Exploring Life & Business with Jimmy Grosse of West Michigan Mustangs Homeschool Cross Country

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Grosse

Hi Jimmy, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
At a very young age I gravitated towards athletics and competition. I grew up in a broken home where there were addictions and poor life choices that made life challenging for a young kid. Sports provided a place to escape those challenges and to direct all my energy.

I had a love of baseball, basketball and football in my youth. It wasn’t until middle school that I was invited to run cross country and track. Since my school did not offer middle school football in the fall of my 8th grade year I had no plans to participate in a sport. Those plans all changed when a cute girl asked me to run cross country. I did not know much about cross country but I did know that a cute girl ran, so I couldn’t turn down the offer. I quickly fell in love with running cross country (but not the girl). The competitiveness of running is unmatched as you are trying to outrun the person next to you. I also loved that cross country was for everyone. No matter your talent level, you have a goal to achieve and it was up to you to put in the work to achieve it. Coaches help guide and support the runners in training but when it came to running in a race, you as the athlete have autonomy over your performance. You learn to do hard things.

Following a successful High School running career, where I competed at State Finals all four years, I continued to compete in college. I attended Hope College a NCAA Division III school in Holland, MI. At Hope I learned to train consistently and my love of competition continued to grow. More importantly at Hope College my understanding of faith as a Christian was formed and blossomed. Like so many students at Hope, I met my wife who was from Zeeland, Michigan. We settled down in Zeeland where we are currently raising our family.

After College, I had a desire to coach cross country and track. However, not being teacher or working at a school, the opportunity to coach did not fit my work schedule. I did continue to train at a high level with some area runners and we continued to compete in everything from 5k’s to Marathons.

In 2010, we welcomed our first child (daughter) and over the next 5 years added two more kids (son in 2013 and another daughter in 2015) to the family. We have been blessed with 3 healthy and active kids. Our oldest daughter in 6th grade decided to give Cross Country a try while at public school.

During the 2022 school year, my wife and I looked into the possibility of homeschooling. After having several discussions with families who homeschool, research and much prayer, we decided to start homeschooling our kids at the start of 2023 school year.

With that decision, we wanted to find organizations or sports options for our kids to get involved with. While there are many homeschool sports teams and social activities, I recognized the potential to start Cross Country program among the thriving and growing homeschool community in West Michigan (Holland/Zeeland area). The dream I had to becoming a coach and pass on my love and passion for running came to fruition.

In 2023, we started with only a Middle School program to ensure I was not overwhelmed with the demands of coaching. Through social media and reaching out to area homeschool co-ops, I able to spread the work of our new program. I was delighted to find that in our first year we had 18 kids come out for the cross country team. Only one of the runners (my Daughter) had any experience with running Cross Country.
The boys and girls teams inexperience showed as the teams finished last or near last place at nearly every race. However, we celebrated so many personal bests and some personal triumphs. The team came together like family and the future was promising.

In, 2024 the team over doubled in size which now included a High School team. We had a total of 46 homeschool kids between the Middle and High School team! The High School team was much like the 2023 Middle School teams in that we had low participation numbers and the runners were inexperienced. We also added a free running program for K-5 students where the kids are introduced to running by running and playing fun active games.

The Middle School teams now with experience and consistent training thrived. The girls team finished in the top 3 in every race and were team champions in two invitations. The boys team was top 5 in every race they entered and were team champions in one invitational. The highlight of the season came at the conclusion of the season as we traveled to Nashville, TN for Homeschool Cross Country Nationals (HXN). At HXN our Middle School Girls finished 3rd, Middle School boys finished 5th. We had a High School boy finish in the top 5 individually. Overall we had 12 individuals garner All-American honors. Three (3) runners from our K-5 runners, 8 runners from the Middle School team, and 1 runner from our High School team.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The West Michigan Mustangs homeschool cross country and track program began as an idea during the summer of 2023. Even though the feedback I received on the idea of a team was encouraging, I was nervous that we would not get enough kids to form a full team. The public and private school cross country and track teams meet after school and the kids are already on location. From a homeschool sports scenario, I realized that I will need to convince parents and athletes to drive to practice daily. The logistics of training plans and registering for races was the easy part.

To my surprise we had 18 kids the first season and most of the kids showed up daily to practice. I found a community of homeschool parents that were heavily invested in their kids’ learning and development.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are an organized Cross Country and Track program just like any public or private school would have. We also offer a free K-5 program for kids to enjoy being active and learn to run.

The Mustangs cross country and track program seeks to consistently achieve excellence in running and in life for every athlete in the program.

Our Goal is that each athlete, regardless of natural ability, put in the work and the attention to detail on a daily basis to develop over time to achieve their fullest potential.

Our target for every athlete is to foster the feeling of self-satisfaction that comes as a direct result of achieving their potential.

We will accomplish this through steadfast support for the fundamental value of each team member within strict adherence to the team concept.

Through their participation, they will create a foundation for life-long fitness and positive character traits to meet challenges both inside and outside the athletic realm.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
As a kid I had a lot of energy. I was always busy and I thrived when around sports. I grew up in a broken home and with financial instability. We would often get our power, heat and phone shut off from unpaid bills. Sports was a way to escape the difficulties of life. On a ball field, all those issues went away. I loved to compete in anything and I always wanted to win not matter what I was doing. At one point in my youth I made the decision to stop playing board games because if I lost a game I’d get frustrated. As a kid I loved playing baseball, basketball and football. I never wanted to come off the field/court during competition. However, in those sport the coach dictates the playing time. Once I started running, I immediately knew why I loved it. From the time the gun went off to the time I hit the finish line, there was no bench. You got to test your limits and compete to the last stride. As a runner there is a direct correlation of the work you put in and the results you get out. Sure there is such thing as natural ability but that can only take you so far. However to beat your best there is no cheat code. I realized in order to do something i’ve never done before i’ll have to train like i’ve never have before. Running is unique in that no matter where you place on your team or in a race, you have get the opportunity to transcend your former self. To be better than you ever have before, to beat the “old you”. No other sport can you do that with such clarity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.westmichiganmustangsxc.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westmichiganmustangs?igsh=MWx0cTF0NWt5ejB1cQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/12CBhhrx4HS/?mibextid=wwXIfr