Q & A: RANDY ROSSI

Randy Rossi, 46, has been coach of the Irvine girls’ cross-country team since 1981. He has taken the Vaqueros to seven league championships, three Orange County championships, two Southern Section titles and one state title. Rossi says female athletes are more complex than male athletes and need not only the proper coaching, but also proper guidance. In particular, eating disorders are something Rossi has always been concerned about and would like to see more coaches with the same concern.

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Q: Why do you prefer to coach girls rather than boys?

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A: I’ve always have been a women’s coach. And I have limited experience with the boys. I coach the boys some during track but never in cross-country. I definitely prefer the women. I look forward to the challenge of not only the training aspect but also the psychological development.

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Q: What do you do about the issues of diet and weight?

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A: My approach to diet and weight is to encourage proper nutrition. We have a parent meeting in June when I meet all the kids and parents for the first time and I provide them with information. In 1991 and ‘92, I was fortunate to accompany a couple of my athletes to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Back then, there was a lot of talk about proper nutrition, especially with the female athlete. So I have a handout that was provided [by the Olympic Training Center] that I give out at this meeting.

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Q: How do you discuss weight with your athletes?

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A: We never talk about losing weight. That is never a focus. Instead, we talk about proper nutrition. In fact, when the girls begin to train, they lose weight as it is. I have been very fortunate because I have not had to deal with a lot of eating disorders at Irvine High School. We’re very sensitive about that. We never put a girl on the scale. We don’t worry about that.

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Q: What about eating disorders? Are they still a big problem? And do coaches need to be more aware of them?

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A: I think very definitely it’s a problem that coaches should be aware of. You need to have at least a basic knowledge of eating disorders with female athletes. I went to a clinic where Polly and PattiSue Plumer spoke. And they tended to believe that eating disorders are a lot more common among female athletes than coaches want to accept. It’s predominantly in the collegiate ranks and not so much in the high schools. But I have spoken to a lot of coaches who had experiences with eating disorders. It’s important to know the signs and to be aware of them.

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Q: What are some of the signs?

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A: Dramatic weight loss. There have been a number of athletes in the past, and I won’t give you any names, who from their junior year to senior year, have had a dramatic loss in weight. If you see that, gaunt face . . . the whole body changes. I mean they’ll look solid and healthy looking, and the next year they’ll show up very thin and emaciated. Another sign is when the girls are eating [together], one might disappear.

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Q: Do you have any personal experiences along these lines?

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A: I had a girl who had bulimia and she would disappear to the bathroom. The girls brought that to my attention and so we dealt with that. I’ve only had a couple of cases. One was a varsity athlete and another was a JV athlete. Fortunately for the JV athlete, the parents were involved, were knowledgeable and they were able to take care of it. I didn’t have to intervene. With the other girl, I had to go to the parents and tell them my concerns and we were able to take care of it. But I’ve spoken with a lot of coaches who have dealt with similar problems.

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Q: Are the eating disorders primarily connected to a desire for better athletic performance?

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A: Performance is the key ingredient. And initially they find that they do begin to run faster. But there’s a point of diminishing return when you have an eating disorder. At a certain point it leads to their decline because they don’t have the strength or the caloric intake. They stop menstruating and stress fractures become a real concern. Stress fractures are very common in athletes who have eating disorders.