The possibilities of the thing...

A couple of months ago I wrote a fantastic blog, it was filled with heart and soul, and love and despair, anger and emotion.  I just deleted it because it was a tragedy, and filled with sadness that needed no life.  So, I wrote it all, got that out, vented, and deleted it because time heals all wounds and brings great wisdom.  I was driving yesterday and thinking about what I wanted to write, and what I wanted to share.  Here is the resulting epiphany.  Periodically, I will write about a different athlete I have coached or helped coach over my 20 plus years.  I will not use names, you can guess who they are, who they are will be obvious to those that were there.  I think, well, it should be obvious LOL.  Some I will make obvious.  These will nt be mudracking stories, or petty shots, these will be fond memories from me of me.

World and Olympic medalists, or just plain old athletes.  No order, no preference, no hierarchy, but I will try to hit as many as I can for as long as I can.  If I cannot write something inspired, I will wait until I can.  So, let me think, who shall be first? 

Some time before today this athlete came into the group.  How is that for secretive LOL.  Right off the top I want to thank this athlete for trusting me to always take me on the road.  I went a lot of places and spent a lot of time in foreign countries because this athlete wanted me there.  The best of these trips involved a funny moment that only can happen in real life.  

It was a long trip, like 2 or 3 weeks.  We started in Stockholm.  First race up was going to be a tough one because the competition was not there for the games.  I will not bore you with warm up stories, nor descriptions of races.  You can pull up results and videos for all of that stuff.  Well, at least not in this story, not this time.  On this trip, it was all about dusting of the rust, getting a good run in before the next meet, which is where we planned to lay it down and run fast.  This meet was about winning.

Win he did.  The race was as tough as advertised.  Like I said, the opposition was not there to play around.  We were victorious, race was over, on to the next one.  Right after recovery.  The first race is always taxing off the plane, no matter how much time you plan ahead.  

All of a sudden, there was urgency.  In the midst of recovering, a mad search was on!  What was the urgency?  Simple, a lost earring.  LMAO  It seems so frivolous, right?  Well, let's just say it was worth searching for the earring.  If any of the personnel there found that earring they would have been very happy.  So the search was on.  We walked the track, every meter of the race.  No, earring, which was alarming but there was little chance we would find it.  As we reached the finish line, it looked as if someone had found rent that evening, and walked off.

As we crossed the finish line, quickly approaching the inevitable conclusion that the earring was gone, it dawned on me to look outside of the lane because what you do not know, is the race ended dramatically.  Dramatic as in, a full front flip.  I told you the race was going to be hard, it went down to the wire, it was won on a lean.  The lean resulted in a front flip.  Thus, the missing earring.  So, I looked around where the flip occurred and voila!  Laying on the white line was the earring.  All the carats intact.  Someone missed out on rent LOL

This is a sample of stories I will tell.  Things I recall from my travels.  The athletes around then should recall who this is.  That earring was a big deal at the time, now not so much.  With these new millionaires buying carats like carrots, Aqib Talib would have paid it no mind LOL.  Now let me go think on who else I can write about, and what obscure tale I can tell.  Enjoy your holidays, If you are ever in Pomona, stop by and see me.  Peace, D

Did you know there is Professional track?

