Cross country coaches work just as hard as any others do. They run, guide and teach. They organize meets, banquets and team dinners.

But what cross country coaches lack is one vital advantage: A sideline.

Take Saturday's Wildcat Invitational, for example. It's annually one of the biggest prep cross country meets of the season. This year's meet was at Osceola Municipal Golf Course. But the coaches, of course, weren't motoring around in golf carts.

In football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and even swimming (to a certain degree), coaches can yell, guide and support their teams with constant fervor from the sidelines.

Not so for cross country coaches.

They begin at the starting line, yelling out some last-minute encouraging words to their runners.

Then, it's off to the halfway point of a three- or five-mile course, depending on if its a girls or boys race.

Finally, they can chug to the finish line to give their runners that much-needed push.

By the end of a meet, the coaches likely are to be just as winded as the athletes. Also, if the coaches do want to get in a word or two, they have to do it loud and fast as their team members dash by.

Easy As Riding A Bike

The way I see it, there are a few ways to amend this tremendous shortcoming.

Jay High School boys coach Stan Blackman gets credit for the first idea. At Saturday's Wildcat Invitational, Blackman made his way around the course on a bicycle.

Not only could he cruise around the course, but he also could keep pace with his athletes. The bike's only downfall is that it's hard to coach your athletes and look where you're going at the same time.

I don't think Blackman had any mishaps, however.