Profile: Coach Stadtlander

Coach David Stadtlander has been involved with the Shaker Track program for the past 10 years. One of the school’s most popular coaches, he can usually be found on Saturday mornings during November running alongside the Shaker distance runners at the Colonie Town Park. Even on those long one hour runs, he will often create word games to make it fun and help distract runners from the cold and discomfort…all before he serves up a breakfast of bagels and bananas as a reward. He can also be found every year participating with his Shaker team at the Troy Turkey Trot…a race he began running while growing up in Lansingburgh outside of Troy. His enthusiasm, encouragement, knowledge and concern for his team have contributed to the success of the Shaker track teams for the past decade. While always trying to bring out the best performance from each athlete, Coach never stops trying to develop the best in each person. Coach Stadtlander recently agreed to be interviewed for shakerrunning.com

Shakerrunning.com Interview with Coach Stadtlander 2/4/08:

Shakerrunning (SR): How did you first become interested in running?

Coach Stadt: I first became interested in running by watching my older siblings compete for Lansingburgh High School . I am the youngest of 7 children and many of my family members were runners. I was especially intrigued by watching my only brother, John, run. He was a terrific competitor and well known for his many running accomplishments. My first experiences with running came at our elementary field day competition. I can remember running and winning the longest event contested which was the 400. After that I began running in the grade school mile of the Troy Turkey Trot and from there it was high school XC and track.

SR: What were your PR's in H.S. and college?

Coach Stadt: In high school I ran around 10:10 for 3200, 4:36 for the 1600 (as a 9th grader) 2:02 for 800 and around 54 for the 400. We were a small school so I ran in a lot of multiple events. In XC I ran around 16:00 at SPAC. I qualified as an alternate for state as a freshman, but did not get to run in the meet. That same year I won all six freshman invitational's we ran in. I struggled with multiple stress fractures for several seasons after that and had to take my junior outdoor season off completely to heal.

SR: When did you begin your teaching career and how long have you been coaching track?

Coach Stadt: I started teaching shortly after graduating from SUNY Cortland in December of 1997. I coached modified track at Lansingburgh in the spring of 1998 while substitute teaching. The following fall, I was hired to fill in as a physical education instructor at Southgate for a semester. That was the first year as head coach of the indoor and outdoor programs. That would make this my 10th+ year. The following fall I was hired as a full time physical education instructor and coach.

SR:Please talk about your philosophy as a coach.

Coach Stadt: My philosophy as a coach is to have a hard working team that improves from the start of the year until the end. I want our athletes to learn about the sport and to become better athletes and people from being a part of it. I like to be successful, but realize that as long as you go out and compete to the best of your ability, you are not always going to finish 1st. If a 4:00 miler competes against a 4:30 miler and the 4:00 runner wins by running 4:10 and the other runner runs 4:20, did the 2nd place runner fail? That is an example of one of the many wonderful life’s lessons that can be taken from this sport. Our team results are measured by points, but our individual accomplishments are measured in seconds and inches. When you are done competing, you will remember your times and your teammates long after you have forgotten what place you finished in any given competition. In addition, you can relate to countless numbers of people who have all shared in the same experience all over the world. A meter is a meter no matter where it is measured.

SR:Who have been the biggest influences on your coaching style?

Coach Stadt: I would have to say that my biggest influences have been the coaches that I have run for and worked with. I have taken those experiences and borrowed what I felt worked best from each individual and created my own style. I work to continually improve upon my coaching each year by evaluating previous success' and failures and learning through continued professional development. I enjoy reading what the latest research has to say and listening to speakers who are experts in the coaching field.

SR: To what meets do you most enjoy bringing the Shaker team?

Coach Stadt: I would have to say that for indoor, my favorite meet is the Southern Tier Classic. However, two of my favorite races are the 4x800 at the New Balance Collegiate Meet and the DMR at the Eastern States Championships. For Outdoor, I really enjoy the Schenectady Invitational.

