Training Takeover Looms

-->

Conflicts among warring factions in Run Camp’s coaching ranks reached a head last week when a six-coach coalition set out to create an entirely new training philosophy and schedule as early as Week 5. 

Run Camp’s 13 coaches serve as an unofficial judicial branch of an organization long dominated by veto-hungry Blaine Lam, who has agreed to let the coalition present their changes to the 130-member Team Leader corps, who represent all campers. 

Team Leaders will vote March 1 on the so-called Montei Manifesto, a policy document that contains the demands of the combined philosophies of two former splinter groups.  One splinter group of coaches, not coincidentally led by an Indiana graduate, favors the Bobby Knight School of leadership.  They feel campers need more discipline and structure, that they’re becoming less and less self reliant,

The other coaches’ group feels that Run Camp has lost its soul and mystery and should adopt an I Ching approach. 

Rob Lillie, speaking on behalf of the seven-coach majority, dismisses both the old-school Knight philosophy and the old-old-old school philosophy of Chinese thought as a “misguided blend of unnecessary tough love and neo-Confucianism.” 

Saying “aren’t we all going through enough change?” Lillie and his compatriots say they already have their hands full with sore and achy campers.”

“That’s just my point,” said the vocal Knight disciple.  “We’ve been encouraging whining.”

Coach Janet Montei drew up the manifesto with a specific training program that brings both mystery and discipline into play.   Using the classic I Ching hexagon as a guide, six sets of six teams will meet in 36 separate locations each Saturday for six weeks. Their training schedules and locations will be determined by signs of the Zodiac. 

Because there are only 30 teams, and because Cheryl Pickett would be tasked to create an extra six teams, find 12 more team leaders and create 36 separate routes each week, she will be lobbying for the status quo at the Team Leader Convention.

Meanwhile, there’s dissension in the Team Leader ranks as well. The so-called Hart-Young Hangover Effect finds team leaders split on who they want to fill the void left by Allison’s absence.  Chelsea Dilla, who favors the status quo, and renegade Tracy Matthews, appear to have an equal number of loyalists going into the convention.