Copper Teare :(

A lot of banter on these threads about how Cooper should leave Jerry etc.... Jerry is not the issue, Cooper is the issue. He needs to understand that there's an adjustment period to taking on a new program and coach. You just don't "switch boats mid stream" and expect instant success. It's no secret that Jerry's program is tough and most if not all of his athletes needed a period of time to adjust to the intensity, not to mention a new training environment which includes altitude. That in itself takes a year or so to acclimate to. Grant Fisher said so himself when he first began working with Jerry, "The first couple of years were tough, but you eventually adjust". It also takes the coach and athlete time to form a relationship of trust, including training and racing habits.

Cooper is a great talent and shouldn't push the panic button yet. He's in a tough spot due to high expectations to make national teams which have been stacked up the past few years. He needs to put together a good summer of racing, but no too long and get ready for next year's Oly trials. If he doesn't make the Olympic team next season he'll be in a deep hole and may not be able to climb out of it.

He should switch to/ try and convince Mike Smith to coach him. Not sure if Smith wants more pros or not.

Bingo

My take away from the weekend was those that made the team were the ones who drove the races. Lead, pushed, got up front.

If cooper was feeling strong and confident why sit around? Nur took the 5k over. They were jogging.

I think Cooper is fit but in both races he was caught late reacting expecting to come from behind. Go take your spot don’t try and kick into it. Worst case you are Monson or Klecker and ON the team #pun

Meaning no disrespect to Cooper, but I think he was a little overhyped by everyone coming into this meet. I don't think he's on the level of the top top Americans and I'm not surprised he didn't make the team in either event. I think he's gonna end up in the same spot Johnny Gregorek has been in as a pro. Good enough to make the final and has to be mentioned as a darkhorse, but not enough pop to beat the top dogs when they're on their game.

I know he won that 1500 title last year, but the top dogs were either missing (Hocker & Centro) or severely compromised (Nuguse). The guys who finished right behind him were Jonathan Davis, Josh Thompson, Eric Holt and Reed Brown. It was a weird year in the 15, and while he won the title I don't think he's "that guy".

Doesn't Jerry just drug people up and not teach them how to run championship races? inquiring minds want to know

As any coach knows, when an athlete runs well it is about the athlete, when athlete has a bad race it is on the coach.

Seems like most on this thread as with others that every major talent that didn't make the team should change coaches. Lot of knives being thrown.

This is is smart assessment. I don’t mean to disrespect Ben Thomas or his guys but I think people are overrating him in this conversation of coaches for Cooper.

He seems really sad. Doesn't believe in his training, wants to race more. It's actually pretty depressing to observe from the outside

"Tactically."

Hard to get a handle on race tactics when you never race.

Word on the street is Rachel’s speed goggles are turning towards the young Hobbs Kessler lately as a potential backup option if Cooper can’t get his mojo back . . .

Cooper, get a Tracksmith deal so you can keep wearing the spikes. Get a job, work out when you can like the rest of us do. Race every chance you get.

Yep. Re-watched the race. He prob would have made team if he simply stuck to Chelimo on last lap and didn't let that Ahmed dude cut in front of him. He sort of cut Cooper off in fact. But he can't let him do that so easily at such a crucial juncture. He needed to hang on to Chelimo for dear life and not let that guy take his Lane and spot in the finishing train. Very likely cost him 3rd as he had to slow down, chop his stride, and go outside and pass. By that time he lost the momentum and Chelimo. McGorty was dying. I think if Cooper was in striking distance he would have run him down but because of that crucial mistake he was not and was losing hope. Too late.

Cooper should pick up bowling.

He wasn't going to rundown anybody flat and overtrained; he just wasn't ready. Isn't it ironic that Bowerman TC is injury central and lacking individualization?

Of course they should get national team spots and some ARs it's a frigging all star team but Teare can't let himself get into toast.

this. With a lap to go Cooper seemed like he was ready to draft off Chelimo and swing it with 110 like he usually does, but there was no getting around that Ahmed muhumed guy wasting energy going around Cooper just to cut him off. That late into the race, momentum is everything, and once Ahmed started dying on the backstretch, cooper was put into an awkward position unsure whether to swing wide into lane 2 or try to squeeze by on the inside since that guy was running in the middle of lane 1. We saw Chelimo swing into second after building up that entire last lap off of no hiccups, Cooper is a faster closer than him. Tactics killed Cooper- the only way I see him making it was if he was in front of Chelimo with a lap to go because in every situation, Ahmed f*cked that up for Cooper since he went for it.

Cooper could have gotten more attention from Jerry if he stayed at Oregon

Fisher did just what you’d described.

What is this BS? "Personal growth?" lol OK Tony Robbins. Imma guess all the negative talk about NGTF *probably* is based on your perception of what you see on YouTube. I doubt you really know what the reality is like.

What we do know: Hocker is healthy finally and on the US team while doing his thing with NGTF. Teare won a title + made a US team last year. Now he's taking running *seriously* (according to you, whatever that means) and he's both a) miserable and b) not racing well at all.

Maybe being in an environment that you like + around people (friends, coaches, current & ex-teammates) that you like + having a routine that you like is more important than being a "serious" pro runner (whatever that is).