Happy New Year! It is really true, the older you get the faster time flies. Just seems like yesterday it was one of those years gone by, fill in any year ya like. Yet, here we are, in 2014. So I figured I should post at least once this year lol.
Let me start by acknowledging the great points of this season. Ryan Wilson is the US champ, and world silver medallist. As of this week it is official, he is also the number 2 ranked hurdler in the world. Props to D.O. on his world title and his number one ranking. He earned it. And in true competition, we are coming for both next year, 2015.
Needless to say, I am over the moon about Ryan's year. He has been with me for ten years, without fail and I with him. This season was a fun ride, one of those years you wait to have with your athlete. And one I will cherish. I have been blessed to have a few athletes succeed under me that is personal, not just professional. It is my style, my preference, and when success is achieved extra gratifying. Medals are precious, rare, and the symbol of a lot of hard work, determination and luck.
That being said, it is time track and field had a World Championship every year. For decades detractors of this idea have cried that it is too hard. Well that is the same thing WE all said when they changed them to every two years. Having coached a few commonwealth and European athletes, this is true, yet inconsequential. It makes no sense that 90% of the world have some form of championship this summer, but the sport as a whole feels the need to take a year off.
The financial impact is dire for the athletes and in some respects for us coaches too. Races become rare, and the opportunity for progress is placed on hold or stunted all together. Having a down year in the Western hemisphere is marketing purgatory. How to you sell your medallist this year? What? They have a chance at the Diamond League title? I do not think so. You cannot guarantee anyone's participation in a given meet, so that does not work. Having a global championship does not guarantee participation, but it gives the athletes and the public a focal point. It provides the networks with a clean storyline. They will not need a segment devoted to the explanation of a league that only counts certain events week to week, but may have the non scoring events in their meets for entertainment purposes. Fans like a simple storyline to follow, protagonist and antagonist they can love and hate. Here we are removing ourselves from the conversation, voluntarily.
We must stay in the public eye if we wish to "return" to a profile position on the sporting landscape. Hell, I cannot keep up with how many X Games there are a year anymore. Happy New year everybody. I plan to continue to have fun at this thing. See you all out there. D
Showing posts with label track and field. Show all posts
Showing posts with label track and field. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Monday, July 1, 2013
"...Ten years of hard work is starting to pay off!"
Never let them know what you are thinking! That is one of the classic Godfather lines, many like to quote. Welp, I am about to tell you exactly what I think. One week ago, after ten long, hard years of consistency Ryan finally made the US team! Not only did he make the team, he won the damn race! Ryan Wilson is the 2013 USA champion in the 110HH.
It is an understatement to say he won the hardest race, on the world's greatest team. Yearly, the highs are the deepest event in the US. In 2012, Ryan ran 13.26 to take 7th at the Olympic trials! 7th!!! In 99% of the world that is a national record. So the absolute joy, I felt when he crossed the line I hope was understandable to those who witnessed my exuberance. Yup, I yelled, and ran around like a fool, and I did not care. I shed a tear too. I admit it. Everyone that knows me, knew exactly how much that meant to me.
What I did not expect was how many people outside of my circle knew.
Ryan is well liked on the circuit, and after he won that race I got to see how much people liked him. There was genuine happiness from all corners as we walked off the track. Not that I expected any hate, I was just pleasantly surprised at how many knew his story. HIS story, his ten year climb.
Ten years. In that time, we have remained a fixture on the US scene. Always faltering in championship years. Ryan was my first recruit. He called me from the track when he won NCAAs in 03. I was shocked. I was pleased. I had to act like I wasn't smiling ear to ear. 2 days later he would commit to what is now a ten year journey. Here is a brief outline of our adventures trying to make the USA team: 2003 - strains groin in the first round. 2004 - He spent that entire season finishing school, went to trials half prepared but a USC graduate. Which was our goal that season. 2005 - hamstring strain that just would not go away. 2006 - No team, runs 13.22 to finish 3rd at nationals. Oh man were we ready for the show! 2007 - "Sweats off!" Both groins cramp! He bails at hurdle 2. He ran 13.02 in NY that year. Had a good summer, finished the season ranked in the top 10 in the world, and no team. 2008 - Injury. What would turn out to be a sports hernia. 2009 - David Payne jumps, Ryan gets blamed, runs under protest, so we can file a protest. We won the protest but because he ran, his result had to be taken into consideration which means he was better off not running. Another team goes by. 2010 - great year! Finished 4th in the world. Took second at nationals. Only problem, no team to make. but again, we are ready for 2011! 2011 - comes and everything is pear shaped. All. Year. Long! Following a disastrous nationals we made the switch to seven steps. Took him one whole set, on the road to switch. But it gave us a chance to work on it under fire with no pressure. 2012 - the Olympics. We are seven stepping easily, and ready to make the team. At hurdle 5 he is in 2nd, clip 6, smash 7, stumble, cuss across the finish line and in the end, get ranked 8th in the world, with no team again! 2013 - Deal done. Win it, leave no doubt. Finally make a team, on to Moscow.
Now of course I skipped a million tales, but you get the point. We had a point to prove. Losing to hurdlers he had beaten, watching races he could win. Wondering what in the hell was I screwing up? Brought me to the exhibition in the stands :) I celebrated for 3 days, internally. Now it is time to get ready for Moscow. The hard part was making the team, now it is time for the fun part, getting on that podium. See you guys in Moscow!!!
It is an understatement to say he won the hardest race, on the world's greatest team. Yearly, the highs are the deepest event in the US. In 2012, Ryan ran 13.26 to take 7th at the Olympic trials! 7th!!! In 99% of the world that is a national record. So the absolute joy, I felt when he crossed the line I hope was understandable to those who witnessed my exuberance. Yup, I yelled, and ran around like a fool, and I did not care. I shed a tear too. I admit it. Everyone that knows me, knew exactly how much that meant to me.
What I did not expect was how many people outside of my circle knew.
Ryan is well liked on the circuit, and after he won that race I got to see how much people liked him. There was genuine happiness from all corners as we walked off the track. Not that I expected any hate, I was just pleasantly surprised at how many knew his story. HIS story, his ten year climb.
Ten years. In that time, we have remained a fixture on the US scene. Always faltering in championship years. Ryan was my first recruit. He called me from the track when he won NCAAs in 03. I was shocked. I was pleased. I had to act like I wasn't smiling ear to ear. 2 days later he would commit to what is now a ten year journey. Here is a brief outline of our adventures trying to make the USA team: 2003 - strains groin in the first round. 2004 - He spent that entire season finishing school, went to trials half prepared but a USC graduate. Which was our goal that season. 2005 - hamstring strain that just would not go away. 2006 - No team, runs 13.22 to finish 3rd at nationals. Oh man were we ready for the show! 2007 - "Sweats off!" Both groins cramp! He bails at hurdle 2. He ran 13.02 in NY that year. Had a good summer, finished the season ranked in the top 10 in the world, and no team. 2008 - Injury. What would turn out to be a sports hernia. 2009 - David Payne jumps, Ryan gets blamed, runs under protest, so we can file a protest. We won the protest but because he ran, his result had to be taken into consideration which means he was better off not running. Another team goes by. 2010 - great year! Finished 4th in the world. Took second at nationals. Only problem, no team to make. but again, we are ready for 2011! 2011 - comes and everything is pear shaped. All. Year. Long! Following a disastrous nationals we made the switch to seven steps. Took him one whole set, on the road to switch. But it gave us a chance to work on it under fire with no pressure. 2012 - the Olympics. We are seven stepping easily, and ready to make the team. At hurdle 5 he is in 2nd, clip 6, smash 7, stumble, cuss across the finish line and in the end, get ranked 8th in the world, with no team again! 2013 - Deal done. Win it, leave no doubt. Finally make a team, on to Moscow.
Now of course I skipped a million tales, but you get the point. We had a point to prove. Losing to hurdlers he had beaten, watching races he could win. Wondering what in the hell was I screwing up? Brought me to the exhibition in the stands :) I celebrated for 3 days, internally. Now it is time to get ready for Moscow. The hard part was making the team, now it is time for the fun part, getting on that podium. See you guys in Moscow!!!
Monday, April 22, 2013
Synching up
It is time to get a new laptop! I have been remiss in blogging because quite frankly I no longer enjoy being on the trusty laptop. I loved this thing for years, and it has finally dawned on me that the frequent freezes, inability to view videos without causing those freezes, and fear of opening more than one application means old betsy has grown, well, old.
Anyway, let's get all synched up. It is track season. Now part of me wants to play track blogger and be all detailed, and deep about things track. BUT see I have a mild form of ADD, I know I will get going and get bored and just stop, so what I will do is update you on me and my group, Threshold Athletics Group, TAG for short, is alive! Skipping the time line restraints, I have 3 Italian ladies, Giulia Latini, Giulia Arcioni, and returning Martina Giovanetti. Those names are pronounced "Julia" and yes they both have the same name. They are hard workers, and three very different personalities. This is the earliest any of them have competed, and despite my internal goals, we are doing just fine. I still want more for them, and we work accordingly. My elder statesman, Ryan Wilson is world ranked again, 8th, and recently won Mt SAC, which is always a good omen for his season. A surprise addition to the team, has been the interlopers from Qatar. I swear God is good. When they say it is who you know, they were not lying! My ADD has kicked in, what else do I want to discuss...
From the headlines, what is this fascination with outting gay football players? I find it very interesting that people are so free with other people's privacy! Who said all those men, whoever they are, are hiding? Anyone ever consider they may want to avoid the scrutiny and keep their private lives, you know, PRIVATE! All this socio-political talk has us ignoring folks rights. Now the paparazzi, are running around chasing guys and posting pictures. People screaming for them to come out, and calling the league homophobic. Talk about crossing up subject matters. I am not arguing about gay marriage, nor whether or not the league is homophobic, I am saying, if someone wants to come out and tell you who they are sleeping with, that is THEIR business, and it is also THEIR business to not want to tell you.
Boston Marathon bombers deserve to die. One brother down, one brother to go. DO I really need to go into the why's of it all? They picked probably one of the most apolitical settings you can, a sporting event, hell a marathon! Marathon's are international sporting events. And in the end killed 3 innocent people, including an 8 year old. 8! My son is 8. I coach track, it is very easy for me to imagine him being at an event with me and this happening because of these clowns. I am glad they caught the youngest, he will be prosecuted, that is a good thing.
I am sure there is a thousand other things I can comment on, but I do need to blog more than once a year. So I will save it. Think on it. And say something about it. Maybe I will tell a story.... OH before I go, I am on the UCLA coaching staff. Please send me all young high hurdlers, please and thank you.
