Announced in early September was a change in leadership for the girls track team. Former Head Coach Loren Thorburn stepped down from the position and Jessica Rickli— previously assistant coach for both track and cross country— stepped in to take his place. A highly qualified coach, Rickli has had a plethora of experience to draw on as she moves into the position.
“I graduated from Saline, where I ran track and field for seventh through twelfth grade, indoor track and field for all of high school, and cross country for all of high school,” Rickli said. “I then ran [indoor and outdoor] track, as well as cross country as a Division II athlete at Michigan Tech. I specialized in the 5K and 10K and held the school record in the 5K a few times while I was there.”
Not only has Rickli had a successful personal running career, but she also took the additional step of seeking extensive coaching experience and education prior to coming to Chelsea.
“I earned a minor in Coaching Fundamentals from Tech and completed my internship with Houghton High School Girls and Boys Cross Country,” Rickli said. “Throughout the years, I’ve held various coaching positions: Volunteer and Assistant Coaching with [Saline High School, Houghton High School, Calumet High School, and Mayfield Middle School].”
Shooting for the position of Head Coach hadn’t been an impulsive decision for Rickli; she’d put significant effort into this enduring ambition.
“I have wanted to be head coach of track and field and cross country since about halfway through my collegiate running career,” Rickli said. “It became a main goal for me and I’ve worked hard for several years to make this dream come true. I had the privilege to be coached by the legendary Mike Smith in Saline Cross Country, as well as work alongside several amazing influential coaches throughout my adulthood. I was also fortunate to work very closely with the previous CHS Girls Head Coach (Coach Thorburn) last year and learn so much about his coaching and position.”
Rickli has had ample experience in the realm of assistant coaching but had yet to hold the title of Head Coach before this year. Not only will this upcoming season be the inaugural of Rickli’s position, but a first for CHS as well. Rickli will be the high school’s first-ever female Head Coach for girls track and field.
“I am very proud to be the first female head coach of a Chelsea Track and Field program in a sport and field that is very male-dominated,” Rickli said. “I am excited to be a leader and role model for our many female athletes here in Chelsea.”
As Rickli takes on this unprecedented season, she draws on her experiences while assistant coaching for both track and cross country. She has, and will continue, valuing the insight and support of her fellow coaches.
“We have many coaches, philosophies, and training plans in track and field, which provides us the benefit of constantly updating our training and competition to stay current and competitive with our peers,” Rickli said. “Coach [Laura] Lutz, Head Coach of CHS Girls Cross Country, took over the position from a coach that had served in the role for decades. She, along with Volunteer Assistant Coach Kim [Gabrielson] and I, has been working hard to retain older ideas and traditions while striving to modernize our program and our training. I‘m delighted and privileged to continue working with our strong, talented, and passionate group of coaches.”
With a trusted coaching staff in both cross and track, Rickli is looking ahead to this spring; she seeks to foster a community of athletes that form genuine connections with one another and motivate each other’s improvement.
“Something that I am trying to instill in both my track and field and cross country athletes is the value of being a teammate,” Rickli said. “I want all of them to understand what it means to be a genuine teammate to someone: completing hard workouts next to each other, engaging in friendly competition, cheering each other on, using each other in competition to get the best possible results for themselves and their team, and truly supporting one another in all aspects. I think that if our athletes can embrace this, we will have much greater success.”
Taking on the position of head coach is indisputably a daunting task. Rickli, however, faces it with the enthusiasm and drive that she promotes in her runners.
“There are so many things I am excited for,” Rickli said. “After being an assistant coach for so many seasons, I‘m thrilled to take the lead and head up my own program. I have so many new, borrowed, and old ideas for our program and I can’t wait to start implementing them. I’m very eager to share my passion for running with my athletes, as well as help them in achieving their own goals and dreams.”
