He Won a State Championship — Then Asked If It Was Worth It | Simon Thorpe

What happens after you finally accomplish the goal you’ve been chasing for years? Dixon head coach Simon Thorpe returns to Ándale Run after leading the Dukes to the Illinois 2A cross-country state championship. But this conversation isn’t just about winning. Simon talks about what changed after the title, the difference between confidence and entitlement, and why becoming a defending champion brings a completely different set of challenges. He also opens up about wondering whether winning felt the way he expected, how becoming a father has changed the way he coaches, and why he believes he may actually find more meaning in the process than in the outcome. We also get into: Defending a state championship Confidence vs. entitlement How Dixon’s training has changed Why they’ve moved away from some harder race-pace workouts What this year’s team does better than last year’s What last year’s championship team still did better Leadership and team culture Developing young men beyond running Advice for younger coaches trying to build successful programs Simon also explains why winning another title wouldn’t mean much to him if the athletes didn’t grow as people along the way. 🎙️ Full conversation with Dixon Dukes head coach Simon Thorpe on Ándale Run. 🌶️ Ándale! #AndaleRun #SimonThorpe #DixonDukes #IllinoisXC #CrossCountry