This season, there is one big change to the girls cross country team: the coaches. Last year, the team was led by John Wojciakowsi, Sara Pitt and James Haveman. Now that Pitt and Haveman have left, two new teachers are taking over their roles.
Spanish teacher Holly Chapin is one of the two new girls coaches for the 2022 season. She has not had previous experience in coaching and is thrilled to begin this fall and learn from other people.
“I am most excited to learn from Coach Wojciakowski and Coach [Emily] Coscarelli, because they both have prior coaching and running experience,” Chapin said. “I want to learn how to be a well-rounded coach for our team.”
Coaching alongside Chapin is social studies teacher Emily Coscarelli. She coached track last season before picking up cross country.
“I am excited about getting to know a new group of runners,” Coscarelli said. “I loved cross country because of the girls I ran with, so getting to know this new group has been something that I’ve looked forward to doing.”
Chapin and Coscarelli are welcoming this new role with open arms. Both new coaches have high hopes and expectations for the team.
“This season I hope to broaden our team’s knowledge of healthy running practices: strong warm-ups, good cool downs, stretching and more. I get to implement those things in practice and at meets,’” Chapin said.
Junior and long distance runner Katherine Cook is enthusiastic about the coaching change.
“[Coscarelli] coached track, and she was such a good supporter during track that I wanted her to be my cross country coach,” Cook said. “We love Coscarelli, and Chapin, she gives us new ways to approach things, and she gives us tools, exercises, warmups, dynamics and helps us with our running. Coscarelli is more of a supporter and motivator for me.”
Cook has many goals for this season and hopes for Chapin and Coscarelli to help her achieve them.
“[The coaches can] be my overall supporter and also give me new tools, and new ways of thinking in running,” Cook said.
With her experience in the classroom and on the field, Coscarelli has all the tools she needs to coach the team this season.
