After a successful 2023 season, the Stoughton Track and Field team is back and ready to accomplish even more during the 2024 season. Head coaches Jason Becker and Bailee Eggers have high hopes for the team. Get to know them and their goals and expectations for the season!
While being Head Coach for track and field in the fall, Becker is also the Stoughton boy’s head football coach, who helped lead them to the WIAA Division 3 state semifinal during the 2023 season. Unlike football, Becker takes a different approach to coaching track.
“Coaching track is unique in that it is both an individual and a team sport,” Becker said. “With almost 120 student-athletes out between the boys and girls this year, we need to do our best as coaches to help each individual find an event or events that will allow them to experience individual success as well as help the team.”
Becker is familiar with the team as his first year as the head coach began in 2023, and he had many reasons for stepping up to the task.
“I decided to become a track coach last season for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, the district didn’t have a head coach and needed one. Secondly, I see a lot of correlations between the success of the track program and the success of the football program, so this gives me the ability to connect the two of them,” Becker said.
This is Eggers’ very first year as head coach of track at SHS, and she had a different motivation for joining the program.
“I wanted to be a track coach because I love the track environment. It’s a little bit of chaos where every athlete gets to compete and show talent. Also, the overall team dynamic of everyone cheering each other on makes it one big happy family,” Eggers said.
Although Becker started as the boys’ head coach last year, this season, he hopes to change the team dynamic and unite the athletes.
“We are hoping to change the entire mindset and philosophy of the program. When I joined the coaching staff last year it felt like two separate teams that were competing against each,” Becker said. “This year we are attempting to unite everyone and teach them the strength and value they possess as one unified team that is encouraging and supporting one another.”
Along with the team dynamic, Eggers hopes to encourage an environment of success and determination.
“I hope to create a more competitive environment throughout the team. I want those who sign up to be wanting to compete and win,” Eggers said.
Both coaches share the common goal of accomplishing many things this season, including personal bests for their athletes and winning meets.
“We want both the boys and the girls teams to win Conference Championships, especially considering we are hosting the Conference Championship. Then, we want to qualify as many athletes as possible for Sectionals and State,” Becker said.
Overall, both Becker and Eggers have high hopes for the season and find a lot of enjoyment in coaching.
“I would have to say the relationships that I get to create with the student-athletes [is the most rewarding part]. It is a wide variety of students competing in something that they all love and want to do and to be able to coach them to be the best that they can is the most rewarding part of the job,” Eggers said.