For interim head girl’s golf coach Rich Keith, walking up and down the fairways was all fun and games, but as the spring season comes to a start, he will be preparing for the sport he coached for ten years prior to last season.

In his eleventh season as the boys’ track head coach, Keith said along with the anticipation to start the track season, he is confident in the new coaching staff to lead the program in the right direction.

“I left the track program after 10 years of running; going back I am really excited,” Keith said. “It’s a little bitter-sweet because I’m leaving the girls, but its good cause the girls love the new head coaches Zach Strauss and Joe Yaeger, and I feel comfortable with leaving the program with them.”

In addition to the return of Keith to the head coaching position, the addition of other coaches is a looming possibility according to Coach Keith.

“We had a lot of coaching vacancies to fill for this coaching season, so that is what I have been working on mostly up until now,” Keith said. “I am still hoping to find a pole vault coach, which at this point we do not have.”

According to senior captain Gabe Pimsler, the return of Keith is especially exciting for the team, as they look to make a mark in the new Metro West conference.

“We’re all really pumped for Keith to be back this season, and with him a goal for the season is to win the conference,” Pimsler said.

Keith said as a coach for many Park teams he understands the commitments of high school student athletes throughout the spring season.

“I am flexible with people’s positions as athletes, I am not going to draw a line in the sand saying they can only do track in the spring, because I know there are other commitments in the spring season,” Keith said.

Furthermore, Keith said despite a good amount of athleticism already in the program, there are always students that come up and surprise him.

“He have some good talent across the board, but the wonderful thing about high school athletics is that when someone walks out the door or isn’t performing, someone is always there to step up and fill the position,” he said.

Pimsler, who is one of two sprint captains, along with Junior Trenton Stafford, said for those interested in preparing for sprints prior to the season should place their efforts in the weight room.

“If your lookoing to do sprints, you have to get into the weight room to build those muscles for explosive and fast-twitch movements needed in sprints. but also mix in some cardio.”

Registration for track and field can be located in the athletic office.