Anyway, let's get all synched up. It is track season. Now part of me wants to play track blogger and be all detailed, and deep about things track. BUT see I have a mild form of ADD, I know I will get going and get bored and just stop, so what I will do is update you on me and my group, Threshold Athletics Group, TAG for short, is alive! Skipping the time line restraints, I have 3 Italian ladies, Giulia Latini, Giulia Arcioni, and returning Martina Giovanetti. Those names are pronounced "Julia" and yes they both have the same name. They are hard workers, and three very different personalities. This is the earliest any of them have competed, and despite my internal goals, we are doing just fine. I still want more for them, and we work accordingly. My elder statesman, Ryan Wilson is world ranked again, 8th, and recently won Mt SAC, which is always a good omen for his season. A surprise addition to the team, has been the interlopers from Qatar. I swear God is good. When they say it is who you know, they were not lying! My ADD has kicked in, what else do I want to discuss...
From the headlines, what is this fascination with outting gay football players? I find it very interesting that people are so free with other people's privacy! Who said all those men, whoever they are, are hiding? Anyone ever consider they may want to avoid the scrutiny and keep their private lives, you know, PRIVATE! All this socio-political talk has us ignoring folks rights. Now the paparazzi, are running around chasing guys and posting pictures. People screaming for them to come out, and calling the league homophobic. Talk about crossing up subject matters. I am not arguing about gay marriage, nor whether or not the league is homophobic, I am saying, if someone wants to come out and tell you who they are sleeping with, that is THEIR business, and it is also THEIR business to not want to tell you.
Boston Marathon bombers deserve to die. One brother down, one brother to go. DO I really need to go into the why's of it all? They picked probably one of the most apolitical settings you can, a sporting event, hell a marathon! Marathon's are international sporting events. And in the end killed 3 innocent people, including an 8 year old. 8! My son is 8. I coach track, it is very easy for me to imagine him being at an event with me and this happening because of these clowns. I am glad they caught the youngest, he will be prosecuted, that is a good thing.
I am sure there is a thousand other things I can comment on, but I do need to blog more than once a year. So I will save it. Think on it. And say something about it. Maybe I will tell a story.... OH before I go, I am on the UCLA coaching staff. Please send me all young high hurdlers, please and thank you.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
How I came to this Threshold
The world is full of misinformation and wonderful lies. I will write this in part PC prose and straight talk. If you are a child there may be cussin' in the next few paragraphs, you have been warned.
The reasons for me writing this particular blog are varied and span many years, so this blog shall cover many years. I will enjoy reliving some of this, as i excise some demons and tell the wonderful tale of how i came to be a coach in this hellish realm of track and field...
in short, I was born a coach of track. well i was born in to the sport, that is for sure. I have known about track for as long as I can remember. All over my parents house and my grandparents house were pictures and trophies of my uncle and his success as an athlete. I remember loving the clipping from JET magazine. My uncle was in JET! lol I loved the trophies, they were amazing, i particularly loved the huge marble stones that sat in front of the fireplace. Those damn things were heavy! Then there was the laminated picture of him setting the wr in the 440 yd dash. Not to mention the clay statue in the garage that now sits in a museum somewhere. Yup, track is in my blood.
The funny thing is I was more taken by the UCLA on his chest than the sport itself. The sport came along later. I am anti baseball so after a year of tee ball, and having been struck out on a called strike that the umpire never saw, I told my parents I wanted to try track. I was 6. My original trophy is still around here somewhere. The beauty of this decision was my natural speed. I was the fastest boy in my neighborhood. Notice I said boy, there was this one girl everyone avoided racing. Including me. lol I raced this other kid early on, he was tall and lanky, and fast. His name was Steve Lewis.
by age ten I was a long jumper. Sprinting passed me by after the first round of puberty. All my friends that i used to destroy mysteriously got faster, all at once, and BAM the long jump took prime position in my personal hierarchy. Oh I was good at it. This was the point Coach Harris started telling us about hurdles. Fantastic! Now, in my early years of hurdling I raced this other tall kid, he was muscular and looked grown. We wanted to see his birth certificate because there was no way he was my age. his name was Quincy Watts.
Going into high school I had made the decision to hurdle. I won the "C" level City championship in the 300IH. Oh boy I was well on my way to being the man to break Edwin Moses win streak! Until my junior year, then senior year disappointments and I was well on my way to walking on at UCLA. To be coached by none other than my uncle. Heaven!
Life dominated track and by 1991 I had run my last race. Now this is where I start my journey. Christmas 1991 my uncle asked me to come back out to the track as a manager and his assistant to his soon to be pro team. Well, hell yes! Off we went. The dream was sold, we would take over the world, and as success came to the group our collective fortunes would rise, collectively. The group was Kevin Young, a young Quincy Watts (still at USC), and Andre Cason. Many of my teammates dreamed of matriculating to the pro group after their senior years. After the 92 season Nike LA welcomed its first official member, Jon Drummond and Jason Rouser. My boys. I spent more time with these 2 scoundrels than my family. JD would make the world team in 1993 as the lead off of the 4x1 that tied the wr, the still standing AR (37.40). Fantastic. We are on our way.
By this time I have been to conference champs and NCAA champs. The future was bright. I was having a ball. Life was hard but that was ok, I was in love, track had me.
1994 saw Dennis come to the group and become the number one sprinter in the world. He dipped under 10 six times that season, a record at the time. JD dipped four times, the second most in a season. On the UCLA front Ato was busy committing. In 1995 he won the 200 after jumping out of the 100. In 1996, Ato set the UCLA record in the 100 and 200, JD made the Olympic team, Marie Perec had come to town and would be the second woman to win the 200/400 double. Oops I have to go back.
Following 1992 circumstances dictated that John seek representation, and thus the ground work for HSI was laid. John meet Emanuel.
Ok, so as I was saying, in 1996 HSI was dominating the scene, and would officially announce our presence with the signing of Ato. Hello world, the dream is alive and real. JD, Ato, Marie Perec and Antwon Maybank all headed to Atlanta, HSI! The takeover had begun. I watched on TV as the troops performed with Ato winning 2 medals and looking like the next great thing. Marie shocked herself and pulled off the 200 gold. Lovely woman but the faces she made to win that 200 gold were downright scary lol.
That fall saw the arrival of Mo, the next great thing. Now it did not start that way, he was struggling with all things LA; the training, the living, the INCOME, but he was listening. He was always confident. Quincy had returned to the fold and he and Mo were fast friends. I recall the moment Mo acknowledged he had it figured out. Most people think it was when he won nationals that year but it was before that in a race no one except us paid attention to. It was Prefontaine, and Mo was in Lane 8 of the 200! I believe he ran the 100 and got his hat handed to him. As he tells the story he was filling out job applications by this point in the season. Anyway, in this 200 he was torched by Allen Johnson on the bend and a couple of other sprinters on his inside. Coming down the home stretch he ran back by Allen and finished 4th. I think he ran 20.42 or something like that. He came to the back and proclaimed "I got it!" Half way down that straight away, the movement clicked for him. He felt it. The next time he would see a track would be at US Nationals.
This was his second proclamation of discovery lol. He ran 9.96 in the 1st round and John and I looked at each other and shrugged. Rookie went out too hard, we will see what he has for the other rounds. When we got to him in the cool down, John asked him how he felt, and he replied, "I can do that whenever I want to. Sub 10 is easy" Oh boy, what a rookie. Well the rest is history. He was right. LOL
By 2000, Ato, Mo and JD were the triplets. Dominating the sprint scene on all fronts, JD was the personality, Mo the confidence, and Ato the workman. The dream was in full bloom and HSI was on top of the world, literally. We flew flags at circuit meets, folks didn't like that, the IAAF passed rules to prevent it. True story. In 1999, I had the task of coaching the crew through the single greatest day in HSI history. Athens Greece was the place, and we showed out. Mo set the wr that day, 9.79. Ato took second in 9.86, his third such clocking (he would post a fourth such clocking in the next meet in Lausanne). Jeff Hartwig won the PV, I believe he went over 6m that day. Inger had joined the crew, the queen doubled that day, taking 2nd in the 100 (11.04) and winning the 200 in a then pr (22.10). Mo and Ato would follow up her double with their own double, Ato dropping 19.88 to win and Mo running a gutsy 20.02 to back up his emotionally draining wr. In between all of that Larry won the 110s in 13.12 in a photo finish. All victories were meet records at the time. We called John to tell him the good news, he was coaching UCLA at a home meet that day, June 16th, 1999. Yup I remember the day.
Over the next 4 years HSI would see more success, Olympic and world titles, more medals, and the inevitable growth and maturing of the athletes. The ebb and flow of life was treacherous at times, as is the case with any family and its moving parts. Some of us grew a part, but we are all enjoying success in various corners of track. Ato is a respected TV analyst, was a senator in his homeland of Trinidad. He has developed into the public guru for track fans world wide, doing all broadcast in the US and now venturing into web casting. Mo is still the personality. His charisma, and on track accomplishments keep him busy travelling, speaking and doing clinics. He has tried his hand at coaching also, leading a local high school here in the LA area and also coaching Miki Barber onto the 2011 World Team. JD is a trainer and coach in Texas, placing many kids into top high schools and college programs, while consulting (his word lol) a few world class level sprinters, AND COACHING Marshevet Myers. Larry Wade is the HC at Pasadena City College, Kaaron was the sprint coach for the Korean national team and is now John's right hand man, Antwon Maybank is in the midwest coaching, Jason Rouser is in Florida coaching and doing personal training. Gentry Bradley is now the sprint coach for the Saudi Arabian National team. and then there is me!
Hi folks. I have seen the earth traveling with my boys and my uncle over the years. I have touched every continent except for the artic regions. For a number of years I had the privilege of coaching the Saudi Arabian sprinters and hurdlers. In 2000 I made my first Olympic trip, guiding Hadi Somayli and Hamdan al Bishi to Sydney. Hadi would win Saudi's first ever Olympic medal, taking silver in the 400H, in a heart breaking finish. Still hurts to relive it, smh. Hamdan would pr at the Games but would enjoy his glory a month later at the World Juniors where he set the still standing meet record (44.66). Over the next 4 years I would guide my boys to numerous regional championships and records and awards. In 2003 I started my own group, DSports, this venture culminated in the bronze medal in 2008. Tasha would rise from the ashes to win bronze in Beijing, I the single proudest achievement of my career to date. DSports is now Threshold Athletics Group TAG for short. The many years of experience with my uncle have groomed me well for this next adventure. It was a thrill and far more fun and involved than many realize. I am forever grateful to my uncle for allowing me to grow under him and trusting me enough to guide the group when he was unable to be there. Can you imagine having the hopes and dreams of your friends in your care? That was me. At the ripe old age of 28. Now I am 40, a ton of lessons learned. not all rosy, but lessons just the same. The HSI days are long past, but the impact and influence remain. Those times, adventures, trials, tests, and successes helped shape me. I was born a coach, I will die a coach, but I do miss the friendships of yesterday.
