By Kendall Clark
For the fourth year in a row, the Sacred Heart Pioneers Women’s Indoor Track and Field team was named
Northeast Conference (NEC) Coaching Staff of the Year.
The women’s team scored at least one point in each one of their 17 events at the 2017 NEC Indoor Championships, which ran Feb. 17-18 at the Ocean Breeze Complex in Staten Island.
Head coach Christian Morrison and his staff had five runners make all conference and in addition, three runners earned the status of All-Rookie after their performance throughout the season.
Morrison is proud of his staff and runners.
“It is an honor to coach this group of women. Their dedication, willingness to make sacrifices, and team spirit and cohesiveness are the secrets to our success. Our women train under adverse conditions, in terms of weather and facilities, but they persevere, stay positive and get the job done,” said Morrison.
Rain or shine, snow and slush, Morrison and his staff has prepared his staff and runners to push through any obstacle that comes their way.
All of the head coaches in track and field from the Northeast Conference vote on the awards.
“It’s humbling to know that our colleagues think we did the best coaching job, and four years in a row no less,” said Morrison.
However, he was quick to give credit where it’s due.
“My assistants all do a thorough and professional job of coaching the athletes that they oversee,” said Morrison. “The outcomes we have are proof of that and I’m fortunate to have each of them on my staff.”
Morrison talked about how he wants his staff to set an example so that they can inspire other coaching staffs to improve their teams by reaching new levels and exceeding their potential.
“Things are never perfect, no matter where you work, but I think we get excellent administrative support at Sacred Heart. From Bobby Valentine and Brad Hurlbut on down, everyone tries to put our teams in a position to have success,” said Morrison.
According to Morrison, there’s no secret when it comes to coaching. It’s all about how bad the coaches and players are motivating each other.
“If a coach isn’t passionate about what they’re doing, then they’re probably not going to do a good job,” said Morrison. “It also helps if a coach has some creativity and some innovative impulses. There are so many challenges involved in coaching track and field. Each member of my staff is really good at dealing with challenging circumstances.”
Morrison and his crew are looking to bring the same passion next year as they look to win the award for the fifth year in a row. Although the awards are nice, Morrison has his priorities straight.
“We’d love to keep on winning conference championships, while making a greater impact at the regional and national level. More importantly, we want to keep on
recruiting, coaching, and graduating young people that we’re proud to have worked with,” said Morrison.
