Coach’s Corner: Stoker demands consistency

Triangle photo by Lana Douglas
Triangle photo by Lana Douglas

By Sebastian Fischer
Staff Writer

Last week I had the opportunity to talk to Coach Rodney Stoker, head coach for both the men and women’s cross-country and track and field. Now in his sixth season at Bryan, Coach Stoker was named Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) men’s cross country coach of the year three times and led his team to three conference championships while producing seven NAIA All-Americans and 61 All-conference awards. Stoker, a graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, resides in Dayton with his wife of 11 years, Kimberly, and their two children Owen Miles (8) and Ian Pace (4). I talked to him about results, expectations for the upcoming track season and his coaching philosophy.

The cross-country and track and field program is the only one in the Bryan Athletic Department with a packed schedule year-round. Aren’t you jealous that your colleagues get more time off?

Our schedule is different, no doubt that it gets packed with cross country in the fall followed by the track indoor and outdoor season. But all the other coaches still put in a lot of time too, and, of course, I love my job and want my athletes to be successful. I’m a very competitive guy and I always want to win.

How is the year separated into the different seasons?

The cross country season takes place in the fall. As soon as that’s over, the indoor season starts. This year we took a little break over Christmas and will start off the indoor season next week with the race in Indiana (Indiana Relays in Bloomington, IN, January 28, 29). The outdoor season won’t start until the end of March.

Do you focus on some parts of the season more than on others?

The cross-country national championship is the key of the season and to get there we have to win the conference, so we can’t focus on the national championship without being concerned about the conference meetings. In track, the focus is on the outdoor season. We still compete indoors, but you can’t run fast all the time because then we wouldn’t be at our best when it comes to the national championship in track. We still want do well in the indoor national championship, but there is no doubt, especially for the middle distance and distance runners, that the focus is on the outdoor season.

You had a great cross-country season that finished with a program best of seventh place at the national championships. Looking back at the season, what is your conclusion?

I think now as you get more and more away from the season you see things clearer. During the season it was very intense. We were excited because we were successful and made it to the national championships. I was proud of my guys and we had a fantastic run at the nationals, although some guys didn’t even run at their best level, and in the end we finished seventh.

Of course you could always think about what could have happened if you made little things a little different, but there is no point in doing that. However, I think we can do better next year. We indeed lose our seniors Zach Buffington, Josh Bradley, Hunter Hall and Colby Smith who are going to be missed, especially because of their great leadership, but the underclassmen are growing and maturing in how they approach racing.

What are your goals and expectations for the upcoming track and field season?

We always let our athletes dream as big as they want – whether it is winning a national championship, being an all-American, or just making the nationals. Of course we try to meet all of their goals, but if that’s going to happen or not – I don’t know. Realistically, I think we should have some athletes being all-Americans indoors and definitely outdoors. But no matter if that will happen or not, our expectation is always that we get better. The good thing about an expectation like that is that tracks don’t lie, and success or failure measured easily. You always know if you’re making progress and getting better. Some of my athletes have really set themselves apart and they have a great potential to make it a big season.

Who are those athletes you are talking about?

Of course there is Bryson Harper, who is fitter than ever and pays attention to all the small details that it takes to be great. Bryson was our first NAIA All-American in cross country and has the advantage of a great range, so he could do well in anything from the 800 meters up to the 5k. Zach Buffington was fantastic in cross country, just behind Harper, and was 8th last year in the NAIA Championship 10k. The three sophomores, Jason McLeod, Alex Stephens and Drew Thompson, have championship experience and have been here for 18 months now, so I believe they will make some nice jumps in performance this winter and spring.

For our women’s team Ericka Simpson and Alyssia Lindsay should break every school record from the mile to the 10k, while newcomer Andrea Spencer has come a long way in a short time and will do well in the 800 and 1500 meter races.

Last season you were named AAC men’s cross-country coach of the year for the third time. The same number of times your team won the conference and has been to the National Championships, since you restarted the program in 2005. How do you push your team to those heights?

I think often coaches get way too much credit, because the kids do all the work, and it’s not hard to point someone in the right direction. When people come to me and say, “Coach, you’ve built a great program,” I point at my athletes because they built the program, I just had to guide a little bit. For me it’s just fun to watch the kids grow and get better all the time because that’s what they’ve done.

Then what are the keys to the great success of your team?

Success is all about being consistent. Maybe I preach too much to my athletes, but I think it’s important to do at least something every day. However, consistency doesn’t only mean training every day. It’s also about the way you eat, the way you sleep, and the way you set your mind on your athletic success in everything you do. Most of the athletes perfectly embody the necessary mindset without me even saying something.

I try to remind my athletes that everything they do [reveals] an opportunity; whether it is a practice, going to class, or maybe just sitting down at dinner with somebody. Those are all opportunities, and sometimes – too often – we just let them pass by. The goal is to minimize missing out on opportunities.

Your program is one of the most successful athletic programs at Bryan College. However, it seems not to always get the attention it deserves, mainly because there are no events on campus. Does that bother you sometimes?

It doesn’t bother me personally, I’m just trying to do my job and take care of the people who are interested in it. But sometimes it bothers me for my athletes, because if you see how the athletes are supporting each other at the events we have on campus – those are the experiences you never forget.

Can you think of ways to change the situation?

The main thing we’d need would be our own facility. The AAC wants Bryan College to be the host of the conference tournament for cross-country next year and we are trying to figure out a location where that is possible. I think it would be fun to have the student body there, to see our guys and girls perform, but I don’t know yet if that’s going to work out or not.