Episode 78: Leslie Davis (Cross Country and Track Coach at Lafayette HS)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Leslie Davis, former Kentucky state champion in the 800 and now a cross country and track coach (and English teacher) at Lafayette High School in Lexington, KY. We dig into why running may be the most inclusive and accessible sport in schools, how it teaches kids to choose hard things, and the real mental, physical, and emotional challenges young runners face… from discipline and burnout to body image and puberty. Davis shares what makes track and field so uniquely diverse, and why the boom of running in Kentucky is giving more kids a place to belong.
🔹 From State Champ to Educator-Coach
Davis reflects on her journey from elite athlete to coaching both cross country and track while teaching in the classroom.
🔹 The Case for Multi-Sport Athletes
Why playing multiple sports does more than prevent injury. It exposes kids to different team cultures before they silo off in middle/high school.
🔹 Running Is for Everyone
Cross country and track offer one of the most inclusive spaces in youth sports: affordable, accessible, and built for improvement at any level.
🔹 The Oldest Form of Competition
“How fast can you get from Point A to Point B?” Davis explains the universal simplicity that makes running so powerful.
🔹 You Don’t Need $300 Shoes
As running booms in America, we talk about gear culture, expensive watches, and why grit still matters more than gadgets.
🔹 Choosing to Do Hard Things
“How do you get someone to choose pain?” Davis shares how running teaches kids they can handle discomfort in sport and in life.
🔹 Coaching the Mind, Not Just the Body
Why mental skills are just as critical as physical training for young athletes.
🔹 A Stadium Full of Specialists
Track and field requires a massive, diverse coaching staff—yet gets a fraction of the funding football does.
🔹 Every Kind of Kid Belongs
From multi-sport athletes in EVERY sport to first-time athletes, Davis explains how track represents every corner of the school community.
🔹 A Fresh Start in High School
Unlike travel-heavy sports, running gives kids a chance to try something new in high school and still find success.
🔹 Discipline vs. Obsession
We unpack Type A vs. Type B athletes, burnout, and how discipline can quietly slide into unhealthy extremes.
🔹 Body Image & Food Talk Matter
Davis urges parents to be mindful of how they talk about eating and bodies, especially with motivated young runners.
🔹 Puberty and the Female Athlete
An under-discussed reality: girls’ bodies change, performance may dip, and it can feel like losing “the magic.” But, “You don’t suddenly suck.”
🔹 What the Sport Is Really About
“The point is to see what our bodies can do, not what they can look like.”
🔹 Why Kids Keep Showing Up
At the end of the day, kids just want something fun, challenging, and team-centered… and running is exploding in Kentucky because of it.
