Geoff Hennessy on Running: Views and Advice from a Coach

Any resident of Quincy who runs competitively knows the famous coach in the blue hat - Geoff Hennessy.

Being the head coach of the Quincy/North Quincy Cross Country and Track and Field teams, and the director of the Quincy Track Club, Hennessy has made his name known in the Quincy running community. As an involved member of the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Association and a Track Official, his dedication to young runner athletes does not go unnoticed.

Hennessy’s dedication derives from the deep love he holds for the sport that he once competed in - he ran at both North Quincy High School and the University of Massachusetts Boston. Although it has been many years since he has run competitively, his love has not faded. His consistent effort to ensure that his teams achieve their goals and meet their fullest potential is his passion, and one that he is good at too. Under him, QNQ has won countless meets and league championships and athletes have been given what they need to succeed.

In an interview amidst the high school winter track season, Hennessy dives into his background as both a runner and a coach, and offers his best advice to athletes and students.

What is your background with track? Did you run in your younger years?

I started running track in 10th grade to prepare for football- I liked it and so I stuck with it. I didn’t start winning until my junior year, though. I got into hurdling because I knew that I was good at it - when I was a kid in Quincy we were always trying to jump over the neighbor’s hedges. Once I started hurdling and I started winning I realized running was fun.

What made you decide to coach track?

I always liked coaching and instructing people about what to do. I like to lead and organize, even as a kid I did. Coaching was just kind of something that I always wanted to do.

What is the most rewarding part of coaching?

Seeing kids get better. It’s great to see personal improvements, whether it is the best kid on the team or the worst kid on the team. It is exciting for the coach and the athlete when kids learn things and use them to improve.

To what extent do you care about wins and losses?

I don’t. Really, I don’t. The wins will come -if you have the athletes, and the correct lineups, you might be successful, but you also cannot control your opponents. If we work everybody to their fullest potential, either we will win or we won’t.

What is the most vital variable to guarantee success in a runner?

Attitude. Kids that really want to do well and show up everyday wanting to find success, do find success.

Is it more rewarding for you to see an individual athlete win, or to see a team win together?

One leads to the other. If each individual does their best, the team will succeed. In this program, everybody cheers and roots for each other. We have good comradery - we have a diverse group of kids from all over the city and they all have fun with it.

How has the pandemic affected track/ your programs?

It greatly cut down the number of competitive opportunities for our athletes. It hasn’t put too much of a crimp in our practices, but as far as the number of meets we have had, there have been far fewer. When we had our “covid” season last year, we were doing our own meets once a week outdoors and we could control what we did, but now we go to a place like the Reggie- Lewis Center, and they have cut back on the number of teams allowed in, so we don’t run as much. When you are in high school, you need lots of opportunities to meet your goal. If you don’t get them, it’s discouraging. High school kids are sitting on the fence about how much they like it or how much they should sacrifice, and they aren’t getting enough feedback. It's not rewarding to never know how good you are.