I have had the pleasure of loving track and field for as long as i can remember.  My first season of racing was when I was 6, the trophy is downstairs, says 1977.  I was chasing my dreams and fulfilling the family legacy.  All over my homes were pictures of dad and uncle running in high school and college.  This is what I was born for, it was easy and fun and I won.  More importantly I loved to race and compete.  I still do.  Win, lose or draw I love the competition.  I smile when I realize I am stressing because one of my guys lost or underperformed because it is all apart of what I do.  I was never more pleased than to learn athletes would be able to receive money and still compete at the Olympics.  That was in the 80s.
So here I sit writing you all about the amateur mindset that still dominates the internal workings and thinking of the track world.  From administration to fans we are inundated with constant criticism that is rooted in the soil of amateurism.  It has manifested itself into a self hate that fights all change and/or evolution, and an aversion to marketing in the name of purity and economics.
A friend and I had a lively exchange about the Great City Games in Manchester.  He is of the opinion that until we heal and better the pure product, we cannot afford to put on street fairs and fringe events.  For him, and those that share his opinion, it is not building the sport, promoting the on track product, and most importantly building the fan base.  he rather see these efforts put into the meets, especially in the US where we are woefully lacking pro meets that capture the public attention.  He knows we need better marketing, and feels events like this do not produce long term benefits that will specifically result in a bigger fan base and public interest.  His argument has merit and historical backing.  Yet, I find it short sighted and destructively narrow in scope.
As a shining example, the Great City Games in Manchester, England is a great marketing tool.  The city used to have the UK national championships, and occasionally host a meet but they no longer do for various reasons.  This event is staged on the streets and is promoted in conjunction with the London and Birmingham Diamond League meets to be held later this summer.  The events ranged from traditional races, such the 110m hurdles, 100 hurdles, and a straight away 200m, to rarely run distances such as 150m and a 200m hurdle race.  The athletes are always A list international stars mixed with A list domestic stars.  The fans are less than ten feet from the races.  TV coverage is comprehensive domestically, which means track is on TV with full production, not studio voice over replays 24 hours later.  YET, the old guard frown upon the street races as a side show.  Once again, shooting down another tool we can use to achieve what is a common goal, growth of track and field and its fan base.
These critics will wow you with the stories of yesteryear.  Remembering the time when dual meets sold out stadiums and cities like LA hosted 4 meets (2 indoor meets,2 outdoor meets).  The glory days of the 60s and 70s.  40+ years of remembering, that have done NOTHING to solve today's new problems of low fan turnout, poor public image, and a general malaise of the loyal fan base.
Today I read a blog from Toni Reavis ruing the current CEO search by USATF and the recent news that Stephanie Hightower may be the new CEO.  Other very good candidates have turned down the job and it seems as though Ms. Hightower wants the job.  Yet as true to the sport, we have decided to talk about the negatives and make sure that we all know why this may not work and is not the best deal we could have had.  Cynicism.
I write all of the above to say this...I am tired of the cynicism and cowardly way we go about promoting ourselves.  From drug rumors, to public face time, to internal talks about officers in the sport, to the fledgling athletes union.  We are the most tested, most busted best self policed sport in the world, but all we present is "track is the dirtiest sport".  All we present is a bunch of athletes, coaches and fans that swear before God such and such new superstar is dirty!  And if that's not good enough, such and such old super star was dirty.  No proof to support it but rumor is fact in our sport, until the accuser runs fast and wins then they are the lone shining angel in a world of devils.  Fans and media, sometimes one in the same, sit back and suspect sprinters and hurdlers while marveling at the distance runners.  Cannibalism. 
At what point will we wake up and start internalizing our concerns and presenting a sellable product to the public?  When will we move on from the 70s and realize we have today issues to address.  This is no longer about putting on a good track meet nor is it about getting the stars on the track, it is about promoting the product.  No more network presentations filled with drug stories that are years dead.  Interest pieces about the stars on the track.  Lack of personality is not an excuse for lack of exposure.
We are a great sport with educated and intelligent participants.  We are a sport, not a game.  We are self policed and have spear headed the drug war.  Through track and fields efforts the other sports have been forced to develop comprehensive testing programs and actually suspend players.  We are the sport that test the ultimate in human boundaries, no teams, no hand signals, no timeouts to regroup.  The other athletes in other games watch us and talk about us.  They seek out our athletes and our coaches to train under.  These are some of the narratives we HAVE to start promoting.  If we are serious about growth, those with voices have to do better and STOP dominating the media super highway with cynical pieces, criticisms of successful events, while ignoring the core structures and successes.
Did you know there is professional track?

Indoors is over!

Congrats to all who ran indoors and a special congrats to my hurdler, Kevin Craddock.  Kevin ran a pieced together indoor campaign and capped it off with a second place in New Mexico.  Gave us a chance to see where he is, and how effective training has been up until this point.
I know many use indoors as a barometer, and others as preparation for outdoors.  Being a LA kid born and raised, I use it simply to appease the hunger in an athlete and break training up IF it is needed. I do not translate or over evaluate the races because they are so different from outdoors my mind doesn't even relate the 2.
That being said, now we can focus solely on outdoors, and negotiating 10 barriers to Daegu.  The ultimate goal is always making the outdoor teams and winning medals, indoors has zero bearing on that so I give it little weight.
The beauty of living and training in LA is that the weather is rarely terrible.  So we can train all year long and at distances we can use.
One of the joys is watching the best of the best train.  It is hard work being the best and contrary to the rumors that permeate our sport, the best train hard to earn their station.  I watch those I have been in charge of and those under other coaches, and I know what is to come when the summer gets here.  The pureness of track is marveled by no other sport in the world.  Run faster, jump farther, throw farther, these are the simple skills of the sport.  Gods majesty is unrivaled, and all of you that participate in this great sport should enjoy the gifts you are so blessed to use and display.
First stop is Texas, then Mt SAC, then we shall see.  One thing I know, this is going to be a fast year in the sport.  All signs point to a lot of fast times and high standards.  Here we go!

DJ Duties

This week is the week they have been waiting for, the whole thing comes down to this week. That's right, the Lakers and Spurs! LOL

So the trial has kicked off and there have actually been a few revelations. A few people I know are pissed, a few are shaking their heads, and a few could careless and just want the damn thing over.

I care. I am pissed. I am sad. And I want it over.

Since the BALCO case came around I have endured countless message board attacks and accusations. Specific and detailed were the shots and I remember almost all of them. It is fairly easy to remember because 99% of them are coming out in the trial and came out in the BALCO trial. So you see there is some irritation in it all for me.

I am sad for the sport. We are so mismanaged that we are allowing this to define us to the public with out any positive news whatsoever in the press. We have become the poster children for steroids when we should be the poster children for testing, and busting!

I care for those I coach, and those of you still out here grinding and training and doing it right. None of this has a damn thing to do with the current generation of track athletes.

I want it over so we can move on. We need to move on.

I am asking all of you to spin this thing and promote yourselves. Do not run from the spotlight regardless of the source. You will be asked stupid questions, think about how you wish to answer them with a positive spin that keeps you away from the negative and lets people know the sport is about being clean. You are clean and let people know.

It is an Olympic year. You will perform above and beyond yourselves, as will your competition, it is not drugs, it is the norm. We all work and train really hard for this moment, remember that. Revel in the joy and excitement of making the team and winning medals.

I will beat this drum until you get tired of hearing it from me. That I promise to you all.