Smoky Mountain Coaching Workshop Asheville, North Carolina
The Smoky Mountain Running Coaching Workshop offers a special learning opportunity for beginning coaches, (and even veteran coaches), looking for a more scientific approach to coaching your cross country teams.
The workshop is offered in conjunction with the Nike Smoky Mountain Running Camp. The curriculum is based on Coach Roy Benson's book, ""The Secret Workouts,' Coachly Wisdom about Effort Based Training." The workshop teaches the principles of hard/easy training and gives coaches the tools to individualize workouts by tying together pace, pulse, and perceived exertion.
Coaches are invited to attend Camp with their teams.
Highlights Include
- Superior facilities: beautiful campus surroundings, state-of-the-art track facility and new Wellness Center.
- Coaches are encouraged to accompany their cross country teams and attend the Coaches Workshop covering the latest in training and racing techniques.
- The workshop runs concurrently with the youth camp session.
Located at the University of North Carolina- Asheville, in the beautiful Smoky Mountains, the camp is one of the oldest in the country. Coachess stay in air conditioned dorms, in suite style living accommodations- 2 bedrooms with a bath and living room.
The Smoky Mountain Running Camp operates on National Forest System Lands and are authorized under Special Use Permit by the Pisgah Natinal Forest.
Meet your coaching staff
Camp Director
Jerry Crockett
Dr. Jerry Crockett is a retired professor from Oklahoma State University in the area of physiological ecology.
During his tenure at OSU, he became a masters distance runner, setting many state records and winning several national championships. He was elected to the Oklahoma Distance Running Hall of Fame. Later he became an aide to Coach Ralph Tate in the OSU track and field and cross country program until his retirement.
Read Full Bio
His interest in athletics started in high school where he played all sports. He attended Northwestern Oklahoma State University on a basketball scholarship and played AAU basketball for several years.
His interest in track started as a coach at Higgins, Texas High in 1951. While playing AAU basketball, he directed the state AAU junior track meet.
He served in various state and national positions with the USA Track and Field governing body and retired in 2005 as the Chair of the Long Distance Running Division which oversees all distance running (track, road-running, cross-country, mountain, ultra, and trail running) in the U. S. coordinating the selection of all national teams.
He still serves as a volunteer assistant at OSU and coaches several adult athletes as well as serving as a consultant for several high school coaches.
Celebrating our 40th year!
- The SMRC Coaches Workshop runs concurrently with a SMRC youth camp session
- July 15-20
Coaches will be able, should they choose, to join with staff and campers for daily runs. They will also have access to the weight room and modest pool. Discounts on running gear will be available at a local running store. If they bring campers and desire to watch their videos of running form, special arrangements can be made. Individual consults are also possible and visitation with staff coaches at the coaches hospitality room is encouraged.
The Smoky Mountain Running Camp puts great emphasis on teaching runners the wisdom of the hard/easy training philosophy developed by the late, great U of Oregon coach and Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman. To implement the Bowerman philosophy, we use Coach Benson's Effort Based Training Program to allow the whole camp to run the same appropriate effort while allowing each group to train at their individualized paces based on their current fitness, over-all ability and general goals. The instruction is serious and the training is right for this time of the summer.
Coaches are invited to bring their teams. Team offerings include:
Our Advanced Placement (AP) Cross Country Class is offered during all camp sessions for those elite runners who desire college level instruction about the Art & Science of Running. Sign-up details will be available at registration. No advanced sign-up is required.
Middle School Program: (July 15-20 only) We have modified our high school program and created a separate curriculum and activity schedule that will be offered concurrently with the high school schedule. We feel extremely confident that this will provide a satisfying experience for these younger runners.
This is an instructional camp and not a week of "normal" training. The middle school runners will be running twice a day, but it will be instructional based running. Think of a playing lesson with a golf pro. The intent is not necessarily to shoot your best round but to gain insight and knowledge on how to be your best over time.
Pre-Existing Conditions: The Smoky Mountain Running Camp offers an extremely challenging athletic training program. Running on wild forest trails offers pitfalls, challenges and wild life. Please DO NOT come to camp if you have any pre-existing injuries, are not completely healthy and ready to run a minimum of 20-25 miles during camp.
We discourage campers with bee sting allergies from attending our program. If you choose to attend, you must carry an epinephrine pen at all times and understand that on some of our trails, if anything goes wrong, we cannot get you to medical help within the half hour. Please study the waiver carefully.
**Our operations on National Forest System Lands are authorized under Special Use Permit by the Pisgah National Forest
Sample Daily Schedule
- 7:00am Breakfast
- 7:45-9:00am Class- example: Effort Based Training Components-nomograms/ Periodicity
- 9:15-10am Guest Speaker
- 10:30-12:00 Optional forest run
- 12:00pm Lunch
- 1:30-2:30pm Class- example: Plans and Patterns
- 4:00-5:00pm Observing pacing practice
- 5:00pm Dinner
- 7:00-8:00pm Class- example: Variable pacing
- Social hour each evening
Check-in & Check-out Details:
Check-in: TBA
Check-out: TBA
Dorms:
Coaches stay in air conditioned dorms, 2 bedrooms, connected with a bath.
Travel:
Airport: Asheville North Carolina Airport (20 mins from campus). Airport pick-ups will be available for $25 each way.
- Preferred Flight Arrival: 10:00 – 11:00 AM Sunday
- Preferred Flight Departure: 2:00 – 3:00 PM Friday
Buses:
Atlanta Bus: Bus transportation is available to and from the Atlanta area each week. Seats are limited, sign up early! Round trip price $95 (price subject to change). Campers wishing to travel one way will be placed on a "wait list." Priority is given to round trip riders. For more details and to make reservations please call US Sports (800-645-3226).
Call for details on buses running from Pensacola, Fllorida.
Read camper reviewsCoach B
I would highly recommend this camp to any new coach. I spent the week surrounded by very knowledgeable coaches eager to share their wealth of coaching advice. This was the most amazing experience and I look forward to returning next year.
Coach C, college coach
As a college coach, I learned a lot more about coaching methods. I will be able to use a lot of what I picked up in the clinic and with the runners' programs.