The main focus of the modified X-C program is to instill a love of running and exercise and the value it has to one’s health and well-being. We also emphasis the grow of each individual on the team both as an athlete and a person. Character is very important to my coaching philosophy. Lastly we try to create a desire to pursue running cross country up at the varsity level. The wonderful thing about Cross Country is that if you practice and stay in good standing on the team you will get to participate equally in every meet we have. There is no bench in cross country, no one has to sit out. The other important thing to know is that everyone can have success. Because X-C is time driven. Meaning each kids is trying to beat their own time from the last race. Many times at a meet the few kids coming in last are getting the biggest cheers by both teams because all the folks realize how hard they are trying and the running community values that.

Coach Couchman has been a PE teacher at RFA as well as Varsity Girl’s Indoor and Outdoor Track & Field Coach for 22 yrs. He has been Coaching modified XC for 18 years, been coaching running and other sports (Track & Field, Football, wrestling, VB, and Baseball for 30 years and a total of 86 seasons, basically 3 per year.

He went to high school at Mohawk Central School, College as follows: AS from HCCC, BS from SUNY Brockport, MS from SUNY Cortland as well as a certificate to teach Driver’s Education from SUNY Oswego.

He has been teaching since 1991, when he started as a PE teacher at Windsor Central School District. In 1993 I came back to the Mohawk Valley to work as a PE teacher in the Rome City School District and have been here for the past 22 years.

Until he came to the Cross Country program from football, Rome had never had a modified cross country coach, the varsity coaches had to run the program. Since then they have had a few undefeated seasons on both the girls and boys side, including this past season for the boys. The original team when he started consisted of about 15 athletes, 9 boys and 6 girls. It currently averages about 30-35 athletes.