I will say to all my guys, no matter where we stand today, I am proud of you all. Success breeds success, and we were damn good then and we are all damn good now. Keep striving to be the best, I damn sure will. See you all on the track.
Oh, I skipped over years and more than a few stories, this damn entry was long enough. LOL
OH, OH, yeah the voice of this blog changed because like I said I enjoyed reliving it, so some of the demons were excised, and the energy changed. I will leave you all with this, Exodus 14:14
The reasons for me writing this particular blog are varied and span many years, so this blog shall cover many years. I will enjoy reliving some of this, as i excise some demons and tell the wonderful tale of how i came to be a coach in this hellish realm of track and field...
in short, I was born a coach of track. well i was born in to the sport, that is for sure. I have known about track for as long as I can remember. All over my parents house and my grandparents house were pictures and trophies of my uncle and his success as an athlete. I remember loving the clipping from JET magazine. My uncle was in JET! lol I loved the trophies, they were amazing, i particularly loved the huge marble stones that sat in front of the fireplace. Those damn things were heavy! Then there was the laminated picture of him setting the wr in the 440 yd dash. Not to mention the clay statue in the garage that now sits in a museum somewhere. Yup, track is in my blood.
The funny thing is I was more taken by the UCLA on his chest than the sport itself. The sport came along later. I am anti baseball so after a year of tee ball, and having been struck out on a called strike that the umpire never saw, I told my parents I wanted to try track. I was 6. My original trophy is still around here somewhere. The beauty of this decision was my natural speed. I was the fastest boy in my neighborhood. Notice I said boy, there was this one girl everyone avoided racing. Including me. lol I raced this other kid early on, he was tall and lanky, and fast. His name was Steve Lewis.
by age ten I was a long jumper. Sprinting passed me by after the first round of puberty. All my friends that i used to destroy mysteriously got faster, all at once, and BAM the long jump took prime position in my personal hierarchy. Oh I was good at it. This was the point Coach Harris started telling us about hurdles. Fantastic! Now, in my early years of hurdling I raced this other tall kid, he was muscular and looked grown. We wanted to see his birth certificate because there was no way he was my age. his name was Quincy Watts.
Going into high school I had made the decision to hurdle. I won the "C" level City championship in the 300IH. Oh boy I was well on my way to being the man to break Edwin Moses win streak! Until my junior year, then senior year disappointments and I was well on my way to walking on at UCLA. To be coached by none other than my uncle. Heaven!
Life dominated track and by 1991 I had run my last race. Now this is where I start my journey. Christmas 1991 my uncle asked me to come back out to the track as a manager and his assistant to his soon to be pro team. Well, hell yes! Off we went. The dream was sold, we would take over the world, and as success came to the group our collective fortunes would rise, collectively. The group was Kevin Young, a young Quincy Watts (still at USC), and Andre Cason. Many of my teammates dreamed of matriculating to the pro group after their senior years. After the 92 season Nike LA welcomed its first official member, Jon Drummond and Jason Rouser. My boys. I spent more time with these 2 scoundrels than my family. JD would make the world team in 1993 as the lead off of the 4x1 that tied the wr, the still standing AR (37.40). Fantastic. We are on our way.
By this time I have been to conference champs and NCAA champs. The future was bright. I was having a ball. Life was hard but that was ok, I was in love, track had me.
1994 saw Dennis come to the group and become the number one sprinter in the world. He dipped under 10 six times that season, a record at the time. JD dipped four times, the second most in a season. On the UCLA front Ato was busy committing. In 1995 he won the 200 after jumping out of the 100. In 1996, Ato set the UCLA record in the 100 and 200, JD made the Olympic team, Marie Perec had come to town and would be the second woman to win the 200/400 double. Oops I have to go back.
Following 1992 circumstances dictated that John seek representation, and thus the ground work for HSI was laid. John meet Emanuel.
Ok, so as I was saying, in 1996 HSI was dominating the scene, and would officially announce our presence with the signing of Ato. Hello world, the dream is alive and real. JD, Ato, Marie Perec and Antwon Maybank all headed to Atlanta, HSI! The takeover had begun. I watched on TV as the troops performed with Ato winning 2 medals and looking like the next great thing. Marie shocked herself and pulled off the 200 gold. Lovely woman but the faces she made to win that 200 gold were downright scary lol.
That fall saw the arrival of Mo, the next great thing. Now it did not start that way, he was struggling with all things LA; the training, the living, the INCOME, but he was listening. He was always confident. Quincy had returned to the fold and he and Mo were fast friends. I recall the moment Mo acknowledged he had it figured out. Most people think it was when he won nationals that year but it was before that in a race no one except us paid attention to. It was Prefontaine, and Mo was in Lane 8 of the 200! I believe he ran the 100 and got his hat handed to him. As he tells the story he was filling out job applications by this point in the season. Anyway, in this 200 he was torched by Allen Johnson on the bend and a couple of other sprinters on his inside. Coming down the home stretch he ran back by Allen and finished 4th. I think he ran 20.42 or something like that. He came to the back and proclaimed "I got it!" Half way down that straight away, the movement clicked for him. He felt it. The next time he would see a track would be at US Nationals.
This was his second proclamation of discovery lol. He ran 9.96 in the 1st round and John and I looked at each other and shrugged. Rookie went out too hard, we will see what he has for the other rounds. When we got to him in the cool down, John asked him how he felt, and he replied, "I can do that whenever I want to. Sub 10 is easy" Oh boy, what a rookie. Well the rest is history. He was right. LOL
By 2000, Ato, Mo and JD were the triplets. Dominating the sprint scene on all fronts, JD was the personality, Mo the confidence, and Ato the workman. The dream was in full bloom and HSI was on top of the world, literally. We flew flags at circuit meets, folks didn't like that, the IAAF passed rules to prevent it. True story. In 1999, I had the task of coaching the crew through the single greatest day in HSI history. Athens Greece was the place, and we showed out. Mo set the wr that day, 9.79. Ato took second in 9.86, his third such clocking (he would post a fourth such clocking in the next meet in Lausanne). Jeff Hartwig won the PV, I believe he went over 6m that day. Inger had joined the crew, the queen doubled that day, taking 2nd in the 100 (11.04) and winning the 200 in a then pr (22.10). Mo and Ato would follow up her double with their own double, Ato dropping 19.88 to win and Mo running a gutsy 20.02 to back up his emotionally draining wr. In between all of that Larry won the 110s in 13.12 in a photo finish. All victories were meet records at the time. We called John to tell him the good news, he was coaching UCLA at a home meet that day, June 16th, 1999. Yup I remember the day.
Over the next 4 years HSI would see more success, Olympic and world titles, more medals, and the inevitable growth and maturing of the athletes. The ebb and flow of life was treacherous at times, as is the case with any family and its moving parts. Some of us grew a part, but we are all enjoying success in various corners of track. Ato is a respected TV analyst, was a senator in his homeland of Trinidad. He has developed into the public guru for track fans world wide, doing all broadcast in the US and now venturing into web casting. Mo is still the personality. His charisma, and on track accomplishments keep him busy travelling, speaking and doing clinics. He has tried his hand at coaching also, leading a local high school here in the LA area and also coaching Miki Barber onto the 2011 World Team. JD is a trainer and coach in Texas, placing many kids into top high schools and college programs, while consulting (his word lol) a few world class level sprinters, AND COACHING Marshevet Myers. Larry Wade is the HC at Pasadena City College, Kaaron was the sprint coach for the Korean national team and is now John's right hand man, Antwon Maybank is in the midwest coaching, Jason Rouser is in Florida coaching and doing personal training. Gentry Bradley is now the sprint coach for the Saudi Arabian National team. and then there is me!
Hi folks. I have seen the earth traveling with my boys and my uncle over the years. I have touched every continent except for the artic regions. For a number of years I had the privilege of coaching the Saudi Arabian sprinters and hurdlers. In 2000 I made my first Olympic trip, guiding Hadi Somayli and Hamdan al Bishi to Sydney. Hadi would win Saudi's first ever Olympic medal, taking silver in the 400H, in a heart breaking finish. Still hurts to relive it, smh. Hamdan would pr at the Games but would enjoy his glory a month later at the World Juniors where he set the still standing meet record (44.66). Over the next 4 years I would guide my boys to numerous regional championships and records and awards. In 2003 I started my own group, DSports, this venture culminated in the bronze medal in 2008. Tasha would rise from the ashes to win bronze in Beijing, I the single proudest achievement of my career to date. DSports is now Threshold Athletics Group TAG for short. The many years of experience with my uncle have groomed me well for this next adventure. It was a thrill and far more fun and involved than many realize. I am forever grateful to my uncle for allowing me to grow under him and trusting me enough to guide the group when he was unable to be there. Can you imagine having the hopes and dreams of your friends in your care? That was me. At the ripe old age of 28. Now I am 40, a ton of lessons learned. not all rosy, but lessons just the same. The HSI days are long past, but the impact and influence remain. Those times, adventures, trials, tests, and successes helped shape me. I was born a coach, I will die a coach, but I do miss the friendships of yesterday.
I will say to all my guys, no matter where we stand today, I am proud of you all. Success breeds success, and we were damn good then and we are all damn good now. Keep striving to be the best, I damn sure will. See you all on the track.
Oh, I skipped over years and more than a few stories, this damn entry was long enough. LOL
OH, OH, yeah the voice of this blog changed because like I said I enjoyed reliving it, so some of the demons were excised, and the energy changed. I will leave you all with this, Exodus 14:14
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
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?
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?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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!
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!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Illuminati, NWO and other stuff
So the new conspiracy is an old conspiracy but on a grander scale. If you did not know the Illuminati is running the entertainment industry and subliminally influencing us all! JayZ is a free mason and every video is about devil worship, or the Illuminati or both. I have a disclaimer, I do not believe in grand conspiracies and think it is a human construct to shuck responsibility for ones own decisions or to irrationally justify someone elses success over your own. I do not expect anyone to agree with me, but I am right on both counts LOL. I have done the research to prove it. LMAO So go forth into the matrix and just know that NOTHING you do is without the influence of the secret society known as the Illuminati who have mysteriously decided to show themselves EVERYWHERE and use everyone to establish a new world order. At least that is my conclusion after listening to my friends tell me so.
