George Febles has been the coach at Fordham Prep for 21 years. He's guided the Rams to 3 indoor CHSAA championsihips and 4 outdoor CHSAA titles. He's helped the Rams to three indoor national champion relays and five Millrose 4x800 champs. Even, his father, George, Sr., coached a Fordham Prep relay that set the national Catholic School record in the 4-man shuttle hurdle relay at the Stanner Games this season.
George Febles is the creator and orginal webmaster of ArmoryTrack.com. It was our honor to have time with Febles for this edition of the Coaches' Corner.
AT: Briefly describe your coaching philsophy.
GF: Well, I guess this is a good time to apologize to all the runners I mismanaged in the ‘90s. Alot of experimentation there. A lot of Jesuit-educated, burnt-out guinea pigs. But I guess over the years I’ve learned that the most valuable thing you can do as a coach is to convince kids that they can accomplish more than what they thought possible. So most of our workouts are designed with this goal in mind. It allows us to be creative in finding ways to challenge runners….keeping it fun to coach as well as to run at Fordham Prep.
Another aspect to my coaching is to find lots of coaches who can give as much attention and expertise to the kids as possible. One can’t deny the link between dedicated, knowledgeable coaches and the success of many of the best teams in our area. Basically, my jealousy watching other teams’ great throwing, vaulting, jumping programs, etc has prompted me to always be in the Principal’s office arguing for more help. We’ve been very lucky in this regard. Guys like Kevin Phipps (throws), Dayrn Johnson (Steeplechase, Weight training), Paul Collins (Freshman assistant, distance) and Pierre Chavez (Vault, throws, head coaching experience) are part of the reason we have more than 160 boys on this year’s indoor team.
But the real glue is Coach Brian Carney. He sets the tone with the Freshman, getting them hooked on this great sport, takes care of more than his share of adminstrative duties of running a team, and runs one of the most respected pole vault programs in the country.
AT: What’s one of your staple workouts and why do you do it?
GF: As referenced above, we try to create workouts that might coax kids into believing they can do more. Along these lines, some of the favorites are: 20x400m for the distance kids. Once or twice a season at most. Dreaded but also anticipated by the distance corps. Another is “Antietam” – 8x200m at 95% w/ 30 seconds rest. This is usually a Christmas or Easter workout, so named for the look of a Civil War battlefield shortly after. Completing workouts like these, kids think they can do anything, and all of a sudden they are asking YOU to step up the workload. If planned properly, these workouts can turn around a whole season.
AT: How do you handle training during the winter season, especially during inclement weather?
GF: Coach Tom Dewey at Fordham University has always been more than gracious allowing us into the Lombardi Center a couple times a week. Having the Botanical Gardens across the street, Van Cortlandt Park a 3 mile run away, and a new Mondo workout track (thanks to generous alumni and parents) behind the school, we are very lucky.
AT: What would you say is your biggest challenge as a head coach?
FB: Balancing family, teaching and coaching. Same as everyone else I suppose. You want to give everything to all your responsibilities, and plug away to that end. As any coach knows, it’s not easy.
AT: The Febles’ are a family full of track coaches. Are family get-togethers like a coaches’ clinic? And how has having your father and brother as coaches helped you as a coach?
GF: I learned everything from my father. He coached at Xavier HS in the 60’s and ‘70’s and Regis HS in the 80’s. And now with me for 16 years. We (I’m the oldest of 5 kids) grew up track brats. My mother’s and sisters’ elbows slipped off the dinner table many, many times listening to track stories. Dad and my brother Matthew serve as specialists in the hurdles and Jumps, and Matt is also an accomplished marathoner. And hey, they’re family. Dad, Matt and the other coaches always seem to be on the same page. We work together very smoothly, have a lot of fun and never argue. And I take all the credit. Can’t beat that.
AT: Your team almost always has solid relays, but the 4x800 especially has become a signature event? How do you field a competitive relay every year??
GF: Tradition. The alumni, stretching back over 50 years, are very involved and interested in the team. When you point out to the Freshmen that they are currently running better times than Keefer, Petrovich, etc. did when they were Frosh, this fires kids up. They all go to the Garden to see the upperclassmen run and come home hungry to do it themselves. It’s fun chasing ghosts. It’s also productive.
AT: The matchup with Farrell at the Millrose Games Trials was a hot one. James Farley pulled it out for Farrell in the stretch but your team still has the fastest time in the state at 7:52.99. What are you expecting of the race at the Millrose Games Jan. 30?
GF: That’s what track is all about. What great memories for all these kids.
As for Millrose, we’re expecting a great, great race. And that the best CHSAA 4x800 meter team will win…..…
AT: For those who don’t know, ArmoryTrack.com was your creation. How did it start? What are your thoughts on what the site has become since you created it?
GF: Growing up a track brat, I was always a stats geek. So when I finally figured out what the internet was all about, a website for the greatest indoor track in the world seemed a natural. I’d started out with the Fordham Prep site, then talked to Dr. Sander and then Armory director Lou Vazquez about starting up armorytrack.com in 1998. I also got a lot of good advice from John Dye at Dyestat, started a year before. Dr. Sander and Lou were extremely supportive and the site became a magnet for track geeks everywhere. I really enjoyed posting results and making friends with coaches and meet directors all over the state. I met some great people as a result. Nowadays, Tim Fulton, Chris Hunt, Jack Pfeifer and milesplit have made the site really spectacular. That database is unbelievable. A coach’s and athlete’s dream . Without a doubt, the site has gone a long way towards raising interest in the sport, in concert with what the Armory and Dr. Sander have done so well these past 15 years.