As fall sports kick off, North Atlanta’s cross country warriors run into battle with their new assistant general, Jonathan Bair. Bair joined the North Atlanta Cross Country team after the previous coach, Coach Farrell, took on a job at New Balance in the Northeast. This semester, he is ready to assist in training our warriors to be faster than ever before!

Bair isn’t a regular coach. He’s what we call a community coach, a coach that’s usually a parent or another person within the community that helps to train our athletes, organize events, and more. When Bair isn’t coaching, he’s working as a mechanical engineer at Newcomb and Boyd. “I don’t teach like those guys,” says Bair.   

Oddly enough, his cross country origin story didn’t start in high school. Despite his brother running throughout high school Bair himself only decided to join once he was in college. Even through the hottests, sweatiest days, they’d run together. With consistency and determination, both Bair’s running and his relationship would get better. Soon enough, he seeked to discover what happens “behind the scenes” in running so he could spread his knowledge to others. Through the Georgia High School Association, he’d successfully become a certified community coach. “I became one step closer to being able to share that passion with others,” he said.

Bair started his coaching experience at Cherokee High School, helping to train and support the (other) group of warrior athletes. Finally being able to use his expertise, he’d work with each athlete to come up with a plan that was uniquely theirs. “Not everybody can train the same way,” Bair said, “and that’s something you’ve got to remember as a coach.” 

All of the cross country dubs are ecstatic to have a new addition to help Head Coach Nicholas Cluster lead the team to future victories. Bair is able to provide the athletic dubs with all new kinds of opportunities and aid them as they reach new heights. Cluster’s much more confident than he was last year and along with Bair’s experience with coaching and running. He perceives that this year of cross country will be unlike any of the previous. “The goal last year was to create a strong foundation,” said Cluster, “now we’ve got to outmatch ourselves.” 

Bair will continue to spread the passion he has for running among the dubs for the following years. Without further ado, everyone welcome Coach Bair to the Warrfam!