See I thought the diamond sign by JayZ was for The Roc, which is his business, but not so my friends. It is the all seeing eye on top of the pyramid, which is free masonry or the devil or the Illuminati or all of the above. Anyway back to reality.
C Breezy!!! Finally he has been let back into the game. I personally don't think he should have ever been shunned. No man should hit a woman, operative word being should. But since I heard the truest version right off the top I never demonized the kid. He made a mistake. So I am glad he was asked to do what he does best, be a transcendent entertainer. He did the damn thing in the MJ tribute and hes crying was genuine. I saw it coming, the moment the song and BAM!
but here we are in the age of cynicism and haters. Yes I said haters. Commonly called crabs in a bucket. In this current atmosphere hes tears have been called planned and theatre. Its just ridiculous these days.
OK so congrats to Ryan Wilson. 13.17 makes him the third fastest high hurdler in the world and now he is set up to attack this summer circuit in Europe and join the big boys, David Oliver and Dayron Robles. This is the first healthy summer he has had since 2006, so I am well chuffed. It is also his fastest time since 2007, now to go out and pr. Next up another visit with Mr. Oliver and co. in Eugene, Oregon.
Albert Haynesworth stop it. Play ball and get over your self. You have a job to do son, no one promised you ease, and at your price tag you should be versatile enough to survive.
Lebron should be a Clipper but no one has that kind of foresight. If Stern was truly a puppet master this would happen and the NBA would ride LA to billions! Kobe v Lebron in a battle for who's house is it?!!! It would be a marketing bonanza, and by the way, a healthy Clipper team is better than Cleveland and Miami. But i am sure it will be Miami or Chicago. Question, what do you do with Rose if you bring in Lebron? Hmmm...
My closing advice is this, watch Wipeout! If you do not know please do yourself a favor and watch it, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Management
See I thought the diamond sign by JayZ was for The Roc, which is his business, but not so my friends. It is the all seeing eye on top of the pyramid, which is free masonry or the devil or the Illuminati or all of the above. Anyway back to reality.
C Breezy!!! Finally he has been let back into the game. I personally don't think he should have ever been shunned. No man should hit a woman, operative word being should. But since I heard the truest version right off the top I never demonized the kid. He made a mistake. So I am glad he was asked to do what he does best, be a transcendent entertainer. He did the damn thing in the MJ tribute and hes crying was genuine. I saw it coming, the moment the song and BAM!
but here we are in the age of cynicism and haters. Yes I said haters. Commonly called crabs in a bucket. In this current atmosphere hes tears have been called planned and theatre. Its just ridiculous these days.
OK so congrats to Ryan Wilson. 13.17 makes him the third fastest high hurdler in the world and now he is set up to attack this summer circuit in Europe and join the big boys, David Oliver and Dayron Robles. This is the first healthy summer he has had since 2006, so I am well chuffed. It is also his fastest time since 2007, now to go out and pr. Next up another visit with Mr. Oliver and co. in Eugene, Oregon.
Albert Haynesworth stop it. Play ball and get over your self. You have a job to do son, no one promised you ease, and at your price tag you should be versatile enough to survive.
Lebron should be a Clipper but no one has that kind of foresight. If Stern was truly a puppet master this would happen and the NBA would ride LA to billions! Kobe v Lebron in a battle for who's house is it?!!! It would be a marketing bonanza, and by the way, a healthy Clipper team is better than Cleveland and Miami. But i am sure it will be Miami or Chicago. Question, what do you do with Rose if you bring in Lebron? Hmmm...
My closing advice is this, watch Wipeout! If you do not know please do yourself a favor and watch it, I promise you will not be disappointed.
Management
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
I am different
As the title to this suggest I realize I am different. Not strange or weird or artsy different, I process information differently and think on it from a different angle. That being said this blog will be some random thoughts not short enough for tweets and status updates. Lets go
I was told get a job and do not coach. That was 17 years ago and they were right but I am still coaching. LOL
I was told to get off the internet and stop letting people in on what I think and I am doing. They were partially right and I made partial adjustments. LOL
This is for my man Doc Dossman who I hope all athletes know by now. I know and athletes know that physio's, doctors, chiros, and masseuse's are not the same. We know who to go see for what, well let me rephrase, I know who to go see, and I instruct my athletes accordingly. However, when in casual convo it is time prudent to just use physio as a universal catch-all. Especially on the road. For example some call me a trainer depending on where they are from, I do not get involved in the banter of correction, its not important in casual settings.
To my tweeter friends. Criticizing grammar on tweeter is dumb. You have 140 characters to say what you need to say, abbreviations and homonyms are acceptable and preferred and a part of the text-lingo. Your continued post about grammar is arrogant, presumptuous, and makes you look like an asshole. Real talk. I will write and misspell and keep it pushing becuz its ltd spc avail 2 say wut i wnt 2. You want proper grammar read a blog, or an email, stop embarrassing yourself and trying to clown others in an attempt to make you feel superior.
Do you ever get irritated with folks that complain about texting? LOL I did at first but I remembered something. I do not like to talk on the phone. Hell most men don't. One of those old school stereotype things LOL. I like texting because I can carry the conversation at a comfortable and unforced pace and so can you. Neither of us have to answer RIGHT now. We can readdress the convo with a written record of what was said not flawed memories that lead to arguments lol. That being said, texting has been a universal reverse psychology on the world. We now all appreciate the value of real communication, hearing someones voice, seeing them and their expressions.
Sadly what the internet has created is a false universe. Where people think what they think is acceptable simply because they thought it and have a medium to bring it to existence.
Ok enough ranting, I am far from perfect and I am sure guilty of the things I dislike the most LOL. In more important news, good luck to all athletes going to nationals! My 2 charges Carmelita and Kenny, go make this team!
Oh i do have one more rant. This one is form the heart and goes to my track friends and foes and fans. Shut yer mouths! Root for who you like, be friends and dislike who you want. But stop all these accusations and drug insinuations. One day it will be you if you ever get to realize your dreams. Be mindful of this simple truth. You are working hard and selling out to be the best, to be recognized and to win. When you get there you will want to receive accolades and smiles and have people admire what it took to get there. If all you read and HEAR is about how dirty you are, you will not be pleased. I have seen men cry behind accusations, this is real life and real people just like you. Our sport is shaky and when I hear people in the sport talking about how such and such is dirty it pisses me off. We are all trying to earn a living out here and I am telling you from experience, reaching the pinnacle does NOT guarantee you money. We have to do better, this should not be the case under any circumstances. Watch what you say and who you say it to.
Further, you will not succeed operating from a negative pov. That energy does not breed success, just contempt. Change your mind, be positive. You are better served allowing people to disappoint you than protecting against it through cynicism, pessimism and hateful opinions. Real talk.
I was told get a job and do not coach. That was 17 years ago and they were right but I am still coaching. LOL
I was told to get off the internet and stop letting people in on what I think and I am doing. They were partially right and I made partial adjustments. LOL
This is for my man Doc Dossman who I hope all athletes know by now. I know and athletes know that physio's, doctors, chiros, and masseuse's are not the same. We know who to go see for what, well let me rephrase, I know who to go see, and I instruct my athletes accordingly. However, when in casual convo it is time prudent to just use physio as a universal catch-all. Especially on the road. For example some call me a trainer depending on where they are from, I do not get involved in the banter of correction, its not important in casual settings.
To my tweeter friends. Criticizing grammar on tweeter is dumb. You have 140 characters to say what you need to say, abbreviations and homonyms are acceptable and preferred and a part of the text-lingo. Your continued post about grammar is arrogant, presumptuous, and makes you look like an asshole. Real talk. I will write and misspell and keep it pushing becuz its ltd spc avail 2 say wut i wnt 2. You want proper grammar read a blog, or an email, stop embarrassing yourself and trying to clown others in an attempt to make you feel superior.
Do you ever get irritated with folks that complain about texting? LOL I did at first but I remembered something. I do not like to talk on the phone. Hell most men don't. One of those old school stereotype things LOL. I like texting because I can carry the conversation at a comfortable and unforced pace and so can you. Neither of us have to answer RIGHT now. We can readdress the convo with a written record of what was said not flawed memories that lead to arguments lol. That being said, texting has been a universal reverse psychology on the world. We now all appreciate the value of real communication, hearing someones voice, seeing them and their expressions.
Sadly what the internet has created is a false universe. Where people think what they think is acceptable simply because they thought it and have a medium to bring it to existence.
Ok enough ranting, I am far from perfect and I am sure guilty of the things I dislike the most LOL. In more important news, good luck to all athletes going to nationals! My 2 charges Carmelita and Kenny, go make this team!
Oh i do have one more rant. This one is form the heart and goes to my track friends and foes and fans. Shut yer mouths! Root for who you like, be friends and dislike who you want. But stop all these accusations and drug insinuations. One day it will be you if you ever get to realize your dreams. Be mindful of this simple truth. You are working hard and selling out to be the best, to be recognized and to win. When you get there you will want to receive accolades and smiles and have people admire what it took to get there. If all you read and HEAR is about how dirty you are, you will not be pleased. I have seen men cry behind accusations, this is real life and real people just like you. Our sport is shaky and when I hear people in the sport talking about how such and such is dirty it pisses me off. We are all trying to earn a living out here and I am telling you from experience, reaching the pinnacle does NOT guarantee you money. We have to do better, this should not be the case under any circumstances. Watch what you say and who you say it to.
Further, you will not succeed operating from a negative pov. That energy does not breed success, just contempt. Change your mind, be positive. You are better served allowing people to disappoint you than protecting against it through cynicism, pessimism and hateful opinions. Real talk.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Lion Chaser
As I sit here watching Beowulf, I decided to take five minutes to write. Let's see if it has any fluid direction whatsoever. The truth is most of my blogs do not flow because I am constantly mentally editing what I write. I have gone so far as to write entire blogs and erase them. LOL Yup a few times. One must guard their thoughts when speaking and writing them down. This is the one reason I chuckle when I am accused of spilling my guts or telling secrets. Ok I do not actually chuckle, I get pissed.
So, Eugene was not so kind to me and my charges this year. On we move to the summer circuit. Ryan started his campaign in Oslo and Kai gets baptized in Madrid. For those of you out there, welcome him to the road, he is a virgin, with a clean passport LOL. Watch out for my man, I do not want him wandering around Europe waiting for a pick up. We all know the stories.
Congrats to D Payne (you owe the track gods lol) T Trammell(again!), and Aries (about time), go get em fellas in Berlin. D.O. get better and see you out there in London.
