Since he was hired as the cross country coach about a month ago,
Ryan Slaymaker has been going pretty much nonstop.
"I've pretty much been operating with the mindset of we're behind so I need to get to work," Slaymaker said. "My first day was around March 15, and all of the other programs probably started recruiting last summer for 2025. So I've pretty much been trying to recruit all the time."
Slaymaker has been recruiting daytime, nighttime, on weekends, talking to athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone else in the community. He's been on the phone, he's been using text messages, emails, and of course, in person.
His hard work has paid off. So far Slaymaker has signed 11 athletes to his program. Those signees for the Men's team are:
- Bryce Morgan, Headland High
- Joseph Kirkland, Headland High
- Kenon Douglas, Rehobeth High
- Quentin Harper, Dale County
- Jarell Blanton, Wiregrass Kings (Dothan)
- Malachi Bell, Carroll High
For the Women's team, the signees are:
- Liz Lawson, Popular Springs (Graceville)
- LaTerria Adams, New Brockton
- Emma Johnson, Wiregrass Kings (Dothan)
- Teagan Slinker, Headland High
- Maria Martinez, Headland High
"We're going in the right direction," Slaymaker said. "One of these days, I'm probably going to have to say, okay, calm down a little bit. Let's stop for a second. But right now, I'm just in the mindset of I can't stop until we kind of get things together."
Slaymaker isn't just signing anybody and everybody who can run. Between his time beginning in Florida, to college at Springhill College in Mobile, and stops at Notre Dame and California, he's learned a lot.
"I think I've been trying to learn through my experiences. When I coached elementary school kids, middle school kids, and high school kids, I was a teacher at the same time. So my first two things were, are their grades good? Am I going to hear back from one of their teachers 'oh this kid is acting terrible all the time?' So, I'm making sure their character is good first, and from there I'm looking at their times. This year, we're probably going to be more open than we will ever be again. In the future, we'll probably be a little pickier about certain things. But those are always the first two things I look for, including with this group I'm bringing in."
In order to get the best and brightest, Slaymaker has a long-term plan.
"I want coaches to know me, I want to know them so we can build a relationship of trust. For example, the baseball program has been around for a while. I'm sure a lot of local coaches know what's going to happen when they send kids here. They know they're going to get better. They'll have a place to go afterwards. And that's what I'm trying to establish, to get a lot of coaches to see that's what we're trying to do as well. If they're a top runner, how can we make them better? If they're a middle-of-the-pack runner, how can we get them to the top and hopefully get them some opportunities when they finish up here?"
Slaymaker is still looking for athletes who are interested in joining the Wallace program. He can be reached at
rslaymker@wallace.edu.
