DAYTON - "I don't coach Bulldogs or Cardinals - I coach kids," said Dan Nechedom. In a way, it's back to the beginning for Nechodom, who co-opped with Waitsburg in 2004 when he first got his feet wet coaching Cross Country.

Halfway through that 2004 season, Dayton split off and has had its own team since. This year, due to an increased work schedule for former WP coach Joanna Lanning, Dayton and WP will once again co-op for practices, this time with Nechedom as head coach. A co-op is different than a Combine (such as the WP Combine) in that the teams share a coach and work out together, but still compete separately.

Nechedom says that Dayton has some traditions such as favorite runs and a team breakfast and he plans to learn some of the Cardinal traditions that he can incorporate as well. Practices will alternate between Dayton and Waitsburg.

Nechedom began coaching junior high track in Dayton in 1997 after deciding thencoach

Jeff Colter was a great influence as a coach, husband and father and the type of person he wanted to spend more time around. Nechedom was skeptical of his abilities at the time.

The former yearround college gymnast had only run track as a fifth-grader, and ran on his own to stay in shape for rock climbing. Colter told him, "If you like kids, you're qualified. I can teach you what you need to know." Nechedom began coaching high school Cross-Country in 2004 and took on high school track two years ago.

"I'm known in District 9 as the guy who is willing to coach any kid there is - I'll be there to cheer them all on," said Nechedom.

This year Nechedom expects three or four Dayton runners to turn out for cross country, along with five to six Waitsburg runners.

"It is a bit scary and challenging," he said. "I don't have the kind of experience and long distance knowledge that Joanna has. She's invested a lot of love in her kids and I want to honor that."

Nechedom plans to spend the first several practices evaluating the runners and says he has a wide variety of athletes all performing at different levels.

"I've watched Emily (Adams) since fifth grade. I'd like to see her drop below 20 minutes for the 5K, make state and place higher than she has before. She has the tools to do that. I don't know the other kids well enough yet, but we'll spend the first couple of days getting a feel. I'm not a coach that gives the same workout to everyone. We all die, just at different levels," he said.

Nechedom is excited for the opportunity to work with more kids and views his coaching as an investment in the bigger picture of their lives.

"The beauty is that what we get to do is to take those skills on into the rest of life," he said. "We learn to take on difficult things and, even when we're not sure we can do it, to go for it."