Parent: Chris Janus
Years around the sport: 20 plus
Athlete: Hunter Janus - Lexington
Photo provided
When your son first started as a runner, what were your thoughts?
I have been running for 25 years and when Hunter was about six he started asking to ride his bike on some of my runs. His enthusiasm would ebb and flow and I just let him decide when he wanted to go or not. At about eight he started asking to do races. I wanted him to have a good experience so I made sure he was in shape to run the distance. Again his enthusiasm ebbed and flowed but when he was consistent I saw some talent. With me and my wife being runners we were ecstatic to have another runner in the family.
What expectations do you feel you need to have of your child as a parent to an athlete?
The only real expectations I have for Hunter are to get the most out of his talent. Knowing so much of your running talent is based on your genes I don’t expect him to run faster than he is capable. But being a runner myself I have a very good idea of what he is capable of. I believe my expectations for him should be to be consistent with his training, to always work as hard as he can, to be a good teammate and to be humble in success and gracious when he struggles. I also should expect him to prioritize academics, social life, and athletics appropriately. I do not believe I should have expectations on his running times. There are too many potential pitfalls in doing that. Either I would have expectations which exceed his true potential or equally as bad I do not want to limit what he is capable of.
How do you address supporting your child and giving advice or input and find a balance? Please explain.
Hunter always knows my wife and I are his biggest supporters. He also knows I will call him out if he is not putting in the training or I believe his focus is elsewhere. We often talk about goals and race strategy and training. This has changed over the years as he has gotten more experience. It used to be more me giving him direction and advice but has become more of a conversation between us.
How did your life change and your families?
It actually hasn’t changed that much. Hunter has always been into sports so we were always going to ball fields or games. Now it is cross country races or track meets.
Runners are known to sometimes encounter mud on a course, what was your first reaction when your child came back from a run or race covered in mud (if encountered this)?
No big deal. He’s been playing in mud since the day he was born! As long as there is more mud on his back (from being near the lead) and less on his front I’m good with that.:).
Looking back, is there anything different you would do?
My wife and I have talked about this and I really don’t think there is. We always let him call the shots when he was younger on if he ran or not. Sometimes he would run three to five times a week when he was young and then go months without running. I think this allowed him to develop a love for running without any pressure. One thing I think I would change is when we moved here from Florida the summer before his seventh grade year. He wanted to run cross country but didn’t run much over the summer. Come tryouts his time was slow and he didn’t know anyone so he didn’t go back. In retrospect I would have encouraged him a little more to stick with it. But he did go back in eighth grade and has been very dedicated since so it all worked out in the end.
What will you never forget from your experience?
Without a doubt it is the 2012 state championship. It was Hunter’s freshman year and he was fortunate enough to have run with the top seven all year. Knowing he would be part of the team at the state championship was amazing and a great blessing for us. He ended up scoring number five for the team that day and Lexington won their fourth straight state championship. At the awards we were still unsure if we had won or not. When they announced Lexington as the state champions I looked at my wife and she looked at me and we both had tears in our eyes. I will never forget that moment.
What challenges have you encountered as a parent of an athlete?
I think the same challenges most parents of athletes experience. Making sure your child balances school and sports and sacrifices you have to make for sports. Having three very active children we are constantly challenged by getting to all their events.
What do you recommend to other parents involved with the sport?
Praise your kids when they succeed. Hug them when they struggle. Support them no matter what but always expect them to give full effort. Above all if you are not a runner invest some time researching the sport. Know your child’s biomechanics and get them the correct shoes and replace them when needed. Volunteer, volunteer, volunteer. Cross country runners, parents and coaches are some of the best people in the world. Get to know them.