With the size of our Track and XC Programs, I wanted to send this out so everyone could read it. I also think it's important to do it now as we would be having XC meetings soon and the job will be posted.
There will be a press release coming soon for the community.
THANK YOU..... JUST THANK YOU.
Dear Highlands XC and Track Community,
In 2002, after finishing running at NKU, I joined the Highlands XC staff as a volunteer under Coach Dan Baker. We immediately won 3 state titles in girls cross country. I loved coaching, and I was hooked on it. In fact, I quit my job and went back to school to be a teacher because of that love and started out in Boone County. After four years coaching at Highlands, I became an assistant at Northern Kentucky University. Coach Steve Kruse welcomed me, and the men qualified for nationals in Pensacola that year.
After two seasons at NKU, I was asked to rebuild Thomas More’s cross country program. A year later, we started a track team and I was the head coach. I started with only three guys and spent five years there. I left Thomas More having established a solid program. During that time, I applied for a job at Highlands Middle. I stepped away from collegiate coaching knowing I wanted to take over the programs at Highlands. I did just that the following year. We won five state titles in the first six years in girls cross country. We had the first individual state champs in Highlands XC history with Maggie Schroeder and Ethan Shuley who both won twice. In 13 seasons, we accumulated seven girls track regional titles, eight girls XC regional titles, six boys XC regional titles, four girls XC runner-up state finishes, a Middle School boys state title and a third place finish at the Middle School national meet. All but a few girls track records have been rewritten, every boys track distance school record has been rewritten, and I was NFHS XC Coach of the Year twice. We also started an elementary program for XC, which is now one of the largest in Kentucky.
I only say this to highlight our tremendous athletes and their successes. For it is the athletes that make a coach successful. I am proud to have had the opportunity to coach these young people. There are so many state champions that I can’t possibly name them all, but they are forever engraved in the history of this school. I will add that I found just as much joy in coaching the young people who were not vying for state titles. These young people all worked hard to break personal bests and pushed themselves daily.
I want to thank all of my assistant coaches for whom I would never have been able to run a program without. Assistant coaches are invaluable to a program’s success. I also want to thank Coach Kruse and Coach Baker for guiding my coaching philosophy as a runner’s coach. Being laid back and inclusive has always been very important to me.
With much, much thought, and support from my lovely wife, as hard as it is for me to do it, it’s time for me to step down from coaching. With two young children, I want to be there for their activities. Quinn and Ellis deserve that, and I don’t want to miss it. I find myself missing their experiences, while celebrating other students’ victories. It’s time for me to support them.
I am confident that this program will continue to flourish with the talented athletes we have in our great town of Fort Thomas. I will be cheering you on always.
Happy Running,
Coach Alessandro