Unionville High School coach Mark Lacianca (@LacUVille) earned notoriety, appearing in Runner’s World, for his implementation of cross training on the way to two NXN berths. Lacianca and his cross training methods also receive mention in the recently released Amazing Racers by Marc Bloom, which dissects the Fayetteville-Manlius dynasty.
In the past few years, Coach Lacianca has led the charge to implement changes to the traditional dual meet model moving instead to a more athlete friendly Supermeet which provides better opportunities for training and racing. He argues that athletes often over race during the traditional league meet season and sacrifice valuable training in the process.
Coach Lacianca (mlacianca@ucfsd.net) produces leaders throughout his program with running groups and watch leaders to help foster an interconnected and positive culture. Moreover, a major focus on the team drives their shared purpose. Unionville places an emphasis on the 4x800 relay in the spring and pack running in the fall - conversations routinely revolve around the team because, “It’s a lot more fun when you’re bringing everyone along.”
A Run On Culture Podcast is designed to learn from dedicated local runners and coaches to discover the secrets behind their culture of success. In future episodes we'll interview local high school runners, coaches and community runners. The Run Culture Podcast is a new side project put together by Scott Burns the head coach at Downingtown West High School.
YouTube: https://youtu.be/JaNVwhsGVJA
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-run-on-culture/id1506857114