I had the chance to ask Coach Breger some questions about the success that his teams are having this year. These are his answers:
1) Coach Breger, your team is experiencing tremendous success this year. It could be said that your boy’s team is the break out team of the year! What do you attribute this to? What have you done at DMA since you have been there to see the tremendous results this year?
Steve -
A. we started this year with a "bring a friend to practice" to up numbers - the biggest challenged we have faced so far is that - numbers - the more runners the better...
B. Our conditioning and core work is very intense - my assistant coach Greg Cephas put together a great work out that includes MMA, Strongman, Highland games, and construction site elements - both the boys and the girls do it - you would be surprised how the girls take to swinging a sledge hammer
C. Our positivity is crucial - they understand what it means to be a team
D. The team believes in the workouts - period
E. We have a strict diet and they police each other....they really do - :-)
F. We also create exercise "punishments" varied types of pushups for behavior unbecoming of the team....but the runners love it - i.e. we have pushup called "sweet and sour" if you are caught eating candy - another called the bullfighter - for fighting "bull" - they don't mind the pushups because they know what they did - no reason to get loud
G. HILLS
2) How long have you been at DMA coaching cross country? What brought you there?
This is my third year at DMA and fate brought me - let’s just leave it at that :-) I am happy to be there...I love the cadets and what they have done for the coaching staff - Coach Cephas, Coach Phalen, and myself...
3) What is the culture of cross country at DMA? What kind of school and parent support do you have?
The culture is the school doesn’t get it.... not their fault - we have HUGE parent support but the other cadets think it is just running...however....that is changing - with the bring a friend to practice - the word has spread that we are a serious team and a team to be respected...
4) Tell us about Richie Mitten and Travis Payne. They seem to have been consistent and competitive their whole high school running careers, but have really upped their game this year. What do you attribute that to?
Travis was a solid frosh, a great soph - and then last year had set backs due to a stress fracture....(he still ran in the 17's at states with it...) this year he is on a mission...
Richie trained with the team last year - team Capt. John Pilchard is the one responsible for bringing him over from soccer...he bought into the program without a moment’s thought...I wonder what could have been if I had him for 3 years....
5) How about your girls? They went from 16th at last year's New Castle County meet to 6th this year? Tell us about your girl’s team and the marked improvement?
We have 10 girls total on the team - 10....to be 6th at counties and ranked in the top 5 of D2 thrills me for them :-) of the ten - five are frosh....like Richie they came in and now believe in the system....most didn’t log more than 75 miles over the summer - I am excited for next year when they put in some real miles.... :-)
Getting them young and keeping them excited about xc is the most important element...
Kourtney Sumner is our capt - she has had a great season this year - winning the Fr Beattie Invite small school girls race...it’s wonderful that she now has a group to support her....it has added to her confidence....the others are constantly surprised at their achievements....
6) You have an individual on your team, a boy, Kaz Sortino. Tell us about him and what he brings to your team and explain to those who don't know about him and his story.
Kaz has CP - cerebral palsy - Kaz has been running since elementary school - he told me the other day that if it hadn’t been for the CP he would have never experienced or fallen in love with xc...he would have played football...he is funny to coach because of his abilities....we do woods running at least 2x a week - and he is always covered in dirt afterwards - the other week we ran a trail we call "Lost in the woods" - 3 creeks and a vicious downhill section - Kaz literally went hand over hand to cross the creeks....he is something....but does not want extra attention - as he puts it - it’s his life....I can imagine that parents who don't know me and see me getting on him about a race think i am cruel - he expects to get grief if he isn’t racing up to par - and besides - what I know of his training--- he should race well...