Here's a little history for you, Johnnie Dutch ran 48.18 to make the team at age 20. Danny Harris in 1984 ran a similar time to win an Olympic medal at age 20. Man where can I get some of that gene pool??? We have Dutch and Anderson coming up through the ranks and young kid Wyatt just getting in the game. The long hurdles are looking for a return to their glory years where you ran 47 to medal or stayed home.
Tomorrow is Madrid, come on Kai let's get it.
So, Eugene was not so kind to me and my charges this year. On we move to the summer circuit. Ryan started his campaign in Oslo and Kai gets baptized in Madrid. For those of you out there, welcome him to the road, he is a virgin, with a clean passport LOL. Watch out for my man, I do not want him wandering around Europe waiting for a pick up. We all know the stories.
Congrats to D Payne (you owe the track gods lol) T Trammell(again!), and Aries (about time), go get em fellas in Berlin. D.O. get better and see you out there in London.
Here's a little history for you, Johnnie Dutch ran 48.18 to make the team at age 20. Danny Harris in 1984 ran a similar time to win an Olympic medal at age 20. Man where can I get some of that gene pool??? We have Dutch and Anderson coming up through the ranks and young kid Wyatt just getting in the game. The long hurdles are looking for a return to their glory years where you ran 47 to medal or stayed home.
Tomorrow is Madrid, come on Kai let's get it.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
The Refs!!!
Charles Barkley said it right, the refs are struggling. People like to pigeonhole me on this topic as if I am a blind Lakers supporter or Kobe backer. I am clearly a Lakers fan and a Kobe fan. However, when I say the refs suck I am talking both conferences and all throughout the playoffs. George Karl said it best, there is a lack of consistency.
Example, Denver beats on the Lakers for three quarters, at least on Kobe, then all of a sudden it is the fourth quarter and they start blowing the whistle left and right. This type of inconsistency is happening throughout the playoffs. It throws the rhythm of the game off and keeps the players guessing at what is going on.
As a Lakers fan I am too well versed on the non calls, such as the hip push, which seems to have become an acceptable defensive move but was an instant call in the Jordan days. If you think Kobe shoots a lot of free throws now just think if they called the hip push.
HOWEVER, I am enjoying the competitiveness of the playoffs. There are good games and high drama. Teams are battling to the wire and not giving up. This is what conference finals should look like.
At this time I would like to give a shout out to my man Robby Hughes, the die hard Lakers fan living out there amongst the enemy. I know you are keeping them honest Robbie. And to my favorite Nuggets fan out there in Florida, sorry we have to do it to you. LOL
Example, Denver beats on the Lakers for three quarters, at least on Kobe, then all of a sudden it is the fourth quarter and they start blowing the whistle left and right. This type of inconsistency is happening throughout the playoffs. It throws the rhythm of the game off and keeps the players guessing at what is going on.
As a Lakers fan I am too well versed on the non calls, such as the hip push, which seems to have become an acceptable defensive move but was an instant call in the Jordan days. If you think Kobe shoots a lot of free throws now just think if they called the hip push.
HOWEVER, I am enjoying the competitiveness of the playoffs. There are good games and high drama. Teams are battling to the wire and not giving up. This is what conference finals should look like.
At this time I would like to give a shout out to my man Robby Hughes, the die hard Lakers fan living out there amongst the enemy. I know you are keeping them honest Robbie. And to my favorite Nuggets fan out there in Florida, sorry we have to do it to you. LOL
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Not very random this one
Penn Relays - over hyped by the network and too much talk about redemption. You cannot redeem something that is over. You cannot redeem something specific with something random. It was fun to watch the competition and see a little energy out there, but all the talk about Beijing was just stupid. Beijing is over and cannot be reclaimed. The sprint crown has to be reclaimed at worlds AND at the next Olympics in 2012. Until then, there is no redemption.
That being said, Dix was impressive. Carmelita continued her early season emergence. Jamaica's DMR was impressive. Nice to see Kenia back on form.
Drake relays - on Friday it was in the mid 80s. On Saturday it was cold, wet, windy and raining. Ryan dropped 13.21 from lane 8. Candice opened her campaign with a 12.96. Considering where she came from and is currently going I am pleased with that performance. Jeremy ran an easy 45.01. Lolo gambled with her hamstring and loss. Reports are she will be back by June.
Tomorrow is Guadeloupe, I am normally there enjoying the Caribbean weather and rain. But this year I am home. So Ryan is on self preservation mode, which should result in a good run since he spends most of his summer career on his own. The true meaning of vet. Saturday is Jamaica, Tasha finally gets to run a meet on the island. I thought Melaine was running but she is running the flat 400, however the field is decent and will provide a good early season push for her. Candice is locking and loading for her second race of the year as we continue to work towards Eugene.
Irvine, CA. Steve Scott Invite - this should serve as Kai's coming out party. He dropped a good 13.68 at Mt SAC, got some big boy experience on a trip to Penn relays, and now it is time to drop a real time.
USC and UCLA have the annual dual meet this year on Saturday. I love it!!!!!
That being said, Dix was impressive. Carmelita continued her early season emergence. Jamaica's DMR was impressive. Nice to see Kenia back on form.
Drake relays - on Friday it was in the mid 80s. On Saturday it was cold, wet, windy and raining. Ryan dropped 13.21 from lane 8. Candice opened her campaign with a 12.96. Considering where she came from and is currently going I am pleased with that performance. Jeremy ran an easy 45.01. Lolo gambled with her hamstring and loss. Reports are she will be back by June.
Tomorrow is Guadeloupe, I am normally there enjoying the Caribbean weather and rain. But this year I am home. So Ryan is on self preservation mode, which should result in a good run since he spends most of his summer career on his own. The true meaning of vet. Saturday is Jamaica, Tasha finally gets to run a meet on the island. I thought Melaine was running but she is running the flat 400, however the field is decent and will provide a good early season push for her. Candice is locking and loading for her second race of the year as we continue to work towards Eugene.
Irvine, CA. Steve Scott Invite - this should serve as Kai's coming out party. He dropped a good 13.68 at Mt SAC, got some big boy experience on a trip to Penn relays, and now it is time to drop a real time.
USC and UCLA have the annual dual meet this year on Saturday. I love it!!!!!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
WADA is rightt
How's this for irony, I am defending WADA. I would have never thunk it.
Now that other sports, tennis, soccer, cycling have signed the WADA code, they are required to provide their whereabouts as track athletes have had to for years. With their inclusion has come criticism of the new whereabouts code. Athletes have to designate one hour a day for random testing. This has prompted a lawsuit in Belgium, numerous complaints from tennis stars, and recently a rebuke from soccer authorities.
Listen folks, the problem is not in the whereabouts. It is a needed inconvenience and I for one am not sympathetic to the complaints of the whereabouts. It is a necessary step, and with all privilege comes responsibility. Drug testing is a must. Whereabouts is a must. So deal with it. I coach numerous athletes, and I live with one. Her testing time is 6am which means when she gets tested I am awaken also. Big deal. No one gets tested everyday, athletes are rarely tested more than once a quarter. We sleep well, and do more to ourselves than an rare visit from a drug tester.
The other argument presented is that the effort put into whereabouts should be directed towards better testing. This is not an either/or circumstance, it is an "and" situation. Better testing is does not mean we can ease up on whereabouts. We needed a better tracking system and we have it. Now we need to upgrade the testing system. They are not mutually exclusive but bedfellows in every sense. You cannot ave one without the other.
What has come to light is the astounding gap between cheats and testers. I have read almost every article out there, and I am looking forward to reading Dwain's book. These tell all's give great insight into what and how and when and where. Victor Conte's letter to Dwain detailing the protocol they had was eye popping. It makes it seem as though catching the cheats is an impossible task. Angel Heredia was interviewed and admitted he was still working with other athletes outside of the US because it was easier. So I am left asking what can the labs do? What can the testers do?
I know what I can do. Keep working hard and doing it the right way. I have a medal from 2008 and a young group that will generate more success. Even if doing it right means achieving personal best and being better athletes, that is what it will be. However, I know different. It takes a little longer and a lot of hard work. That's what I love about it all, the cheaters still lose, they get caught, and I will be here to see my people succeed.
Now that other sports, tennis, soccer, cycling have signed the WADA code, they are required to provide their whereabouts as track athletes have had to for years. With their inclusion has come criticism of the new whereabouts code. Athletes have to designate one hour a day for random testing. This has prompted a lawsuit in Belgium, numerous complaints from tennis stars, and recently a rebuke from soccer authorities.
Listen folks, the problem is not in the whereabouts. It is a needed inconvenience and I for one am not sympathetic to the complaints of the whereabouts. It is a necessary step, and with all privilege comes responsibility. Drug testing is a must. Whereabouts is a must. So deal with it. I coach numerous athletes, and I live with one. Her testing time is 6am which means when she gets tested I am awaken also. Big deal. No one gets tested everyday, athletes are rarely tested more than once a quarter. We sleep well, and do more to ourselves than an rare visit from a drug tester.
The other argument presented is that the effort put into whereabouts should be directed towards better testing. This is not an either/or circumstance, it is an "and" situation. Better testing is does not mean we can ease up on whereabouts. We needed a better tracking system and we have it. Now we need to upgrade the testing system. They are not mutually exclusive but bedfellows in every sense. You cannot ave one without the other.
What has come to light is the astounding gap between cheats and testers. I have read almost every article out there, and I am looking forward to reading Dwain's book. These tell all's give great insight into what and how and when and where. Victor Conte's letter to Dwain detailing the protocol they had was eye popping. It makes it seem as though catching the cheats is an impossible task. Angel Heredia was interviewed and admitted he was still working with other athletes outside of the US because it was easier. So I am left asking what can the labs do? What can the testers do?
I know what I can do. Keep working hard and doing it the right way. I have a medal from 2008 and a young group that will generate more success. Even if doing it right means achieving personal best and being better athletes, that is what it will be. However, I know different. It takes a little longer and a lot of hard work. That's what I love about it all, the cheaters still lose, they get caught, and I will be here to see my people succeed.
Friday, March 20, 2009
What I think
Friday, March 20, 2009IAAF eyes continued Chambers ban
Associated Press BERLIN -- Athletics chiefs may discuss how to stop British sprinter Dwain Chambers from running even though his doping ban long has expired.
Chambers, who won the European 60-meter indoor title earlier this month, has published an autobiography, in which he provides details from years of systematic doping that left him a "walking junkie."
"The question is how to stop him from running," said Nick Davies, spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The IAAF's legal experts have been studying Chambers' book, "Race Against Me: My Story," to see whether the sprinter can be excluded for "bringing the sport into disrepute."
