KENT FALTING SHARES A LAUGH WITH A FORMER RUNNER AT THE FIRECRACKER 5K!
In this week's MileSplit LA Coaches Conversation we get insight from Parkway head cross country Kent Falting, who begins season No. 18 with the Panthers.
MileSplit LA: How did you get into coaching?
Coach Falting: I came back to Parkway to coach basketball with my head coach from my time there as a student. I took over cross country my second year when the head coach got sick and they needed someone to fill in. I then fell in love with XC and track and have been coaching them ever since.
MileSplit LA: What is something you know now that you wish you knew when you started coaching?
Coach Falting: I wish I knew more about distance training. One of the best runners I ever coached was in my first two years coaching. Matt Wolfe won 5 state titles and ran a 4:19 true mile while I was coaching him to run about 25 miles a week with some pretty simple workouts. I always wonder how fast he could have been had I known as much as I know now about training stimuli, stress load, and volume.
MileSplit LA: What is your team doing this summer to prepare for the upcoming cross country season?
Coach Falting: We run 6 days a week, weight lift twice a week, and have a commitment to consistently train and grow mileage throughout the summer.
MileSplit LA: Who is an athlete on your team who doesn't get much recognition, but is an invaluable member of the team, and why are they deserving of recognition?
Coach Falting: Gary Smith is a senior on the team who has given his all each year for his team. He is soft spoken and shies away from the spotlight but he is invaluable to our team success. He trains right, is a great teammate and motivator, and he gives his best at every race. The team knows they can count on him and that's the best compliment an athlete can get!
MileSplit LA: How has the level of coaching across the state changed since you began coaching?
Coach Falting: The quality of coaching has improved tremendously since I began. It used to be that the same teams could be at the top of the state regardless of talent because of the few knowledgeable coaches who cared. Now, more and more teams are fighting for top finishes because young, highly motivated coaches are willing to put in the work.
MileSplit LA: What are the core values of your program that you stress to your team?
Coach Falting: Good coaches steal things from other better coaches, so our values come from a few different places but we believe:
1. Motivated runners find a way.
2. Consistency is the key to training.
3. To truly find success, you have to be willing to fail. Failing is how you learn to be great.
MileSplit LA: As a whole, what is the outlook for your team this season?
Coach Falting: I am very excited for this team and believe we can be one of the top teams in the state.
MileSplit LA: What accomplishments are you most proud of in your coaching career?
Coach Falting: 1. Coaching a boys(2010) and a girls (2013) team to win a state title.
2. Being the only coach in 5A to have a boy and a girl win the state title in XC on the same day.
3. Having 48 kids go on to run in college.
And finally, having the privilege to coach my son, Gabriel Falting, as he chases his own accomplishments.
MileSplit LA: In ten years from now, when you think back on the great performances by your athletes, is there one performance in particular you think will stick out?
Coach Falting: This might be the hardest question on this survey. The thing that immediately pops in my head is watching Sara Funderburk win the gold medal in the 1600m, 800m, 3200m, and the 4x400m at the 2016 District 1-5A Meet. She got the baton in third place and closed in 56 after completing all those distance events. I still get chills thinking about it.
MileSplit LA: Who have been some of the biggest influences in your coaching career?
Coach Falting: My biggest influences on a local level have been Frank Trammel, Mark Hamiter, Dave Anderson, and Dustin Cochran. These are truly great friends who have helped shape me as a coach. From an educational perspective, my coaching has been shaped by Joe Vigil, Jeff Messer, Justin Leonard, and Dave Frank. Their clinics and email communications have been foundational to our success as a team.
MileSplit LA: What goals do you have for your team this season?
Coach Falting: We would like to continue to move the needle. I am hoping for a top 3 state finish, I would like to see several of our school records get broken, I would like to see us competitive on a national stage as we compete at larger events, and I would like college running opportunities for our runners who want to continue competing. My biggest goal is to have the most exciting distance year we have ever had!
READ MORE:
MileSplit LA Coaches Conversation: Ruston's Dustin Cochran!
MileSplit LA Coaches Conversation: Brother Martin's Drew Haro!
MileSplit LA Coaches Conversation: Parkview Baptist's Chad Landry!
NEXT WEEK: Central High School's Travis Johnson