Mike Whisner is a coach through and through.

He’s been the head football coach at ADM for over 20 years, and the head track coach even longer.

With his boys track team competing for the first time in their 2014 season tomorrow at Wartburg College, Whisner explains just how different it is to coach track versus coaching football.

“I learned after a few years of coaching that the style is much different than football so I treat it much different.  It’s some of the same kids that play football, you know over half our kids are football players, but the mentality when you’re out there… they’re always working hard, but there is not as much whistle-blowing and instruction.  (Track) is more individual instruction, working on race pace, working on individual events… so it is different.  I enjoy it; it’s a nice change of pace.”

Whisner says the main difference between track and football is there is less event-to-event or game-by-game pressure to win.

“Football is probably the only animal where you have to win throughout the year to get anywhere, whereas we have a district (track) meet that is going to get us to state.  So you have to try to plan.  Like a lot of other athletics, you just have a tournament to get into the state meet.”

ADM’s boys track athletes will kick-off their season in Waverly tomorrow afternoon.  Events begin at 3 o’clock.