Meet the Head Coach

HEAD COACH DARCY STROUSE

Dr. Darcy Strouse (Coach Darcy) is a developmental psychologist and sport psychology consultant as well as published physical activity and health promotion scientist. She is dedicated to providing lifespan mental and fitness performance training. An accomplished, competitive distance runner, she has over 35 years of competitive distance running experience that includes numerous cross country/trail and road racing accomplishments and awards (5 km on up) at the local, regional, and national levels. As an elite U.S. masters distance runner, she currently holds the masters All-American road racing standard for the 5k, 10k, 10 miles, 12k, and half marathon distances, ranking first in the nation and second in the world in the 5k and 10k.  In 2014, she set Maryland Senior Olympic road racing records in both the 10k and 5k and she was the 2013 12k -.US National Road Racing Champion for 45 to 49 year olds. Also passionate about trail running, in 2011 she was the overall women’s runner-up in the Maymont X-Country Festival James River Loop 8 Mile Trail Run and she was the 2011 and 2010 Footlocker Northeast Open Women’s Masters Champion and Overall Women’s Runner-up.

 For the past 17 years, Coach Darcy has been the director and head coach of the Lightning Running Club (LRC) youth distance running program— newly named “Green Flash”—and has coached youth runners to both individual and team national championship titles as well as road racing championships and records. As a private distance running coach, she's has guided runners of all ages and ability levels, including XTERRA triathletes, high school, and collegiate runners. Over the past five years, she has participated in a series of American Distance Summits—Level III USATF Coaching Education Symposiums that feature training provided by world-class and elite national coaches, including Renato Canova, Joe Vigil, and Greg McMillan.

Her overall coaching philosophy is grounded in the belief that distance running training for runners of all ages and abilities should be gently progressive and continuous—which provides the foundation for lifelong participation in the sport. As a sport psychology consultant and distance running coach—and in her own competitive athletic pursuits—Coach Darcy has a firm belief in the mind and body connection in sport and exercise performance and how, in order to achieve peak performance, one must - Dig Deep, Be Tough, and BelieveTM.

 As a sport psychology consultant, Coach Darcy provides mental coaching and peak performance enhancement consultant services via BelieveinMe Sports, LLC.