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Coaches: Don't let the race conversation be only about the start and the kick. What do you want your runner doing in the middle, when it's uncomfortable and the field is spreading out? Help them picture themselves competing there.

Ask your athlete about one moment in the State race that could be difficult. Then settle on a response they can practice in their mind. One clear action they trust is useful. A long list of things to worry about isn't.

Coaches: State week is a good time to protect the routines your kids know. The warm-up. The meals. The way they get ready to race. They have enough to think about without wondering whether they need to change everything for one meet.

A tired-looking athlete needs a conversation before you decide what to do with today's work. Ask how they're feeling. Listen. With State close, the goal is to make a good decision for that runner, rather than simply complete the schedule.

If State is this week, spend a few minutes with each runner's recent races and workouts. What does a solid performance look like for them? Build the plan from that evidence. They don't need a goal based on someone else's breakthrough.

Coaches: Some of your runners may be done. Others may have State or a postseason meet ahead. Be clear with each group about what comes next. A runner who has finished the season needs a different message from one preparing for Saturday.

Before you add something to this week's plan, remember what your athletes did in yesterday's race. For kids racing State next weekend, that effort counts. Give them the chance to recover and arrive ready to race again.

Coaches at State today: Be mindful of what your athletes see when they look toward you. Your posture and your voice are part of the message. Help them feel ready to execute the plan. Enjoy the chance to watch them compete.

The day before a big meet, you don't need to cover every lesson from the season. Pick the few things your athletes need to remember. Keep your message short, let them ask questions, and send them away knowing you believe in them.

Coaches: Talk through the finish before race day. What will your runner see? Where will they need to respond? What cue helps them keep racing? Give them something more useful to picture than simply "finish hard."

If the course is slow, your athletes may see a split they don't like. Prepare them for that. They still have people to race and places to fight for. Help them stay engaged with the competition when the clock isn't encouraging.

Dan Iverson's cue, "10 quick steps," gives a runner something specific to do when a gap opens. Coaches: If your athletes have practiced it, remind them when they can use it in the next race. Keep the cue simple enough to act on.

If there's a cue you want your kids to respond to on Saturday, use it in the work you've already planned this week. Make sure they know what it means. The middle of a championship race is a tough place to explain a new instruction.

A bigger meet doesn't make an athlete fitter at the starting line. Coaches: Keep the early part of the race plan grounded in what your runner is ready to do. Give them a chance to be competitive when the race gets hard.

When you guide a visualization, include a part of the race that will feel hard. Have your athletes picture themselves tired and still responding to the runners around them. They're preparing to compete through discomfort.

Coaches: What do you say when a motivated athlete worries that running less before State means losing fitness? The explanation matters. They've trusted the work all season. Help them understand why they can trust this part of the plan too.

A useful message for parents before the big meet: Your runner will notice your energy and your tone. Be positive and centered. Remind them that how you feel about them won't change with their finishing place. Coaches, it's worth sharing.