Dillon Hu, the assistant coach for MHS’s track team for one year, has been passionate about running ever since his days as an athlete in middle school, which would eventually lead to him running long distance for UCLA, Hu said.
Hu had not always been a runner, nor was he particularly interested in running initially, he said.
“I started running because I wanted to just stay in shape for basketball,” Hu said. “But eventually, after a while, I just really started it, and I realized I was going to be pretty good at it.”
The biggest factor in Hu’s enjoyment of the sport was simply the individuality and goal-oriented nature of running, he said.
“Running is one of the few things that you have completely under your control,” Hu said. “How fast you run on a particular day, how well you’re doing, how much you’re improving一it’s all within your control.”
Hu had been coaching on and off for a while and is currently coaching for his third year at MHS, Hu said.
“My two high school coaches were really fantastic and they made a huge difference in my life,” Hu said. “I always thought it’d be cool to give back and try to coach on my own.”
Hu’s favorite part about coaching is seeing kids becoming more invested in running as the season progresses, Hu said.
“You just keep these kids who just came in for whatever reason, and then they’re still sticking around after the season ends. It’s not necessarily the fast kids.” Hu said.
As a coach, Hu always tries to set goals for his athletes by preparing workouts, exercises, and goals, senior Rushay Lad said.
“I think with Coach Dillon coming in, we became more organized,” Lad said. “ We had a whole spreadsheet full of what we were doing every day, along with paces and predicted mile times.”
Lad has felt a significant improvement in his own athletic performance this year thanks to the changes that Hu has brought to the track team’s routine, Lad said.
“Last year, my PR (personal record) for the 1600 meter was about 5 minutes and 40 seconds,” Lad said. “And then about a month ago, I hit 4 minutes and 56 seconds. That was my whole goal for the entire season.”
Other than handling the logistical aspects of coaching, Hu believes that a good coach should also support athletes mentally, Hu said.
“A good coach is one who doesn’t just coach track, but also coaches life skills and responsibility and leadership,” Hu said. “I’m trying to always give them a lot of emotional support, but at the same time push them to be successful (and) push them to improve things.”
Hu believes that a huge part of team success is the culture of the team during the season, he said.
“Coaching is a lot like teaching,” Hu said. “You have to have high expectations; you have to really enforce consistency. You first have to be the unpopular one: ‘I like things done a certain way.’”
Lad has also observed his teammates improve throughout the season, which has helped build a strong community within the team, he said.
“I don’t think I would have been able to break that five-minute barrier without them,” Lad said. “We just motivate each other, and it was just fun having a whole group having a common goal of always improving.”