"He is free to run, he's served his ban. Now, our experts have to see whether he can be banned under this clause," Davies told The Associated Press ahead of an IAAF Council meeting this weekend in Berlin.
Under IAAF rules, an athlete can face penalties, including a competition ban, if found to have brought the sport into disrepute. The experts will first address the issue with the advisory board, which will then decide whether to include it in the agenda of the council meeting.
A suspension could keep Chambers from competing at the world championships in Berlin in August against Olympic champion and world-record holder Usain Bolt.
It is far from clear whether the experts will advise any action against Chambers or whether the executive committee would accept their recommendations or indeed even raise the subject at all, Davies said.
Chambers' 60-meter title was his first major individual trophy since he served a two-year ban related to the BALCO doping scandal.
But the victory was largely overshadowed by the fallout from his book, which has been serialized in the British media.
Chambers wrote that he had been taking more than 300 different concoctions of banned substances after linking up with BALCO founder Victor Conte in 2002. The doping products -- including THG, EPO and HGH -- cost him $30,000 a year, Chambers wrote.
The 30-year-old sprinter broke the European 60-meter indoor record by running 6.42 seconds in the semifinals, then won the title in 6.46 in the final in Turin, Italy.
Chambers dismissed speculation that he might be benefiting from residual effects of 18 months of massive use of doping products before he was caught and said he has been passing drug tests.
He tested positive for THG in 2003, becoming the first athlete connected to Conte to test positive for the previously undetectable steroid.
Under British rules, he remains banned for life from the Olympics. Organizers of European meets have promised not to invite athletes with past doping bans but the chief of Berlin's ISTAF meet, the first event in the Golden League series, has said he might allow Chambers to run in June.
British track and field chiefs have confirmed Chambers will not be part of the 400-meter relay team at the worlds in Berlin because he is ineligible for future Olympics, although he can run in the individual event.
The IAAF has ordered Chambers to pay back his prize money from the time he was doping. He still owes about $150,000.
Among other topics to be discussed by the council are ways of possibly streamlining some events and their presentations to make them more television-friendly, Davis said.
No major final decisions are expected, he said.
So my interpretation of this is simple. The IAAF got their feelings hurt and are lashing out at Dwain. Their vehicle for vengeance is this "disrepute" clause.
The question that comes to my mind is, does Dwain's book differ in any way from the IAAF always calling someone a drug cheat? Or not having a viable marketing plan? OR not developing a meet in the States? OR awarding the World Champs to places that do not have a track following? OR pursuing this issue altogether?
Dwain is telling his truth. It is ok for him to tell all about his drug program and what Victor did, and Remi did, and he did, and they are praying he tells what other athletes did, but just don't talk about them??? You can't ask for the truth but in limited doses. You can't blackmail athletes by promising them leniency for cooperation in catching the drug cheats but cry foul when that trail starts to point back at you. And you definitely cannot call foul when the athlete lashes out at what he felt was wrong doing on a personal level.
Maybe he should not have said it in his book but that is his right and FREEDOM to do. This is a great example of what is wrong at the core of the sport. This is a great moment for us as we grow and become more professional. We may not like who turned on the light(s) but we should be glad they are coming on. Now the question is who will scatter for cover now?
That's what I think about this mess, it is ridiculous and should be dropped. Censorship is what it is. If they ban Dwain, expect him to sue them and win!
Associated Press BERLIN -- Athletics chiefs may discuss how to stop British sprinter Dwain Chambers from running even though his doping ban long has expired.
Chambers, who won the European 60-meter indoor title earlier this month, has published an autobiography, in which he provides details from years of systematic doping that left him a "walking junkie."
"The question is how to stop him from running," said Nick Davies, spokesman for the International Association of Athletics Federations.
The IAAF's legal experts have been studying Chambers' book, "Race Against Me: My Story," to see whether the sprinter can be excluded for "bringing the sport into disrepute."
"He is free to run, he's served his ban. Now, our experts have to see whether he can be banned under this clause," Davies told The Associated Press ahead of an IAAF Council meeting this weekend in Berlin.
Under IAAF rules, an athlete can face penalties, including a competition ban, if found to have brought the sport into disrepute. The experts will first address the issue with the advisory board, which will then decide whether to include it in the agenda of the council meeting.
A suspension could keep Chambers from competing at the world championships in Berlin in August against Olympic champion and world-record holder Usain Bolt.
It is far from clear whether the experts will advise any action against Chambers or whether the executive committee would accept their recommendations or indeed even raise the subject at all, Davies said.
Chambers' 60-meter title was his first major individual trophy since he served a two-year ban related to the BALCO doping scandal.
But the victory was largely overshadowed by the fallout from his book, which has been serialized in the British media.
Chambers wrote that he had been taking more than 300 different concoctions of banned substances after linking up with BALCO founder Victor Conte in 2002. The doping products -- including THG, EPO and HGH -- cost him $30,000 a year, Chambers wrote.
The 30-year-old sprinter broke the European 60-meter indoor record by running 6.42 seconds in the semifinals, then won the title in 6.46 in the final in Turin, Italy.
Chambers dismissed speculation that he might be benefiting from residual effects of 18 months of massive use of doping products before he was caught and said he has been passing drug tests.
He tested positive for THG in 2003, becoming the first athlete connected to Conte to test positive for the previously undetectable steroid.
Under British rules, he remains banned for life from the Olympics. Organizers of European meets have promised not to invite athletes with past doping bans but the chief of Berlin's ISTAF meet, the first event in the Golden League series, has said he might allow Chambers to run in June.
British track and field chiefs have confirmed Chambers will not be part of the 400-meter relay team at the worlds in Berlin because he is ineligible for future Olympics, although he can run in the individual event.
The IAAF has ordered Chambers to pay back his prize money from the time he was doping. He still owes about $150,000.
Among other topics to be discussed by the council are ways of possibly streamlining some events and their presentations to make them more television-friendly, Davis said.
No major final decisions are expected, he said.
So my interpretation of this is simple. The IAAF got their feelings hurt and are lashing out at Dwain. Their vehicle for vengeance is this "disrepute" clause.
The question that comes to my mind is, does Dwain's book differ in any way from the IAAF always calling someone a drug cheat? Or not having a viable marketing plan? OR not developing a meet in the States? OR awarding the World Champs to places that do not have a track following? OR pursuing this issue altogether?
Dwain is telling his truth. It is ok for him to tell all about his drug program and what Victor did, and Remi did, and he did, and they are praying he tells what other athletes did, but just don't talk about them??? You can't ask for the truth but in limited doses. You can't blackmail athletes by promising them leniency for cooperation in catching the drug cheats but cry foul when that trail starts to point back at you. And you definitely cannot call foul when the athlete lashes out at what he felt was wrong doing on a personal level.
Maybe he should not have said it in his book but that is his right and FREEDOM to do. This is a great example of what is wrong at the core of the sport. This is a great moment for us as we grow and become more professional. We may not like who turned on the light(s) but we should be glad they are coming on. Now the question is who will scatter for cover now?
That's what I think about this mess, it is ridiculous and should be dropped. Censorship is what it is. If they ban Dwain, expect him to sue them and win!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Balance
I have spent the last few months bashing the living daylights out of everything Doug Logan has done. It is only right I give him credit where it is due. I like his conclusions from the P30 report. They were logical, and sensible. I am still wondering where the money from the relay project is going and how he plans to handle the relay meets, but overall I think his recommendations were fair and promising.
We do need change and it will not be easy, I just want to ensure it is not changes based on someone's agenda, and what is best for USATF and track and field.
Athletes, get a union quick.
Kobe mania has struck! You either love him or hate him. Both sides are maniacal LOL I love him and think he is the best ever. Folks try to argue but it just is. I wish the Jordan rules were still in effect, Kobe would shoot 20 freethrows a game. LOL
Training is going well. I am pleased with everyone's progress and levels. We have a good feeling over here. Last time I felt this way I came home with a bronze medal, a medal no one expected. As my man Heavy D sang, "It's that time again!"
Dwain Chambers. Need I say more? Hahahaha. He has exposed the IAAF for who they are and they are after him with everything they have. No meets and now they are trying to ban him for what his book says. Oh but wait, Berlin has invited him to the meet. Uh oh! A chink in the armor. Only person I can remember serving a 2 year ban for 6 years while competing. LOL The European indoor champ has one meet in Europe, and may not be allowed to run at Worlds.
Here in the States we are facing a budget crisis. In Cali they are threatening to fire 9000 education employees, including 5500 teachers. Amazing.
American Idol is boring! but I like the new format with the one judges save. No more Jennifer Hudson fiascos.
ANTM needs to dump Tiffany. She runs her mouth too much and is weak and whack.
I Love Money 2 is the best reality show out. The alliance competition is dramatic and entertaining. I think it hilarious the main alliance is pissed because the others formed their own alliance and dumped one of them. Classic.
Bad Girls Club. Now the fact that this show has no other purpose than to cause drama and show that drama is enough to irritate you. But when five of the girls jumped one girl and then spent a whole night gloating about it, that was top notch reality TV. The saving grace was they sent 2 of the girls home. Sadly I must admit it felt good to watch them leave. LOL Boston was just full of it and Ailea needs to be admitted to an insane asylum.
24 is still the best. It is Jack time!
Heroes is dragging it out and killing me. I am trying to keep up but they are testing me. Never seen a show waste an hour like Heroes can.
Is there anyone as cool as Horatio on CSI Miami!
On a side note: are there any Americans at the USOC training center in Chula Vista LMAO
We do need change and it will not be easy, I just want to ensure it is not changes based on someone's agenda, and what is best for USATF and track and field.
Athletes, get a union quick.
Kobe mania has struck! You either love him or hate him. Both sides are maniacal LOL I love him and think he is the best ever. Folks try to argue but it just is. I wish the Jordan rules were still in effect, Kobe would shoot 20 freethrows a game. LOL
Training is going well. I am pleased with everyone's progress and levels. We have a good feeling over here. Last time I felt this way I came home with a bronze medal, a medal no one expected. As my man Heavy D sang, "It's that time again!"
Dwain Chambers. Need I say more? Hahahaha. He has exposed the IAAF for who they are and they are after him with everything they have. No meets and now they are trying to ban him for what his book says. Oh but wait, Berlin has invited him to the meet. Uh oh! A chink in the armor. Only person I can remember serving a 2 year ban for 6 years while competing. LOL The European indoor champ has one meet in Europe, and may not be allowed to run at Worlds.
Here in the States we are facing a budget crisis. In Cali they are threatening to fire 9000 education employees, including 5500 teachers. Amazing.
