Long Beach State University Athletics
Getting to know Andy Sythe
6/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
June 21, 2011
Can you detail your coaching path to Long Beach State? My first coaching experience was working with youth track athletes in the Bay Area when I was an athlete at Los Gatos High School. After graduating from San Diego State University, my competitive career ended. My next step was to take on the high school level at Bonita Vista High School in San Diego. My desire was to coach at the Division I level, yet I still found my experience with age group and high school level athletes rewarding. I served one year on staff with my alma mater (SDSU) before learning about the program head coach Ralph Lindeman was running here at Long Beach State. Ralph had an organized approach to his operations and a philosophy that was in sync with my background as an athlete and a coach. I learned more than I could have expected in a short time under Coach Lindeman. Shortly after our season ended, Ralph departed for the head coaching position at Air Force Academy. As the only member on staff, I served as Interim Head Coach from June through August of 1989 before being named as Ralph's successor. My first-year challenges included, but were not limited to a small staff (one assistant coach), a roster of 100 student-athletes, and a track that was being renovated. I coached the cross country team in the fall and all the jumpers, throwers and distance runners through the winter and spring. We spent the year training on the grass at our campus or commuting to the Cerritos College track facility.
Although challenging, I have very fond memories of my first year directing the program. That experience really set the tone for the work ethic I would keep throughout my career at The Beach.
Beyond winning a championship, what are your goals for the upcoming season? I have a strong desire to connect with more alumni and engage them in our program. At the same time I want to remain connected with the terrific young men and women we recently graduated. There is so much positive energy right now and it is important to capitalize on our success and the spirit that exists.
On a more specific level, we are consistently working on the development of our athletes. I aim for balance among our four broad event groups (sprints, distance, jumps, and throws). We strive to be nationally competitive in every area and doing the little things that make a big difference is the way we aim to do business.
Who is an exciting new player we will see on you team next season? There are so many great new faces joining us next year and our recruiting is still in full swing at this stage. It is premature to point to a single individual from our six sports (men's and women's cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams). I will say that we look forward to continuing our strengths and bolstering the areas where we have been lean. The combination, we expect, should place us in a position to win more championships.
What is your recruiting philosophy? Initially, we are attracted to the individual performances that rank among the best in our highly competitive state, both on the junior college and high school levels.
We are very protective of our team environment. After we have determined an athlete has the ability we seek, they have to be a contributor to a positive work ethic on and off the track. We only bring a prospect on board if they meet this criteria.
We have always been a development program and my coaches can coach with the best in the country...period! If we do our job selecting the right prospects, our focus can remain on coaching the talent up and molding performers on the national scale.
How important are the summer months to the development of your team? The competitive season starts for us at the end of August and concludes at the end of June. We utilize the remaining two months of the year to create and implement our new plan while keeping pace with recruiting. With a solid plan communicated to all parties, we can put the ball in motion and build its momentum like we did this year.
If someone asked you for a recommendation where to eat in the Long Beach area, where would you send them and what would you tell them to order? In a city known for its restaurants, I find answering this question very challenging. However, the first great eatery to come to mind is Naples Rib Company (Ribs or Prime Rib). If it is seafood, then I would choose Fish Tale (Shrimp and Scallop Skewers) or the Crab Pot (The Pacific Clambake). For breakfast, my favorite is Schooner Or Later (Eggs Benedict).
Outside of coaching and sports, what are your hobbies? The little spare time I have is shared with my family. I have always loved to boat and water ski and I look forward to sharing that passion with my daughters, Sierra and Callie, when they get older.
If you had a weekend off during the season and you weren't allowed to work, what would you do with the free time? I am not very good at being idle. I would hope to have a family outing or travel to visit family. If not, I have a long list of home improvement projects waiting for my attention.
What vacation spot has been your favorite to visit? We take one vacation a year and travel with our ski boat to Trinity Lake in Northern California. We hike, boat, cook, and get quality time as a family.
Dodgers or Angels, and why? Lakers or Clippers, and why? Although I am a Northern Californian, I have officially lived in Southern California for 26 years. I used to subscribe to the philosophy that any team playing a Southern California sports team was the team I wanted to win. The transition from rooting against any So Cal team happened about 8-10 years ago. I threw my support to the Angels first because I liked their style of play. The Lakers were also high on my list, not because they won titles, but by the manner in which they conducted themselves. Over time, I began rooting for the Dodgers and Clippers too.
I must admit to having sold out on my Nor Cal roots.