SR: What are some of the most memorable track performances by Shaker athletes since you became the coach?

Coach Stadt: It is hard to forget our Indoor National Championship 4x800 relay team from 2005. That was an incredible group of runners, and what most people might not realize is that we actually had five runners that were a part of that team. As successful as we were, I had to make some of the toughest decisions of my coaching career for each big meet that we ran in. I think that I could write a book about that year and all of the ups and downs we went through.

SR: What are the biggest challenges of coaching?

Coach Stadt: Some of the biggest challenges of coaching are balancing all of my responsibilities. Coaching can easily absorb your entire life. For many years it did just that. However, after ten years, I am learning how to better balance the work load. I am fortunate to have good assistants and parents who have made a big difference in my life and I appreciate all of the help. The more responsibility I am able to delegate, the more manageable the job has become.

SR: Until 2008, you have been the Head Coach of both the Shaker Indoor and Outdoor Track teams for the last several years. Would you like to talk about your decision to coach only Indoor?

Coach Stadt: I have mixed feelings about giving up the outdoor job. Coaching track has been my life for my entire career and I just need a break to recharge my enthusiasm. One of the aspects of coaching that has really worn me down is pouring all of my energy into the indoor season only to have to start all over again with outdoor, just as the indoor season is reaching its peak. There is a tremendous amount of work that goes into preparing for a new season even though it is primarily the same sport. Sign ups, scheduling, planning, meetings, sports information night, fund raising, leaderboards, results, entries, organizing home meets, banquets and everything else that goes into a season need to be started over. I think that the ideal situation would be if I remained the head coach of the indoor program and became an assistant coach for outdoor. It is something that I will consider in the future.

SR: What advice do you give to young athletes who are beginning their track careers?

Coach Stadt: I would encourage young athletes to devote themselves to the sport that they are doing for their school. I think that we have too many athletes on our track team who are involved in multiple activities simultaneously and as a result they end up sick and/or hurt. Being a good student and a member of an athletic team are enough to keep anyone busy enough. If they aren't, than chances are you are neglecting one or the other. We have a very knowledgeable and dedicated coaching staff, which is very devoted to our student athletes. Listen to what the coaches have to offer and learn from them and your teammates who have done the same. It is the little details in an athlete’s life that make the difference between a good student athlete and a great one.

SR: What is the outlook for Shaker Track teams over the next few years?

Coach Stadt: One of the many characteristics that I am proud of with our program is that for many years, we have produced a quality team. There are years when the talent is better than others, and so you get more accolades. However, you can't force that to happen. I foresee us continuing to put out quality teams with some very talented individuals making their way through the program. If things line up correctly, perhaps we could even challenge for a Suburban Council and or Sectional championship team in the not too distant future. The latter is one of the accolades that I have yet to achieve in my career.

SR: What do you like to do in your spare time?

Coach Stadt: I enjoy spending time with my wife (Franka), family and three dogs (Bailey, Blondie and Benny). One of the personal projects I have for myself with my free time this spring, is to get back into good running shape. Another one of the challenges of coaching is finding time to take care of yourself physically and nutritionally. I am working out and getting ready for the nice weather in hopes of hitting some road races. I also look forward to hiking with my wife and dogs and running my lawn business.

SR: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Coach Stadt: Although I am not officially coaching this spring, I still plan to be involved with helping the other coaches and athletes to a successful outdoor season. I will still be around a lot and look forward to seeing continued improvement in our team. We did a lot of work this winter and we should be ready for a very successful outdoor season. Section II is one of the best in the state and country, so in order to be competitive; you have to stay focused and ready. There isn't a lot of time to relax and still stay competitive. Therefore, do the little things on your own that will make you and the team better. Make good choices with what you eat and drink, do push-up, pull-ups and ab work on your own and get in the weight room at least four times a week. Take care of your bodies and be ready for an action packed spring. The winter is more about training and the spring is all about racing!