American Idol is boring! but I like the new format with the one judges save. No more Jennifer Hudson fiascos.
ANTM needs to dump Tiffany. She runs her mouth too much and is weak and whack.
I Love Money 2 is the best reality show out. The alliance competition is dramatic and entertaining. I think it hilarious the main alliance is pissed because the others formed their own alliance and dumped one of them. Classic.
Bad Girls Club. Now the fact that this show has no other purpose than to cause drama and show that drama is enough to irritate you. But when five of the girls jumped one girl and then spent a whole night gloating about it, that was top notch reality TV. The saving grace was they sent 2 of the girls home. Sadly I must admit it felt good to watch them leave. LOL Boston was just full of it and Ailea needs to be admitted to an insane asylum.
24 is still the best. It is Jack time!
Heroes is dragging it out and killing me. I am trying to keep up but they are testing me. Never seen a show waste an hour like Heroes can.
Is there anyone as cool as Horatio on CSI Miami!
On a side note: are there any Americans at the USOC training center in Chula Vista LMAO
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Your perspective will dictate your opinion
Man I am tired of the negative. Project 30 is a lie. Forget the actual bias of the panel, we need to only look at the premise behind the formation of the panel. The US failed in Beijing. From here we have had the axing of the relay program. We have a full assault on the preparation of the sprinters. The problem is this is misdirected and ill conceived.
The relays won 2 out of four golds. The sprint relays dropped the stick, it happens. Period. The relay program itself was extensive and did all the things the panel claims they are in favor of and in need of. But what led to this opinion of failure. Logan goes so far as to say no one can look at Beijing and say this was an aberration. With all due respect, that is a stupid comment. It most assuredly was a blip. Nothing more nothing less. He has no factual basis to make this comment.
No jumper won a medal! Not one long jumper made the final. If that is not an aberration I do not know what is. In 2007, we won all four gold medals in the relays and last year we dropped the stick, looks like a blip to me.
The problem is the premise behind the panel. Why was this review board convened? Since all the talk has been about the relays I am led to believe it is the dropped sticks and the $1 million dollars (spread over 6 years by the way). Not the failure of the jumpers, there was nothing said to address the jumping woes in the report. Not the distance failures, which is truly where it was not a blip. Just something about those 2 batons on the ground.
We are supposed to forget that in the 100,200 and 4x100 a wr was set to win. In the men 400 we SWEPT. We won both 4x400 relays. We are supposed to ignore all the injuries to the athletes. Just know that the relay program has been scrapped, freeing up a million dollars.
My second pet peeve is Dwain Chambers. It is time to leave him alone. He has a book tomorrow which I cannot wait to read. He is the European champ and record holder now. He was busted in 2003, returned to the track in 2006. Can we please just get back to track? The acronyms are working overtime to get this man out of the sport, and I for one say let him run and if he is dirty he will stumble again. The end. Move on for all of our sakes. The latest row is from the IAAF who are threatening to ban him and end his career if they can prove his book has put the sport in ill-repute. LOL Censorship is the word. Overt threat to all athletes is what it is. Athletes you all need to pay attention. This is way beyond Dwain and drug cheating, this is about control. Pay attention.
Meanwhile, in keeping with my positive theme. Kudos to Logan for challenging the Jamaicans to a home and home dual meet. I am excited just thinking about it. I am disappointed in the few Jamaican fans I have talked to online who seem to think this is sour grapes and it is just a ploy to take the Jamaicans down because they are on top. Foolishness. This is good old fashioned competition. This is what breeds champions and performances. This is appealing to the American public. It is not personal, it is sport.
It does not matter if the best of the best do not show up the allegiances will push the competition and the performances and feed the future. TV will have easy story lines to write, as we are fed more and more images of Bolt whipping the Americans ass in Beijing, Asafa crossing the line as they take down the US wr in the 4x100. The three yellow vest crossing the line in front of Americans in the women's 100. Veronica Campbell beating the American sweetheart, Allyson Felix. It is a great marketing ploy that can fuel a generation of track.
Do not underestimate the country battle, all you ever need to do is travel to Penn relays and see the sea of Jamaicans that come out to cheer the high schooler's out there. Teams from the LA area go to Penn and immediately adopt the rivalry. We are a nation driven by rivalries, from age group teams to high school to college to pro teams. We love good rivalries. This rise of the Jamaicans in the sprints, our back yard, is perfect. I hope it works. And I want to win!
Coming soon I will blog about something other than track LOL
The relays won 2 out of four golds. The sprint relays dropped the stick, it happens. Period. The relay program itself was extensive and did all the things the panel claims they are in favor of and in need of. But what led to this opinion of failure. Logan goes so far as to say no one can look at Beijing and say this was an aberration. With all due respect, that is a stupid comment. It most assuredly was a blip. Nothing more nothing less. He has no factual basis to make this comment.
No jumper won a medal! Not one long jumper made the final. If that is not an aberration I do not know what is. In 2007, we won all four gold medals in the relays and last year we dropped the stick, looks like a blip to me.
The problem is the premise behind the panel. Why was this review board convened? Since all the talk has been about the relays I am led to believe it is the dropped sticks and the $1 million dollars (spread over 6 years by the way). Not the failure of the jumpers, there was nothing said to address the jumping woes in the report. Not the distance failures, which is truly where it was not a blip. Just something about those 2 batons on the ground.
We are supposed to forget that in the 100,200 and 4x100 a wr was set to win. In the men 400 we SWEPT. We won both 4x400 relays. We are supposed to ignore all the injuries to the athletes. Just know that the relay program has been scrapped, freeing up a million dollars.
My second pet peeve is Dwain Chambers. It is time to leave him alone. He has a book tomorrow which I cannot wait to read. He is the European champ and record holder now. He was busted in 2003, returned to the track in 2006. Can we please just get back to track? The acronyms are working overtime to get this man out of the sport, and I for one say let him run and if he is dirty he will stumble again. The end. Move on for all of our sakes. The latest row is from the IAAF who are threatening to ban him and end his career if they can prove his book has put the sport in ill-repute. LOL Censorship is the word. Overt threat to all athletes is what it is. Athletes you all need to pay attention. This is way beyond Dwain and drug cheating, this is about control. Pay attention.
Meanwhile, in keeping with my positive theme. Kudos to Logan for challenging the Jamaicans to a home and home dual meet. I am excited just thinking about it. I am disappointed in the few Jamaican fans I have talked to online who seem to think this is sour grapes and it is just a ploy to take the Jamaicans down because they are on top. Foolishness. This is good old fashioned competition. This is what breeds champions and performances. This is appealing to the American public. It is not personal, it is sport.
It does not matter if the best of the best do not show up the allegiances will push the competition and the performances and feed the future. TV will have easy story lines to write, as we are fed more and more images of Bolt whipping the Americans ass in Beijing, Asafa crossing the line as they take down the US wr in the 4x100. The three yellow vest crossing the line in front of Americans in the women's 100. Veronica Campbell beating the American sweetheart, Allyson Felix. It is a great marketing ploy that can fuel a generation of track.
Do not underestimate the country battle, all you ever need to do is travel to Penn relays and see the sea of Jamaicans that come out to cheer the high schooler's out there. Teams from the LA area go to Penn and immediately adopt the rivalry. We are a nation driven by rivalries, from age group teams to high school to college to pro teams. We love good rivalries. This rise of the Jamaicans in the sprints, our back yard, is perfect. I hope it works. And I want to win!
Coming soon I will blog about something other than track LOL
Saturday, February 28, 2009
A coaching eye
I realized a long time ago I see everything from a coaching perspective. Everything! Including my life and myself. Probably the source of a lot of problems, thinking things through instead of moving. Anyway, it is what I am and what i am is me.
Some people like to say you are not what you do. That doesn't apply to me. I am a coach because it is a natural fit for me. Even when I ran I thought I would be a good coach. I guess I manifested my destiny without knowing it. I should have thought I would be a good gold medalist! LOL
I would like to publicly welcome Candice Davis. We spent a year and a half playing ring around the rosey but now she is in the fold and I am pleased about this development. Now common practice says I should keep it all a secret and let folks find out later but that has never made sense to me and has been a symptom of what is wrong with the sport. We always think we have to have some doggone secret. Negative. I coach Candice and I am proud of it.
Quick rundown of the DSports roster; Ryan Wilson, Bryan Scott, Tasha Danvers, Jonathan Williams, Kai Kelley, and Candice Davis. Oh and Martial MBandjock, threw in a sprinter for commercial purposes LOL.
Back to the blog. Couple of updates. I have been co hosting Tasha's radio blog shows. She has 2 of them, one is on Wednesdays and the other on Sundays. The Sunday show is every 2 weeks. Wednesday show is Tasha and the Ladies of Speed chatting it up on various subjects weekly. Show time is 1pm PST/4PM EST/ 9pm GMT. Sunday's show is geared towards the younger crowd, Tasha and varied guest will discuss life topics and track, Building on Bronze. Show time is 12pm PST/3pm EST/ 8PM GMT. All of you pass the word and tune in AND more importantly call in. The more the better. even if you do not do anything more than tune in and listen do that. It is great fun. Tomorrow will have Adrian Peck from the UK as a co host talking about the importance of communication.
I advise you to call in from your cell phones for clarity, but there is a call in button and number on the web page. Skype works too. Hope you all tune in and call in.
That was a word from our sponsor.
Lord of the Rings is great! Pick any one of the three movies.
Out of brain power, this cold is trying to run me down, literally, so let me go rest. Until the next thought hits me...
Some people like to say you are not what you do. That doesn't apply to me. I am a coach because it is a natural fit for me. Even when I ran I thought I would be a good coach. I guess I manifested my destiny without knowing it. I should have thought I would be a good gold medalist! LOL
I would like to publicly welcome Candice Davis. We spent a year and a half playing ring around the rosey but now she is in the fold and I am pleased about this development. Now common practice says I should keep it all a secret and let folks find out later but that has never made sense to me and has been a symptom of what is wrong with the sport. We always think we have to have some doggone secret. Negative. I coach Candice and I am proud of it.
Quick rundown of the DSports roster; Ryan Wilson, Bryan Scott, Tasha Danvers, Jonathan Williams, Kai Kelley, and Candice Davis. Oh and Martial MBandjock, threw in a sprinter for commercial purposes LOL.
