We can count on one hand our bestest of best friends we’ve had since childhood to now. They’re likely, hopefully, on your phone, a mere text or call away. The friends who have seen you at your best, your worst, your silliest. The ones who have seen you dance, sing, cry, and laugh. They’ve joined you on trips, adventures, they’ve been there through relationships, for better and for worse.
This is what we’re cultivating at Whisper - friendships and lasting memories. Yes, we endure the trench work, but the chatter before, during, and after practice is like listening to the sounds of crickets, frogs, and nature at play as an evening winds down - it’s therapeutic. The sounds soothe the soul, making time pause, even if it's just for a moment.
Alongside Kyle on my morning run, we talked about program culture as it relates to the chemistry of our team. As we discussed while slugging out 6ish miles, traditional team sports are inherently cohesive, as they share the same ball, run designed plays that depend on teammates being in the right place at the right time, etc. Meanwhile, running is a bit different. When training, cohesion comes in the form of unspoken mutual respect, admiration for a teammate who is performing the same work beside them, or as in the case at Whisper, a periodic hi-5 from a teammate.
Moments of vulnerability also stoke team cohesion, whether is training in a new pack, trying a new event, leading drills, leading packs, or being an example (for better or worse) in front of peers. No kid wants to fail, but it’s understood that failure at Whisper is okay, and in turn, kids try harder. The long-term goal of working through vulnerability is that it enhances team cohesion (in a roundabout way), which will hopefully transfer to the classroom or workforce down the road.
As I’ve been saying for the last few months, Whisper is in the midst of a youth movement, with ~100 kids in the winter program, half being of elementary age. Meanwhile, we’ve taken on some olds in the form of parents to help guide the future of our program. If you’ve been at practice, you’ve seen these parents running alongside the groups, helping corral the kids and work through the rigor. The coaches, listed below, understand the priorities: 1) help develop good humans, 2) build great athletes, and 3) help runners reach their highest potential.
Coach Stuart is a Registered Nurse, with the Mechanical Circulatory Support and Shock team at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.
Coach Sam is an Account Director at OpenAI.
Coach Jesse is an Instructor of Psychology at Washington State University, in addition to leading Workforce Development and Training Admin for the Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
Coach Hillary owns the Goddard School
Coach Kyle and Coach Sarah are Physical Therapists.
Coach Micah is a Global Sales Operator Representative for Teledyne, ran collegiately, is still a high-performing runner, has coached at the high school level, and is wise beyond his years in the world of running.
And if you’ve been here long enough, then you are well aware of the Great Nicholas Marty, a legend of sorts, who has amassed a nice running career, is currently attending WSUV studying Finance (and other stuff), and is also spearheading our non-profit branch, Whisper Community.
From Bring Your Own Spoon/Mug nights, to gift drives, and simple knuckles and hi-5’s, efforts are made to make kids feel welcomed at Whisper. A post, “i need a friend” was published in 2019 on this very topic - companionship, and ultimately, team cohesion. As stated in the 2019 post, If your child needs a friend, it is our goal to help them grow a friend, organically. Please feel free to let the coaches know how things are progressing with your child’s emotional growth in the area of friendship, specifically their happiness and their desire for companionship.