Assistant coach Michelle Belinkie and science teacher and assistant coach Sari Tullis began coaching cross country and track this season after two out of the three CESJDS track coaches left the team.

Michelle began coaching after her husband, track coach Jason Belinkie who has been coaching for 13 years, asked her to join them when they needed new coaches. In addition to coaching, Belinki is a full-time mom.

“I was always nervous about coaching with my husband, but I have been on the other side for the last 10 years, at home I see all of the work he puts into it and I have been to a couple of meets with my kids in the past,”  Michelle said. “It has been really fun to be on his side and understand why he has been doing this for 13 years now.”

When Tullis was in middle school and high school, running scared her, but she began running as an adult when team sports became harder to come by. Tullis enjoys being able to connect with her sixth-grade students on the team.

“It’s really unique because it is middle school and high school and it is a pretty large team, so it is different than volleyball, which is what I did [coached] last year,” Tullis said.

Junior Adam Alter found that once they got to know their new coaches of coach, Tullis and Michelle were really helpful to the team.

“[Having the two new coaches] has been different because at the start we had to teach them how everything is, but now that they got the hang of it they are helping us progress and do better,” Alter said.

All three coaches have been working together to figure out their new dynamic. Coach Jason Belinkie has been coaching for 13 years while coach Michelle has had experience coaching through Girls On The Run and other groups.

“We all work together really well,” Michelle said. “We have a great leader, Coach B (Belinkie) who is very knowledgeable and has been doing a great job of explaining everything to us and why he does what he does and why he plans certain workouts.”