Coaches & Volunteers
Who's on the field, who's behind the scenes, and how to join them.
Our team
Whitewater Run Club is an all-volunteer staff. Nobody on this page is paid by the club.
Two independent things govern who can be on the field with our runners. People mix these up, so:
- USATF Individual Membership — club policy, required for every coach and volunteer by USATF. Every active coach and every active volunteer must hold their own USATF individual membership ($65/year as of 2026). Learn more here at the USATF website..
- SafeSport certification + background check — USATF mandate. Any adult working with minors must be SafeSport certified (annual) and have a current background check (every 2 years). This includes club Coaches, Administrators, and Volunteers. Learn more about USATF’s SafeSport requirements here.
We also strive to run a two-deep supervision policy at every meetup involving youth: no adult should ever alone with a youth runner who is not their own child. If they are, it may only be in an open and observable location. This is permanent club policy, not a workaround for missing credentials.
Status of each person’s compliance is shown on the cards below.
Coaches
John William Nelson (he/him)
Volunteer Coach · All ages + Club administrator
Former youth runner who began club running in 5h grade and ran through high school up to 12th grade in his home state of Georgia. Ran club track, plus club and high school cross country. A six-time Peachtree Road Race finisher back when running 10ks were viewed the same as running marathons are now—one of those being in the sub-elite 2nd wave right behind the elite runners. A former sub-20 5k, sub-30 5 mile, sub-40 10k, and sub-60 10 miler. Began coaching his kids after one showed an interest and love of running back in 2nd grade. (The other just tolerates it, at best.)
Coaches all ages. Primarily middle and long distances, but can coach sprinters. Focuses on safe progression. Heavily influenced by the 80/20 Endurance Training, Norwegian (and Norwegian Single) Method, Coaches David and Megan Roche at SWAP, and Steve Magness's approches to training.
Also perpetually coming back from injury or rebuilding endurance. Will be at the back of any group runs with his fellow hobby joggers and shamblers.
Required certifications
- USATF Individual Membership (WRC policy)✓ Active 2026 · renews Dec
- SafeSport (USATF)✓ Certified April 2026 · annual renewal due April 2027
- Background check (NCSI) (USATF)✓ Cleared May 2025 · valid 2 years
- CPR / First Aid (club policy)⏳ Planned in 2026
Coaching credentials
— Volunteer coach. No formal coaching certification yet.
Volunteers
Club policy. Every official Whitewater Run Club volunteer must:
- Hold an active USATF Individual Membership (~$65/year; the club reimburses on-time renewal).
- Hold a current SafeSport certification (annual).
- Pass a background check (every 2 years). This is a USATF Club requirement.
- Otherwise comply with USATF policies and the club’s Code of Conduct and operational requirements.
This does not include ad hoc volunteers — parents, friends, or others — who may provide some help or support at a given workout, meetup, or race and who are not already club members. However, any club member looking to be more active and regularly volunteer must meet these requirements, and the club will—when possible—provide support.
What our certifications mean
Required for every coach and volunteer
These three are not optional. Every adult who works with our runners — coach or volunteer — must hold all three.
| Credential | Required by | What it covers | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| USATF Individual Membership | WRC policy (extension of USATF affiliation) | Active individual membership in USA Track & Field. ~$65/year. Required by USATF for all USATF clubs. | Annual |
| SafeSport certification | USATF (national policy, U.S. Center for SafeSport) | Online training in athlete safety, abuse prevention, mandatory reporting protocols | Annual |
| Background check | USATF requirement for all USATF Clubs | State + national criminal history + sex-offender registry. USATF used NCSI, (~$22/coach) . | Every 2 years |
Future Club policy (additional, role-dependent)
Not Yet Implemented; In Progress
| Credential | Required by | What it covers | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| CPR / First Aid | WRC (for coaches and the on-site safety lead at every youth practice) | American Red Cross or American Heart Association certification | Every 2 years |
Become a coach or volunteer
We’re recruiting. The club needs:
- Volunteer coaches for youth (ages 8–14). No coaching certification required to start. The club will help you learn how to coach youth runners and, where possible, support your training and certification. The prerequisite is that you complete USATF membership + SafeSport + the background check before your first session.
- Volunteer coaches for high schoolers (grades 9–12). No coaching certification required to start. The club will help you learn how to coach high school runners and, where possible, support your training and certification. The prerequisite is that you complete USATF membership + SafeSport + the background check before your first session.
- Volunteer coaches for adult runners. No coaching certification required to start. The club will help you learn how to coach adult runners of any age and, where possible, support your training and certification. The prerequisite is that you complete USATF membership + SafeSport + the background check before your first session.
How to start the conversation: email [email protected] with two sentences about your background and which role interests you. We’ll set up a 20-minute conversation and send you the volunteer application, USATF membership signup link, SafeSport enrollment, and NCSI background-check link. USATF Individual Membership signup is ~5 minutes online; SafeSport takes ~90 minutes online; NCSI background-check turnaround is 5–10 business days. You’re on the field after all three clear.
Coaching philosophy
We coach running. We don’t coach therapy, nutrition, body image, or college recruiting — for those we refer to qualified professionals.
Our youth program runs on the simplest principle that survives contact with reality: build kids who like running. Volume is age-appropriate. Intensity is rare, but focused and intentional. Form is taught whenever possible by demonstration by doing, and less by lecture. Success at this age is showing up, finishing, and wanting to come back next week.
Our adult program runs on a different principle: meet runners where they are. A first-time-jogger and a 2:50 marathoner both belong on Sunday. We pace by group, run by feel, and respect that every adult lacing up their running shoes has the rest of their life going on around that running.
The Code of Conduct (see /code-of-conduct/) sets the floor for behavior; this page sets the floor for credentialing. Both are higher than “be nice.”
Questions
| You want to… | |
|---|---|
| Volunteer to coach | [email protected] (to be created) |
| Volunteer in a non-coaching role | [email protected] |
| Raise a concern about a coach or volunteer | [email protected] (to be created) — see also our Code of Conduct reporting paths |
| Submit a clinic / special-expertise offer | [email protected] (to be created) |
Last updated: May 18, 2026.