Carson Blackwelder's People First, Athletes Second Approach to Coaching
11/15/2024 1:05:00 PM | Track and Field, Women's Cross Country, Men's Cross Country, Men's Track and Field, Women's Track and Field
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Carson Blackwelder, the 2023 Big South track and field of the year, has always prioritized the success and growth of his student-athletes in his coaching philosophy. From building personal relationships to fostering an environment that helps athletes reach their potential, Blackwelder's approach has been crucial to the Spartans' cross-country and track and field programs' successes over the past seven years.
"A lot of college athletics right now, people will say it's like a business," Blackwelder said. "For us here, it's not about business and money. It is about making sure the student gets a good education and a good experience."Â
A Concord, N.C., native, Blackwelder stayed in-state for college and was a part of the track and field and cross country teams at Appalachian State. During his time there, he earned All-Southern Conference honors twice, led his team to four conference championships, and was named team MVP for cross country.
Blackwelder transitioned to coaching after graduating, playing a pivotal role in five men's and three women's conference titles at Appalachian State. He then spent a season at Morehead State before joining Upstate as an assistant coach in 2008. Over the years, he rose from assistant coach to associate head coach and was named head coach in 2018.
From his past experiences, he knew that he wanted to create a culture that prioritized hard work, an environment that holds student-athletes to high standards and create a team atmosphere that allows the athletes to grow not only in their sport but as people.Â
"There wasn't anything that I was trying to implement immediately," Blackwelder said. "It was just creating a culture of hard work. It's about trying to get everyone dialed in and focusing in on the little details."
Since his arrival, the Spartans have become strong contenders at Big South Championship meets, and the team's depth has grown. Over the years, the track and field and cross country teams have ranged from placing fourth to seventh at the Big South meets, with standout individual performances.
"Since I've been here, you can see a change in the athletes when it comes to focusing and being a little bit more locked into what they want to accomplish," Blackwelder said.Â
Blackwelder says the key to his teams' success is knowing when to push the athletes to allow them to peak at the right time.
Â"I'm not going to yell and scream at the meets at the beginning of the year because it's towards the end of the season that we want to focus more," Blackwelder said. "Slowly throughout the year, it's about increasing pressure and making them be able to handle that pressure."
Blackwelder has coached 10 All-Conference, four Runners of the Year, three All-Freshman Team, two All-Southeast Region, one Freshman of the Year runners and one NCAA National Championship participant. The success extends to the classroom, as he's coached A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2011, 2012), A-Sun Male Student-Athlete of the Year (2013), A-Sun and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship (2013), and USTFCCCA Division I Cross Country All-Academic Team (2013).Â
While program success is important, Blackwelder's favorite part of the job isn't the awards or recognition—it's building connections with his athletes.
"They go from a high school senior to a college senior," Blackwelder said. "Watching them go from this 19-year-old kid to a person that is going to be an adult, that can be high functioning in society is special to see."
Blackwelder makes an effort to build relationships with his teams by getting to know his athletes as individuals. Whether on long runs or bus rides, he asks them questions about their lives, continually working to strengthen those connections. To him, they are people first and athletes second.
When building a culture of success, Blackwelder uses these personal connections to create a family-like environment where there is genuine care and support for each other.
"They just need to be good people," Blackwelder said. "They need to be considerate of teammates and willing to help teammates out and should always have each other's backs."
The culture Blackwelder has built is also evident in his coaching staff, which he believes sets his Upstate programs apart from others in the conference and country.Â
"They really have the athlete in the center of what they are doing," Blackwelder said. "They are looking out for the athlete and just making sure that they are going to be successful. We have the coaches that are creative enough and care enough that what they are doing with the athletes will lead to success."
Through all the experiences, competitions and awards, Blackwelder hopes that people from the outside recognize and appreciate the family atmosphere within Upstate's track and field and cross country teams.Â
"Hopefully, they just see that we care for the athletes, and they see that they are developing as people and as athletes," Blackwelder said. "After they interacted with the team, I hope they can say 'Hey, that was a good group of people.'"
The Spartan cross country team will conclude their season at the NCAA Southeast Regionals in Rock Hill, S.C., on Nov. 15, and the track and field team will begin their 2025 season in January.
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