Eli Hopkins

Personal Story of overcoming adversity, including lessons learned and character gained through the experience:
"I have overcame many adversities through my running career from middle school throughout high school. Injuries riddled my freshman and sophomore seasons in high school and I overcame those injuries by using it as a reset to get my ind right so when I get back into running I'm essentially better than I was before mentally.

I've learned a lot of lessons while running. The main lesson I have learned is not to leet one race determine my season or career, whether it's a great race or not so great. That is one of the many challenges in this sport of running that can be hard to overcome, but keeping my mind in the right place at all times helps me stay on track with my goals that I have set." -Eli Hopkins

Express what you hope to do with an opportunity to be a scholarship-student-athlete. What you hope to give a team and accomplish in college as well as what you hope to do with your education and how that step of completing a degree will lead toward your long term goals:
"My goal is to run in college and get a degree in business administration or business management, Education is just as important to me as athletics and I am looking for a school that offers exactly that.

I am a leader on my cross country and track team and try to be the best influencer possible for my teammates. Being a leader on and off the track is something I strive for. With an opportunity to be a colleegiate student-athlete I hope to be a great teammate and student. I want to give a team a leader and a person to get better with everyday. Getting a degree in business will heelep mee get a management job right ou tof college so I can eventually start my own busineess in the future and be veery successful". -Eli Hopkins

Coach Hudgens bio and insights on Eli Hopkins...

"It has been a gift to work with and witness Eli Hopkins growth over the last 5-to-6 years.

From his elementary years of playing soccer, running, and participating in a weekly “Friday Fun Night” that consisted of all sorts of games and activities (basketball, PickleBall, kickball, JunglePong, Floor Hockey, Dodgeball) … to this summer going into his Senior year of High School where he executed the most consistent and strongest fitness training regiment while managing his own mowing business … there’s an abundance of experiences, growth, maturity, and preparedness to be a successful collegiate student-athlete.

CHARACTER:

Consistency and an exceptional energy set point are to character traits that Eli Hopkins exemplifies.

Eli’s Character is one of the utmost respect: his respect for coaches, teammates, time, and himself are consistent, mindful, and humble. Eli is always punctual, prioritizing time and especially time commitments to his work and others. Throughout the three months of summer 2023 we had 6am practices, 4-to-7 days a week depending on the training block, and Eli was only tardy to two of them, and we joke about the one time he overslept his alarm. Even in those circumstances Eli was quick to communicate, and he is well organized if there’s ever any schedule conflicts or changes he’s quick to communicate.

Eli’s energy set point empowers him to more than conquer workouts, navigate practices and recovery, but also manage his own business. “Mowaholics” was established with his brother, and the summer of 2023 Eli managed the entire business by himself. Even with vehicle issues he creatively responded with organizing the resources he needed to complete his jobs.

Most impressive is the energy threshold to do the workouts in the morning and mow for hours in the heat of the afternoon, while maintaining a nutrition plan that fueled and nourished his body and maintaining a sleeping routine that equipped his recovery from the full energy demanding days. Not to mention the progression in his performances throughout his running experiences, specifically in his fitness and the Steeplechase. An example of his exceptional energy threshold was the 2023 AAU Regional Championships held at Yukon High School in Yukon, OK, where he ran four races over four days:

Thursday: 2000m Steeplechase - 6:15

Friday: 3000m - 9:14

Saturday: 800m - 2:01

Sunday: 1500m - 4:11

Overall Eli's character is a student-athlete mindset, perspective, and habits that coaches long to work with. His academic routines and habits are consistent and successful as his 4.0 GPA expresses. He courageously trusts the process, and pressed into the plan developed by a coach. He has a wealth of experience in running and understanding of his body, he will share his perspectives and how his body is responding, but he’s committed to a coach’s plan. There’s a level of trust that Eli expresses that empowers his sense of purpose in his work, and he authentically loves the work. Work before play is his mode of operation, but I think the work is a bit of play to him, the joy that comes from the rush of pushing himself is a daily experience he thrives in.

TRAINING:

Physically, Eli is young and still growing to a full maturity, but he’s structurally strong and functionally very fluid in his movement patterns. As he matures there is a high ceiling of potential in which we have not come close to pressing into. The mileage has been moderate between 35-to-55 depending on the season, and mostly around 40 is his sweet spot when trying to implement intensity into the week.

Eli’s strength training is mostly “range-of-strength” emphasizing range of motion under light load, with some light plyometrics and drills. He has been consistent with 2-to-3 general strength “weight room” sessions a week for over a year.

Weekly biking has been an assist in increasing or adding fitness or “mileage”. With at least one bike session a week depending on the season. Most bike sessions are 45-to-60min with “Fartlek” climbing intervals within the ride. If biking is implemented as a “double” for the day then it can be as short at 10-to-20min and typically a sustains effort throughout the ride.

Eli maintains a daily routine of yoga-like flow movements on the floor for back, lower-lumbar, hips, knees, and ankle mobility and resilience. And when he deems necessary he does epsom baths and or contrast-showers to therapeutically relax and assist recovery.