Move to Sanderson Doesn’t Change Results for Coach Bochert
Photos: Courtest of North Raleigh Sports.com and Coach Bochert
Coach Jason Bochert has been coaching Cross Country for 7 years. It didn’t take him long to make a name for himself while at Pinecrest High School in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
Two of his proudest moments in his coaching career came in 2004 and 2006. “The 2006 squad that broke the 4x800 meter relay state record, 7:45.51 The 2004 Pinecrest squad that won states in cross country is a close second.”
Two years ago, Coach Bochert headed north up I-95 for a new home. “It was really hard to say goodbye to Southern Pines and the folks down there. I suggest to anyone, if you get a chance to go to the Southern Pines/Pinehurst area to not pass it up. It really is a great place to live and run.”
However, now he feels he is in the right place. “I moved to Raleigh to get married, I was really unsure of what I wanted to do. I knew that I wanted to coach but I was unsure of whereto go. The Mideast region and Raleigh had great coaches in place already, so it was hard to find the perfect fit. I am very happy I found it at Sanderson.”
Now, after 2 years, Coach Bochert has the Sanderson team on the move towards the top. Sanderson has had a stellar season thus far, making it all the way to #1 in the NCRunners.com 4A Coaches Poll. In the latest poll, they have since moved down, but it just shows the strength of the 4A classification and especially the Mideast Region.
“Moving from the East Region to the Mideast Region I have found a whole new appreciation for the sport. I have realized that I can't work through meets like in the past and that on any day there are a hand full of teams that have the potential to beat you.”
I asked him what has been the difference for Sanderson over the last two years. Most people didn’t even know where Sanderson was prior to Coach Bochert arriving.
“I think the biggest contributing factor to the team's improvement has been the development of their aerobic system. There are no secrets out there in running. If you get the mileage in you will improve. My guys run anywhere from 50 to 65 miles a week over the summer and in turn gain confidence from it because they know they have done the work that is needed to succeed.”
The 3 C’s, an inside thing with the team, and a little bit of Arthur Lydiard’s ideas have helped this Sanderson make it’s name.
When asked about the goals for the rest of the season, coach said this, “With how competitive the Mideast is, the first goal is to make it to states. If you are good enough to make it out of the Mideast you will probably be good enough to be top 5 in the state. Our goal from there on is to try to accomplish the big goal of winning states. When we sat down for our goal setting I was pleasantly surprised that they threw all the individual goals aside in order to do well as one unit.”
The team most likely has seen his commitment to this team and has begun to take on similar qualities of their coach. A normal day for Jason is hardly easy.
“I drive a whole lot less these days, however my commute is still time consuming. I live in Cary, but work in Durham and coach in North Raleigh so you could say I drive my own little triangle every day. In total I would say I drive around 75-80 miles a day between work, coaching and home. While at Pinecrest I lived in Southern Pines but worked in Fayetteville so I had an hour commute to and from work and still made it to afternoon practices. Getting up at 4:30 AM was kind of a common thing those days. I do it because I love to coach and hope to open new doors academically and athletically for these athletes.”
In his spare time, ha, he also finds the time to train for one or two marathons a year, including the 2009 Boston Marathon. Being originally from Western Pennsylvania you may also see him waving a “Terrible Towel” during a Steelers game of cheering on the Nitany Lions on Saturday.
During the day, when he isn’t coaching, Jason is a “GIS Technician for the City of Durham”.
A few more tidbits about Jason:
1) How would he describe himself: “A detail oriented coach that demands dedication.”
2) College: Clarion College in PA
3) Ran in high school and college