Coach Trent Lancaster commits lots of his time to train and build student-athletes both on and off the track. “My favorite part of the team is getting to know each athlete personally,” Lancaster said.
Track & Field Distance Coach: Trent Lancaster
In high school, Coach Trent Lancaster played football, basketball, lacrosse, and ultimately ended up focusing on cross country and track during his junior and senior year. “The competition, my coaches, and pushing myself to my limits both mentally and physically made me fall in love with cross country and track,” Lancaster said.
Lancaster has been coaching since he himself was in high school. “In high school, I coached youth and middle school basketball teams and continued in college,” Lancaster said. “After competing in track and cross country at the collegiate level, I felt I wanted to bring my experience to coaching those sports.”
Growing up, Lancaster had many role models that have caused him to pursue his career of coaching. One of these important figures included his father. “My father has been coaching basketball and football for over 20 years, and being exposed to that and his successes made me realize the importance of good coaches,” Lancaster said. “I was blessed to have very well-respected and impactful coaches that helped shape me. I felt that I wanted to be that kind of person to others.”
While Lancaster enjoys many aspects of coaching, his favorite part is ultimately pushing student-athletes out of their comfort zone to achieve their goals. “I love seeing people grow and achieve inside and outside of the sport. Not only is it fun to coach, but I also enjoy supporting my athletes outside of cross country and track who do great things academically or pursue other sports and activities.”
Spending over 20-25 hours a week, Lancaster takes his job as a coach very seriously and dedicates his free time to making students better athletes. “Even when I’m at home, I sit down and take the time to review results, write training plans and workouts, and read books and studies centered around track and field and cross country.”
Lancaster’s coaching experience has been eye-opening and rewarding. He plans to continue his coaching career throughout the coming years. “Us coaches are just like students and teachers in the sense that we are always learning something new every day.” Lancaster said. “I’ve been coaching for a long time, but being a head coach at the high school level in a very competitive county and district has not only humbled me but also excited me. This is all very new to me, but I will continue to do my best, get the best out of my athletes, and ensure that they all enjoy their time being with the program.”