifelong physical activity. FIRST provides scientific and time-proven information on all aspects of becoming a better runner. One goal of FIRST is to assist runners of all ages and abilities.
We noticed that some high school runners were attending our scientific lectures in 2003 and 2004 and started thinking of ways to help high school runners. During the summer of 2004, we offered a lecture geared specifically to high school cross country running and it was well attended and we received many questions. It was during the Fall of 2004 that we decided to try a cross country running camp in summer 2005.
scrunners: How much preparation was needed for the first year of the camp?
camp directors: A lot! We purposefully did not look at what other running camps did. We decided to develop a camp based on what we thought we could offer and what high school runners needed. We wanted to make our camp more than just running. We wanted to make our camp a learning and doing camp.
We worked on developing the camp weekly for four months.
scrunners: How do you find enough counselor's for the camp?
camp directors: As active runners in the community, we know a lot of runners (adults and collegiate runners). Word of mouth was the best way, but we also had some runners see our camp announcement and contact us. This past year, we had counselors (collegiate runners) from four different universities. We had four returning counselors from last year. They where a big part in providing direction with the new counselors.
scrunners: What kind of role do they counselor's take with working and relating with the high school athletes?
camp directors: The counselors are the key to our camp; they are collegiate runners who love running. Our counselors do everything from lead group runs, to fill ice coolers, to lead discussions about the transition from high school running to competing on a college team.
scrunners: How would you consider the camp has grown over the past two years?
camp directors: We have purposefully kept our camp numbers at a manageable level. Last year we had 100 runners and this year we had 120 runners. We have turned runners away because we want to be able to provide individual assistance.
scrunners: What kind of plans are being made for the future?
camp directors: No significant changes are planned. We hope to continue to offer a positive, safe, and educational experience for our camp participants. We will continue to keep the number of enrolled runners low in order to keep the quality of the camp high.
Because we have had inquiries from adults wanting to attend our summer camp, we are considering offering an adult four day running weekend for adult runners.
scrunners: How many hours would you say you spent with the camp the week of, week before, and week after?
camp directors: Because we started organizing our camp in March, the week before camp was not too hectic. During the week of camp, Mickey was typically here from 6:30 a.m. through nine p.m. Scott has a six-year old and three-year old at home so typically he arrived at 8:30 a.m. and headed home at six p.m. Co- Director Julie Stackhouse stayed overnight in the dorms with the campers. Julie was an assistant coach with Furman until last year when she accepted a position with the University of North Florida in Jacksonville as assistant cross-country and track and field coach. The camp counselors spent 24 hours a day with camp responsibilities. The week after the camp, we spent time discussing ways to improve the camp in 2007.
scrunners: What area took the most time? Explain.
camp directors: Developing a schedule and coordinating what we wanted to do with available facilities were quite time consuming. Furman has over 100 camps and conferences on campus during the summer. During the week of our camp, there were 10 different groups on campus. Finding rooms and areas to accommodate our groups was very time consuming. Luckily, the various facility directors were easy to work with and very accommodating.
scrunners: What do you feel was the area the campers needed work on the most? Explain.
camp directors: Based on our two-year camp experience of working with high school runners, we think there are two main areas that high school runners need direction and assistance.
Most runners just run, with no clear direction or purpose. We think all runners, adults, high school runners and coaches need to have a better understanding of the physiological variables that influence running performance. Having an understanding of some of the physiology of running can help runners and coaches develop sound and effective training plans. Remember, these runners are student-athletes.
We also think that most distance runners probably need to spend more time on drills and technique. An efficient running form takes time and work; movement economy is the performance variable that takes the most time to develop. If high school freshmen runners begin drills and technique training and continue through their senior year, their running efficiency will improve.
scrunners: What was your biggest challenge with the camp?
camp directors: The biggest challenge was developing a schedule that was educational, experiental and fun. Based on the feedback from our camp runners, coaches, and counselors, it appears we were able to balance these three objectives.
Another challenge was coping with a heat index that exceeded 100 degrees nearly everyday. We had to modify our activities somewhat in order to avoid heat-related problems.
scrunners: Explain how much communication is needed with other university personnel to make the camp a success.
camp directors: Furman has a Department of Camps and Conferences which helps to coordinate planning with housing, dining services, facility services, and Public Safety. In fact, we have already indicated our initial and tentative plans with these various departments for our 2007 camp.
scrunners: Have you considered having a track and field day or week-long camp in the future? Why or why not?
camp directors: FIRST is composed of four directors. Our lecture series, training programs, lab testing and cross country camp keep us quite busy. And FIRST is something that we do in addition to our primary university responsibilities. While there are many running related projects we have in mind, we just cannot do them all right now. A track and field camp is something we have discussed, but not anything we are currently planning.
scrunners:What would you recommend to all levels of cross country athletes to reach their potential?
camp directors:
Have an understanding:
-Basic physiology of running
-Principles of training
Have a vision of how you are going to achieve your goals.
Stay optimistic.
Focus on your GOAL.
Be flexible enough to adjust.
Have faith in yourself and what you are doing.
Have balance.
ENJOY.
For more information on FIRST, go to www.furman.edu/first.