Andy Galley will have the honor of coaching Sedona Red Rock Junior High School in its first athletic event Wednesday, Aug. 24.
There will be no opening ceremonies, however, since Galley’s 12 cross-country runners do not host a meet this fall.
“They had the team going; they wanted to run,” said the SRRJHS social studies teacher and former basketball coach at Big Park Community School, where he taught the seven boys and five girls he is coaching this fall. “It was their idea [and] really student-driven.
“They’re self-motivated.”
Instead, they will scramble from the starting line at seven different Verde Valley Athletic Association road venues — beginning at rival Camp Verde Middle School.
“I run with them, but they’re usually waiting for me,” said Galley, who coached football, golf and soccer in Pennsylvania and Sedona prior to this fall. “When I was younger, I did, so this is good for me, too.”
Several of Galley’s seventh- and eighth-graders are in their first year running cross-country, including seventh-graders Chloe Coulter, Amaris Dumars and Jose Landeverde.
Most of the rest of his boys runners are in eighth grade, while the girls are a pretty even mix with seventh-graders, Galley said.
“Everybody has such a different, wide range of abilities, that they’re setting their own personal goals,” Galley said. “There’s no pressure — just improve skills.”
Although they and their nine teammates will typically be running between two to three miles at their seven weekly meets, practice involves many different exercises such as sprints and stretches, Galley explained.
For the full Sedona Red Rock Junior High School schedule of cross-country meets, please see the Wednesday, Aug. 24, issue of the Sedona Red Rock News.
