I'm a 4:17 1600 and 9:10 3200 high schooler who was told by a certain college that they couldn't guarantee me a spot on the team, but the coach indicated that it would be very easy to make (I also thought it would be). I got sick halfway through the tryout period and was told by a SCHOOL doctor that I couldn't run for a week. The coach just told me "too bad, you can try out again for track." What the f*** am I supposed to do now?
Sorry that happened to you. One option is to see if there’s a club team you can join either at the college or in town. If there is, you can train with them this fall and then try out for track when that time comes.
Another option is to explore other college options and transfer if running collegiately is important to you. That coach sounds like a jerk. Even if you made the track team, would you really want to run for a coach like that?
Focus on academics and build a monster base. Be so strong at the next tryouts that you cannot be denied and the coach offers you money to run in his program.
Here's my experience: Found out rather late in the process that I wasn't academically eligible for XC my freshman year. Got pissed off. Gained 10 pounds. Ran into a coach from my high school around mid-October (not my coach, a baseball coach) who basically said "what the F is wrong with you? Get back in shape and run track." Did that. Was all-american (D3) by my junior year. Stayed an extra semester to use that fourth season of XC eligibility. It all worked out fine. You will, too. If coach denies you a place on the track team, find a different school.
Maybe a cliche, but see this as a opportunity: to get your mileage base up or refined, join the conversation on a splendid running site, read some good books and enjoy yr “down time!”
I have no idea if this would work and I'm just spit-balling here. But I see all these college football players "going into the transfer portal" and finding new teams. Could you do that? Somebody's got to need a runner of your ability.
A more than fair question. Every team in the nation needs a freshman with those times. If you were sick any coach would have given you a new date to tryout on.
Not a question you have to answer aloud, but ask yourself: what was your attitude, are you ACTUALLY in shape, and are your times published online (i.e. not "COVID time trial times")
Best of luck to you. I agree with others that grinding oyo is the best move right now.
I'm a 4:17 1600 and 9:10 3200 high schooler who was told by a certain college that they couldn't guarantee me a spot on the team, but the coach indicated that it would be very easy to make (I also thought it would be). I got sick halfway through the tryout period and was told by a SCHOOL doctor that I couldn't run for a week. The coach just told me "too bad, you can try out again for track." What the f*** am I supposed to do now?
What school do you go to that a 4:17/9:10 guy has to try out? Those are times that I ran in high school.
Times have changed. At a top top D1 team, it is possible that this isn't a guarantee of a roster spot. But, it sounds like the coach told him that it would be pretty simple to distinguish himself from the others if he tried out - sounds like bad luck that he was sick and couldn't do so. I guess the coach was trying to be fair to everyone? I dunno.