For Coach Bowman, cross country is about more than just running. It’s about persevering and pushing through when times are hard. Coach Bowman turns every mile into a lesson of resilience and character.
Bowman, South Windsor High School girls’ cross country coach, has been inspiring young runners to pursue their dreams for generations.
Bowman’s journey into coaching was unexpected; having recovered from an injury as a high school athlete, he started running shortly after discovering his talent for it. As a freshman attending Thiel College, Bowman was the head coach of his own team by the age of 18.
Bowman believes cross country is not just a sport, but a reflection of life.
Over the years, Bowman has faced challenges. As a young coach, Bowman grappled with the judgment of his teammates. During his years at the University of Hartford, he struggled to find practice windows that fit his and his teammates’ schedules.
“Ninety percent of the time, you’re going to be average, sometimes slightly above, sometimes slightly below—and that’s life,” Bowman explained. “Over the course of life, you’ll get a promotion, you’ll get a big raise. About five percent of the time, your boss will yell at you and almost fire you. And the other ninety percent of the time, you’ll just go in and have a ho-hum day.”
To Bowman, success doesn’t come from winning a single race; it comes from not letting bad days hold you back, and from always striving to do your best, whether in life or in sports.
For nearly 6 decades, Bowman has not only been a coach, but a mentor, role model, and a second family to many. With his unwavering support and dedication to the sport, he teaches his runners life lessons that they will carry with them for a lifetime.
“I never lose sight of where I started, so I always see myself as a work in progress; I can always be better. That is something he has taught me,” Bowman said.
For South Windsor High School track runner, senior Sofia Holovastska, without Bowman’s unfaltering confidence in her, she would not be the runner she is today.
“When I was a freshman during cross country, I didn’t believe in myself,” Holovatska said. “Had he not instilled in me that I was talented and had potential in this sport, I would not still be running”.
Others agree, Bowman has taught similar lessons throughout his years coaching SWHS’s team.
“The most important lesson the coach has taught me is to never underestimate myself, whether on or off the course,” SWHS track runner, senior Oliver Stoner said. “In life, always do your best and never stop working to get better.”
Bowman teaches his runners that confidence is just as important as endurance, and his encouragement helps lift them beyond the finish line.
