Running for all ages

Young or old, rookie or veteran, Kevin Walsh wants everyone to come out and run.

Walsh has been coaching cross country and track and field at Jackson for the past 15 plus years, but that is only part of the running community he is helping build.

From youth groups to adult groups, Walsh is helping expand the Jackson running culture.

“There has been a lot of growing over this time period,” Walsh said. “Everything has really taken off the last couple of years. Obviously running is a healthy lifestyle. You get a lot out of it. I always tell people to come out and give it a try, and you'll be amazed how you'll get hooked to it.”

For  the youth runners, Walsh puts on a camp called the Wakonda Challenge from July 5-10. It is at Leesville Lake near Atwood. Walsh is the camp director for children grades fifth through eight, and the week-long camp focuses on the basic concepts of running. Speakers, talks on nutrition, stretching, dynamic drills along with normal camp activities are also done part of the camp.

“It’s all geared to individual ability levels,” he said. “We want to get kids excited about running and run in the summer with other kids and have a good time at camp.”

The cost of the camp is $294 and people interested can contact Kevin Anderson at 330-735-2740, e-mail him at campwakonda@me.com or go to www.wakondacamp.com.

For those looking for something closer to home should head to David YMCA.

There are groups for both children and adults.

On the younger side, there is a class twice a week starting July 14 until Aug. 7 from 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Walsh said he started a class because every other sport had youth programs besides running, and that needed changing.

“(A few years back), I was talking with someone in my running group about doing a camp,” Walsh said. “I went home and said (to myself) I would get it done.”

Entering the third year for the class, Walsh is seeing growing. Children receive a t-shirt for joining and one day of the week will be a run session with running drills and games, generally on Tuesday. Thursdays are mini-cross country races, with the distance varying on the ability and age of the participant. Different age groups do different levels of stretching, and during the races the children are grouped into teams with fun names like the Blue Barracudas, with high school athletes acting as coaches and help them warm up and cool down.

The final day is also the day of the Alumni 5k run, a road-race open to everyone but Walsh encourages alumni to return for the event.

“It only took me 14 years to think of,” Walsh joked.

The class is open to those entering kindergarten to fifth grade, the cost is $26 if someone is a member of David YMCA, $52 for non-members. Parents are welcome to come and watch.
For adults, there is a group run available at no cost and there is no need to be a member of the YMCA.

Every Thursday a group meets at the Tow Path point Ernie’s Trailhead on Lake Ave at 6:30 p.m. This is set up for walkers, walk runners, new runners, middle of the pack runners up to marathon runners. Kathy Baker helps out Walsh organizing the group run.

“She does a great job helping the newer runners,” Walsh said. “It’s an informal get together, and we give hand outs about nutrition.”

This run is all year long, and currently there are about 40 members that meet, which Walsh said has also grown over the last few years. Some people meet afterwards for social gatherings, and Walsh said there are some children that bike as well at the run.

Those interested can contact David YMCA at 330-580-4162 for information.

A new running club just for sixth graders was started at the middle school. They meet two days a week for training and race opportunities. Information is to be distributed during the school year and people can go to jacksoncrosscountry.com for links to all of the above programs.

That includes the main summer program for the Jackson High School runners, Camp Shaggy.
The 100 plus boys and girls team will be heading down to Camp Wakonda from Aug. 9 to Aug. 14 this year. The cost is $180, which includes camp rental, a t-shirt, food and supplies.

There are daily speakers who come and talk on various topics. They will be from the nutrition field, Jackson alumni, standout college runners, high school coaches and college coaches. There are daily education sessions on hydration, race strategy, weight training.

“You name it, we talk about It,” Walsh said.

For those needing extra motivation, Sergeant Jim Young Dahl comes down from the Ohio National Guard each morning for a “training session.” Walsh said his daughter ran, but even after she graduated he continues to come down and help out.

There is also a special rock ceremony.

“There is a dedication to a rock pile that is just ours,” Walsh said. “When you are ready to make a commitment to the team, you place your rock in the pile.”

The camp is named after former camp director Dave Zeismer, whose nickname was Shaggy.

“He used to oversee the ceremony, talk about the value of being a good contributor to society in general and told them to do positive things in life, and more commitment of looking not just how I did but how the team did,” Walsh explained.

The camp began when Dave’s son was a senior, after the team went to other camps in years past, he felt there was a need for the team to have a camp of their own. The camp used to be at Seven Ranges before moving to the currently location at Wakonda, which also meant an improved sleeping quarters from tents to cabins.

No matter what the age group is, if it has to do with Jackson and running, Kevin Walsh probably has a hand in it. As long as Walsh is a part of it, one can be sure there will be plenty of fun as well.