Master of All

The ever-hardy, uncomplaining athletes who have filled the winter track roster over the years know this aura all too well.   

 

Few know it better than the venerable Jim Hickey, who spends his weekday afternoons from mid-November through mid-February in his old haunts, sharing his encyclopedic knowledge, humbly mentoring young and old alike, and pitching in wherever he can be of help.

 

To those who were around back in his day as well as newcomers who know his history, Coach Hickey is the embodiment of Collegiate track and field.

 

He wasn’t the School’s first head coach, and he certainly isn’t the last, but from 1968 until he retired in 2005, he motivated, inspired, encouraged, and set a tone of competitive excellence not just for the program he shaped but for Collegiate athletics as well.

 

“It’s surreal to work with a legend like Coach Hickey and get even the slightest bit of his genius,” said Brandon Watson, a senior sprinter/jumper. “Honestly, it’s amazing.”

 

On this day, Coach Hickey was holding forth on the high jump apron at the east end of the track which bears his name, helping jumpers measure their approach steps and refine their technique over the bar.

 

The day before, he’d worked with horizontal jumpers. On other days, he assists with sprinters on starts, form, and relay handoffs.

 

He has equal facility, it seems, with all 15 events contested during the winter season and the 17 contested in the spring. He’s a jack of all trades and, truly, a master of all.

 

“Having Coach Hickey out there is a huge boost for the staff,” said Brent Miller ‘98, a track standout at Collegiate and the University of Richmond who serves as head coach of the boys team. “When I was a student-athlete here, we looked to him for everything track and field. He knew the ins and outs of all the events and the technique you needed to perform your best. He could talk about the pole vault one minute and then switch over and talk to somebody about the shot put.

        

“He can fill in anywhere. If we’re missing a coach one day, he can pick up exactly where they left off the day before and run with it. He’s fun to be around. He doesn’t have an ego. He knows more than all the coaching staff combined, but he has absolutely no desire to step in front of anybody. He stays in the background and asks what he can do to help.”

 

During Coach Hickey’s tenure overseeing the program, the Cougars won eight Prep League and two state championships. He was selected league coach of the year multiple times. He was the first recipient (in 1997) of the Andrew J. Brent Award, an honor presented annually to a faculty member “who exemplifies the teacher, coach, mentor, counselor, and friend model that is so vital to an independent school.” He was inducted into Collegiate’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004.

 

As is his style, Coach Hickey downplays his role.

 

“I enjoy track and field,” he said. “This is a great place to work and share the fun and enjoyment of track and field.”

 

Coach Hickey assists with both seasoned competitors and untested beginners.

 

“The beauty of track and field is that it doesn’t matter how good you are because you can always get better,” he said. “It’s a sport for any kind of an athlete. Working with young runners is just as much fun as working with the stars because seeing them improve is what makes it fun.”

 

Coach Hickey was an accomplished sprinter (and football player) at Halifax County High School and Washington & Lee. Much of his multi-event expertise is self-taught thanks to his insatiable desire to study, learn, and keep up with the latest trends while staying true to proven methods.

 

“I really think the decathlon is one of the most fun events in track and field,” he said. “If I could do it all over again, I’d probably give that a try. I’ve learned through on-the-job training and by paying attention to what the kids are doing.”

 

Much of Coach Hickey’s success is the result of providing his athletes training tools and trusting them to use them in competition.

 

“The coach can help them do certain things like get their steps,” he said, “but eventually they’re out there on their own. You hope you ignite an interest in the event, but it’s really up to them to figure out what they have to do.”

 

His coaching style works.

 

“Coach Hickey has such a calm demeanor,” Watson said. “When you get a good jump or a good start, he gives us this cheer, ‘Yes, let’s go!’ (Watson smiles and thrusts his right fist into the air, as Coach Hickey does.) Then, he keeps giving us little things we can work on to go from a good jump to a great jump or a good start to a great start.”

 

Until late 2001 when the first synthetic surface was installed, the Collegiate track was five narrow lanes of unforgiving asphalt. In Coach Hickey’s very early days, the strength and conditioning facility was a single, multi-station machine located in the south balcony of the Jacobs Gym.

 

As always, he used the situation as a motivational tool.

 

“We didn’t have the best facilities, but we always had a great attitude,” he said. “The kids bought into the attitude that they could be best under difficult circumstances. The facilities have changed a lot since the old days. I’m very happy they have. It’s wonderful.”

 

In addition to Miller (sprints, hurdles, jumps), Steve Hart ’78 (sprints) and Matthew Richardson ‘07 (distance), all current members of the coaching staff, are former Collegiate track athletes.

 

“These guys were fun to coach,” Coach Hickey said. “Now, it’s a real pleasure to work with them. They know so much and do so well. I really admire them and think they do a wonderful job.”

 

Beth Kondorossy, a track star in high school in Pennsylvania and at the University of Richmond, has coached Collegiate’s throwers and overseen the girls program for 15 years.

 

“Coach Hickey has so much knowledge and expertise,” she said. “I love making sure everyone in our program knows who he is. He’s so humble and willing to work with anybody regardless of their experience. He’s patient. He gains their respect immediately. When he speaks, kids listen.”

~Weldon Bradshaw