Should Your High School Runner Work with a Private Coach This Summer? A Parent's Guide.

Spring track season is ending. Your son or daughter just finished their last meet of the year, and now you're facing a question a lot of parents in Indiana face right around this time:

What should they do this summer?

If your athlete is serious about cross country or track — whether they're trying to make varsity for the first time, hold onto their spot, or take a real run at conference or state the summer is the most important training window of the year. What they do (or don't do) between now and August preseason will largely determine how their fall goes.

That's where working with a private running coach comes in. And if you've been curious but not sure it's the right call, here are the three questions I hear most from parents.

"Isn't my kid's school coach enough?"

Your school coach is doing a lot. They're managing 25–150 athletes across a full range of ability levels, coordinating logistics, communicating with administration, and running practices that have to work for everyone. That's genuinely hard work, and most high school coaches care deeply about their athletes.

But here's the reality: during the summer, most school programs offer limited structure. There might be a few group runs per week, but there's no individualized training plan, no ongoing feedback on how your athlete is responding, and no one tracking whether they're building the right base for their specific goals.

A private coach doesn't replace your school coach — they complement them. The plan I build for an athlete is designed to work alongside their school program once the season starts, not compete with it. I've worked with athletes at Westfield, Carmel, Hamilton Southeastern, Noblesville, Fishers, Avon, Brownsburg, Zionsville, West Lafayette, Pendleton, Bishop Chatard, and many other schools across Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Michigan. .

"Is my kid good enough to need a private coach?"

This is the question I hear most often and I want to reframe it.

Private coaching isn't just for the athlete chasing a state title. It's for any runner who has a goal that's bigger than what their current training is delivering. That might be making the varsity top-seven. It might be breaking 5:00 in the mile. It might be going from JV to conference-competitive in one year.

The athletes I've seen make the most dramatic improvement aren't always the top kid in the state….yet. They're the ones who show up consistently, follow a structured plan, and get real-time feedback when something isn't working. That combination is what private coaching provides — and it's available to any athlete who's willing to put the work in.

"Is it worth the cost?"

That depends on what you're measuring against.

Consider what your family already invests in your athlete's running: shoes, entry fees, travel to meets, summer camps. A private coach who builds a personalized training plan, monitors weekly workouts, adjusts the load when your athlete is fatigued or stressed, and is available for questions seven days a week is an extension of that investment and often the piece that actually makes everything else pay off. You can and your child can read every book, blog, and research paper out there…or you can work with a coach that has an extensive exercises science background and 25 years of distance training, racing, and coaching experience.

The runners I've coached have gone on to earn college scholarships, qualify for state, and run lifetime PRs in their first season with structured training. I've also coached athletes who simply fell back in love with running after years of feeling stuck and frustrated. Both outcomes matter.

This summer is the right time.

The window between the end of spring track and the start of cross country preseason in August is short…just roughly ten weeks. It's also the highest-leverage training period of the entire year. The athletes who arrive to preseason already fit, consistent, and confident almost always outperform the ones who trained on their own without structure.

If you're wondering whether this is the right move for your athlete, let's talk. I offer a free 15-minute coaching consultation — no pressure, no commitment — where we can discuss your runner's goals, their current training, and whether working together makes sense.

Schedule your free consultation at roedermultisport.com/contact

Coach Justin Roeder
Westfield, Indiana

Indiana High School Cross Country State Champion · NCAA D1 Head Coach · 188 NCAA-Level Athletes Coached