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Independence, MO —
Fort Osage girls track and field coach J.D. Snead doesn’t want Asia Cole to concern herself with too many things.
So today, when the Fort sophomore thrower competes in the Class 4 Sectional 4 championships at Raymore-Peculiar High School, he doesn’t want her thinking too much about bringing home a pair of championships in the discus and shot put – even though Cole stands a good chance to do both.
Snead’s reasoning is this: Cole is still a sophomore. And even though she’s already left a mark on the Fort Osage record books – she eclipsed the program’s discus mark with a toss of 142 feet, 7 inches in districts last week – she’s still in the stage where less is more.
“You want her to perform well and you want her to do the best she can,” Snead said. “But you also don’t want them to have these expectations that they’re let down. If she gets second at sectionals, it’s OK.”
Of course, Cole will still face plenty of pressure. It just won’t be her coaches’ doing.
“I expect a lot from myself,” said Cole, who finished second in the state in the shot put and seventh in discus last season and also stars in basektball and volleyball. “I know my coaches expect a lot, but I also know I put a lot on myself and expect a lot.”
But Cole is following her coach’s orders. When asked about goals for the rest of the season, she doesn’t talk of records or state titles. She first mentions the importance of just making it out of sectional. Then she talks about the minimum benchmarks her coaches set for her to reach on each throw – 115 feet in the discus and 40 in the shot put.
When she broke the discus record last Saturday, Cole expressed complete shock even though Snead said it was something she was bound to do eventually.
“I was probably in the most shock out of anybody,” Cole said.
The thing is, with an athlete like Cole who Snead calls by far the most physically gifted thrower he’s coached, there’s no need to push her maturation. When Snead looks at Cole, he sees someone he thinks could earn a full-ride scholarship to any school in the country.
He also sees a kid with a personality that makes coaches gush.
Fort Osage girls track and field coach J.D. Snead doesn’t want Asia Cole to concern herself with too many things.
So today, when the Fort sophomore thrower competes in the Class 4 Sectional 4 championships at Raymore-Peculiar High School, he doesn’t want her thinking too much about bringing home a pair of championships in the discus and shot put – even though Cole stands a good chance to do both.
Snead’s reasoning is this: Cole is still a sophomore. And even though she’s already left a mark on the Fort Osage record books – she eclipsed the program’s discus mark with a toss of 142 feet, 7 inches in districts last week – she’s still in the stage where less is more.
“You want her to perform well and you want her to do the best she can,” Snead said. “But you also don’t want them to have these expectations that they’re let down. If she gets second at sectionals, it’s OK.”
Of course, Cole will still face plenty of pressure. It just won’t be her coaches’ doing.
“I expect a lot from myself,” said Cole, who finished second in the state in the shot put and seventh in discus last season and also stars in basektball and volleyball. “I know my coaches expect a lot, but I also know I put a lot on myself and expect a lot.”
But Cole is following her coach’s orders. When asked about goals for the rest of the season, she doesn’t talk of records or state titles. She first mentions the importance of just making it out of sectional. Then she talks about the minimum benchmarks her coaches set for her to reach on each throw – 115 feet in the discus and 40 in the shot put.
When she broke the discus record last Saturday, Cole expressed complete shock even though Snead said it was something she was bound to do eventually.
“I was probably in the most shock out of anybody,” Cole said.
The thing is, with an athlete like Cole who Snead calls by far the most physically gifted thrower he’s coached, there’s no need to push her maturation. When Snead looks at Cole, he sees someone he thinks could earn a full-ride scholarship to any school in the country.
He also sees a kid with a personality that makes coaches gush.
“Asia’s got the best attitude of any kid I’ve ever seen,” Fort Osage throwing coach Brant Peterson said. “She enjoys being here. She enjoys learning to throw better. She enjoys all aspects of track, and it’s fun to be around.”
Cole still has plenty of developing to do. She freely admits her improvements from her freshman season have been fairly minimal and that her technique still needs major work. Last year, she didn’t have any spin on her throw at all. That’s still an ongoing struggle for her.
“But she can front 135 feet, and that’s just crazy for a girl,” Peterson added.
“She’s just got an amazing amount of potential and raw athleticism that you just kind of hope you can bring out in her at the right time.”
The next two years, the Fort coaches will hone in more on footwork and fostering more technically proficient throws from Cole.
But for now, things are a little more simple. And Cole likes it that way.
“Even if I get fourth place but I’m just moving on, I’m fine with it,” Cole said. “I’m not focused on getting first. Just moving on.”
