As ultra-skilled long distance runners themselves, the last thing Steve and Toni Schadler wanted to do was force the sport on their two daughters.
Cross-country running is so difficult, itโs something you have to grow to love on your own, so itโs not as if Allie and Sammie Schadlerโs first bibs had numbers on them.
Their first sippy cups were not performance bottles. They werenโt led to the track directly from the stroller.
Not by Steve, the on-and-off-and-back-on head track coach at Rio Rico High and assistant superintendent of the Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District. Nor by Toni, a middle school teacher and track coach for 20 years who assists with the Hawks squad.
Steve and Toni brought their kids along slowly. In elementary school, it was the fun runs Dad put on, mile-long jaunts that gave the girls a taste for running, and a taste for success.
But they also danced โ ballet and tap โ and played basketball and soccer and generally the rule was this: Just donโt sit on the couch.
By middle school, Allie was starting to separate herself from the pack.
As a freshman, she won the state cross-country title and the 1,600-meter track title and finished second in the 800. As a sophomore, she won all three.
Now a junior, sheโs already taken home the cross country title and will seek more success this weekend at the track and field state meet in Mesa. Only this year, Sammie โ a superstar freshman โ joins in on the fun, and the two of them are a big reason why Rio Rico could win its first girls track and field championship.
โWe tried to leave it up to them, if they were going to commit to being competitive,โ Steve Schadler said. โThere are tons of fast kids. No doubt there are faster kids. But not all are willing to commit to the hard work and lifestyle choices, going to bed early, giving up Saturdays. When I started to see they were, one at a time, starting to accept that challenge, it was all about their own desire to excel.โ
Excel they have: Allie has some major schools coming after her โ Stanford, Harvard and Georgetown are among her suitors โ and Sammie is following on the same path.
With their bloodlines, itโs no major shock.
Steve was a runner at Stanford, and Toni ran for Indiana University.
โYou can attribute it to genetics, but itโs not automatic,โ Toni said. โWe were very cautious to make sure they were exposed to sports other than running. Weโve seen it before โ parents go overboard, start signing kids up for road races, track races, and knowing what we went through, we know there is a burnout in it. It was important the girls do other things.โ
And they did. But no more, not with the success theyโve had on the track. Allie has been approached to join the soccer team but has rejected the advances. Sheโs found her lane.
Plus, how could she reach her incredibly lofty goals with such distractions?
Her goal at this yearโs track final is the Arizona state record for the mile, 4 minutes, 44 seconds. Her personal record is 4:43, but she hopes to break the 4:40 mark. She would also like to win the 2-mile.
Ho-hum.
โI set goals for myself and some of them might be a little hard to reach, but definitely coming off last year I know what I can do,โ Allie said. โThis year I havenโt hit a PR in the mile, and thatโs driving me. A lot of people donโt like running because itโs so individual, but I like it because it puts pressure on me. Pressure to do my best. If I donโt get what I want, itโs my fault.โ
If she doesnโt, mom and dad โ and sis โ are there to help.
The Rio Rico track team has become a family affair this season, though Toni tries to stay somewhat hands-off. Leave the technique to Steve for the most part. Be there to lift spirits.
โWhatโs great about it is the things they are feeling are things we felt at some point,โ Toni said. โWe can definitely relate to their ups and downs. Sometimes they want to hear it, sometimes they donโt. We can recognize that, too, because sometimes we didnโt want to talk about it back then either.โ
Now donโt be fooled, Steve says, โThis isnโt Mayberry.โ The track talk tends to invade the dinner table.
โSometimes it can be unfortunate because you come home with it,โ Toni said. โThey dictate the conversation. Itโs something we share with Allie; itโs not humanly possible to think youโre going to have a PR every time, but as long as you can come out feeling good about the performance, thatโs all you can look for.โ
Above all, despite all the success, these girls sound grounded.
Happy, especially, to be running on the same team.
โIn the seventh grade, I saw her become a state champion, have success, and I realized I wanted to be like that, too,โ Sammie said. โWe donโt really compete, we have a supportive kind of thing, and Iโve always looked up to her. When she supports me, it really helps me. If (Allie) believes in me, thatโs the most important.โ
And she does.
โIn the beginning I was scared โ no one wants your little sister to beat you,โ Allie said. โBut once I got over that, I was really excited. One of the reasons I run is because I want a good team, and I didnโt know how good sheโd be. Sheโs putting us in a position to win.โ
