HEAD COACH: Flash Santoro
A competitive runner since 1989 at Stafford High School, and a coach since 1994, Clinton "Flash" Santoro has always been very involved in all aspects of running. A University of Connecticut grad, he specialized in the 3000m Steeplechase and went on to compete in grad school at Central Connecticut with a career PR of 9:03 and PRs of 8:26 and 15:27 in the 3000m and 5000m, respectively. In 1993, he finished 8th in the country at the USATF Junior Olympic Cross-Country Nationals and in 1998 he was the silver medalist at the NEC Championships. Since the onset of his training, he has completed nearly 1,000 races.
As a coach, Flash led Rockville High School (Connecticut) to 3 consecutive seasons with only one loss, culminating in a Track & Field State Champions title in 1998. At Tolleson High School, he helped a talented group of coaches and athletes to earn a State runner-up title in Track & Field in 2003. His runners swept nearly every position at each of the regular season meets. A fierce competitor as both athlete and coach, he boasts a record of 100 wins, 3 losses in just 4 years of track. A specialist in coaching long-distance running and track events from 100m to 10,000m, Shot, Javelin, Discus, hurdles and the three jumping events, he has a plan for everyone.
In recent years, he coached with the highly successful AZTECH Training and Racing, under Bill Strachan, and started a youth program for the City of Surprise. Flash now works as a personal trainer and in customer relations and event coordination at Sole Sports. Prior to that, he taught 7+ years of high school foreign language and started an Ultimate Frisbee Club, which is now a part of his runners' weekly training. As passionate for language as he is for running and coaching, he is able to communicate with people in over 10 different languages.
His coaching philosophy revolves around the principle of hard work, realistic goal setting and positive thinking, where the word "can't" regarding effort is taboo. From his experience, he is well aware that natural talent can only take one so far and often results in lazy, uninspired, last-minute training. His belief is that hard work always pays off. Running for him is not a regime nor is it the cookie-cutter "same training for everyone, every year."
Flash's main goal is to inspire his runners to be lifetime athletes, stay healthy and enjoy all aspects of their sport, rather than be relegated to the sidelines.