Back to the blog. Couple of updates. I have been co hosting Tasha's radio blog shows. She has 2 of them, one is on Wednesdays and the other on Sundays. The Sunday show is every 2 weeks. Wednesday show is Tasha and the Ladies of Speed chatting it up on various subjects weekly. Show time is 1pm PST/4PM EST/ 9pm GMT. Sunday's show is geared towards the younger crowd, Tasha and varied guest will discuss life topics and track, Building on Bronze. Show time is 12pm PST/3pm EST/ 8PM GMT. All of you pass the word and tune in AND more importantly call in. The more the better. even if you do not do anything more than tune in and listen do that. It is great fun. Tomorrow will have Adrian Peck from the UK as a co host talking about the importance of communication.
I advise you to call in from your cell phones for clarity, but there is a call in button and number on the web page. Skype works too. Hope you all tune in and call in.
That was a word from our sponsor.
Lord of the Rings is great! Pick any one of the three movies.
Out of brain power, this cold is trying to run me down, literally, so let me go rest. Until the next thought hits me...
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Nothing ventured, nothing gained
A few points on my mind...
Athletes pay your coaches. These men and women spend everyday with you, rain or shine, helping you reach your potential and achieve your dreams. Pay them. I say this as much as a coach as I am a person that wants to push us into the realm of professionalism. I am tired of hearing the horror stories from fellow coaches. And I am not talking about one year coaches or neo coaches, this tale goes all the way to the best coaches on earth.
Does it makes sense to pay your coach 1% of your earnings? Or less than that? Most of you think it is criminal for a coach to even venture the thought of getting paid off your hard work. Some times you have to sit back and look at the big picture. See, when you are paying out lump sums it is overwhelming. Any time you have to pay anyone $10,000 in a lump sum it hurts. You do not want to do it. I wouldn't. But you have to step back and analyze. You made $200,000 in the year and you have paid your agent $30,000 - $40,000. Your coach has asked you for something, per your verbal agreement (most of us coaches are still working on the honor system), you come up with $5,000. That's a big check, right? You damn right it is a big check. Problem is you haven't paid your coach a dime all year and now you are offering him/her pennies on the hour. Pay your coach.
We love you more than you love yourself most days. We spend countless moments working through the plan so when you step out there to compete you are at your best. I will suggest to all of you, work out a monthly plan and put it in writing, it is professional, it keeps business off the track, and your coach will appreciate the gesture. We are track junkies. There is no denying that we love the sport, but we have to make a living.
For the record, I am not writing this out of anger or any personal situation I am going through. I actually have a contract and removed everything I listed above from the track (mostly LOL). I am writing this because you are a professional athlete, in a professional sport. It is time we all started acting like it, from top to bottom.
Coaches get a contract and help the athletes out. All of the above is not their fault. We have tried to conduct our business on a handshake and trust. It is a recipe for disaster. It does not make you money hungry to establish a professional, business relationship in conjunction with our personal coaching relationship.
Sit down and figure out what you want, put it in writing, and get to negotiating with your athletes. I have done it. It took me a lot of trial and error but I worked it out. Now all I have to do is coach. Ideally, I would like to have an agent, but one step at a time.
Do not sit there thinking when they make it they will take care of you. They are human. They have their own world to manage. And your idea of "take care" is not always the same as their idea of "take care of". So put it in writing.
Don't be an asshole about it either. But handle business as business. This thing we do is too personal to treat it like we are 24 Hour Fitness or something. Just keep the business separate for yourself.
I have more points but it is time for practice.
Athletes pay your coaches. These men and women spend everyday with you, rain or shine, helping you reach your potential and achieve your dreams. Pay them. I say this as much as a coach as I am a person that wants to push us into the realm of professionalism. I am tired of hearing the horror stories from fellow coaches. And I am not talking about one year coaches or neo coaches, this tale goes all the way to the best coaches on earth.
Does it makes sense to pay your coach 1% of your earnings? Or less than that? Most of you think it is criminal for a coach to even venture the thought of getting paid off your hard work. Some times you have to sit back and look at the big picture. See, when you are paying out lump sums it is overwhelming. Any time you have to pay anyone $10,000 in a lump sum it hurts. You do not want to do it. I wouldn't. But you have to step back and analyze. You made $200,000 in the year and you have paid your agent $30,000 - $40,000. Your coach has asked you for something, per your verbal agreement (most of us coaches are still working on the honor system), you come up with $5,000. That's a big check, right? You damn right it is a big check. Problem is you haven't paid your coach a dime all year and now you are offering him/her pennies on the hour. Pay your coach.
We love you more than you love yourself most days. We spend countless moments working through the plan so when you step out there to compete you are at your best. I will suggest to all of you, work out a monthly plan and put it in writing, it is professional, it keeps business off the track, and your coach will appreciate the gesture. We are track junkies. There is no denying that we love the sport, but we have to make a living.
For the record, I am not writing this out of anger or any personal situation I am going through. I actually have a contract and removed everything I listed above from the track (mostly LOL). I am writing this because you are a professional athlete, in a professional sport. It is time we all started acting like it, from top to bottom.
Coaches get a contract and help the athletes out. All of the above is not their fault. We have tried to conduct our business on a handshake and trust. It is a recipe for disaster. It does not make you money hungry to establish a professional, business relationship in conjunction with our personal coaching relationship.
Sit down and figure out what you want, put it in writing, and get to negotiating with your athletes. I have done it. It took me a lot of trial and error but I worked it out. Now all I have to do is coach. Ideally, I would like to have an agent, but one step at a time.
Do not sit there thinking when they make it they will take care of you. They are human. They have their own world to manage. And your idea of "take care" is not always the same as their idea of "take care of". So put it in writing.
Don't be an asshole about it either. But handle business as business. This thing we do is too personal to treat it like we are 24 Hour Fitness or something. Just keep the business separate for yourself.
I have more points but it is time for practice.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Today
Yesterday the Project 30 report came out and the track world is abuzz with talk about USATF reform.
I will read the report today but my insatiable need to summarize has me speaking on it now. And later.
I read an article from the Register Guard in Oregon and the author summed up a feeling I had, the teleconference, and the various articles I have read tell me that the same opinion held before the report was confirmed by the report. Not to say this is impossible, but it comes off as more of an affirmation of preconceived notions rather than a genuine conclusion of the findings.
The relay program is recommended to be scraped and replaced with the same program that preceded it, which is what led to the call for a new program. Come on!
More after I read more...
I will read the report today but my insatiable need to summarize has me speaking on it now. And later.
I read an article from the Register Guard in Oregon and the author summed up a feeling I had, the teleconference, and the various articles I have read tell me that the same opinion held before the report was confirmed by the report. Not to say this is impossible, but it comes off as more of an affirmation of preconceived notions rather than a genuine conclusion of the findings.
The relay program is recommended to be scraped and replaced with the same program that preceded it, which is what led to the call for a new program. Come on!
More after I read more...
Sunday, October 12, 2008
DJ Thinks
Some thoughts about recent events off the top of my head.
USATF has a power struggle. It is multi leveled, the USOC wants to dismantle USATF and take it over. LDR wants more power and feels slighted by the sprints who dominate the landscape.
The Presidency is up for grabs this year, I am telling all of you out there to get to Reno and vote! Do not whine about the sport if you are not doing a damn thing to be involved.
USATF has to restructure, the board IS going from 19 to 9 and 4 of those spots will be non track spots. This is a good thing.
Youth track people, you have enough power and numbers to not need to be apart of the board decisions.
Masters you are loved for your passion but you are not mainstream or bringing anything to the table. Love you guys, I thought I would be a masters runner, and I always knew it would be for my enjoyment. Same for you.
USATF should be about the business of promoting the brand name, which means elite level participation.
This year and next year are very important years in the evolution.
Stephanie has taken serious personal attacks during this run for the top spot. It is ridiculous folks, I am not opining, I am telling you. This is for the USATF top spot not the POTUS, and some of you have gone after Steph as if her appointment will end your life. Get over yourselves.
Bob Bowman walks in the door with tremendous experience and insight. He is tough to ignore.
Dee I am not clear about so I will not pass an opinion to be fair.
Rest in Peace Louise Tricard. If you do not know who this lady is please google her. I met her on this thing we call the internet. I had no idea who she was when she started posting with us on the Spdkls board some ten years ago.
Barack is killing McCain. Wait, the truth is McCain is killing himself. Obama is such a sophomore this is a no brainer. When looked at seriously Obama is woefully inexperienced, yet he can talk, he brings a freshness to the politics, and McCain is weak personality wise. And the Palin move was stupid, period.
Time to get back on the grind.
College football is headed towards another mess. USC loses, Texas beats Oklahoma, the SEC is falling apart. The MW may be the strongest conference in the land but has no chance of getting that respect. DO not be surprised if we see another 2 loss SEC team vying for the title. Pathetic.
Bynum and Gasol are my front court. LOL We are coming to a town near you and we will be the show. Last year was a fluke.Once again the West is the strongest conference in the world.
I wanna work for Diddy. hahahahahahaha
get on facebook and find the wife, she has a new creative endeavor going this fall. Last year it was painting, this year it is well go check it out on facebook and on youtube.
USATF has a power struggle. It is multi leveled, the USOC wants to dismantle USATF and take it over. LDR wants more power and feels slighted by the sprints who dominate the landscape.
The Presidency is up for grabs this year, I am telling all of you out there to get to Reno and vote! Do not whine about the sport if you are not doing a damn thing to be involved.
USATF has to restructure, the board IS going from 19 to 9 and 4 of those spots will be non track spots. This is a good thing.
Youth track people, you have enough power and numbers to not need to be apart of the board decisions.
Masters you are loved for your passion but you are not mainstream or bringing anything to the table. Love you guys, I thought I would be a masters runner, and I always knew it would be for my enjoyment. Same for you.
USATF should be about the business of promoting the brand name, which means elite level participation.
This year and next year are very important years in the evolution.
Stephanie has taken serious personal attacks during this run for the top spot. It is ridiculous folks, I am not opining, I am telling you. This is for the USATF top spot not the POTUS, and some of you have gone after Steph as if her appointment will end your life. Get over yourselves.
Bob Bowman walks in the door with tremendous experience and insight. He is tough to ignore.
Dee I am not clear about so I will not pass an opinion to be fair.
Rest in Peace Louise Tricard. If you do not know who this lady is please google her. I met her on this thing we call the internet. I had no idea who she was when she started posting with us on the Spdkls board some ten years ago.
Barack is killing McCain. Wait, the truth is McCain is killing himself. Obama is such a sophomore this is a no brainer. When looked at seriously Obama is woefully inexperienced, yet he can talk, he brings a freshness to the politics, and McCain is weak personality wise. And the Palin move was stupid, period.
Time to get back on the grind.
College football is headed towards another mess. USC loses, Texas beats Oklahoma, the SEC is falling apart. The MW may be the strongest conference in the land but has no chance of getting that respect. DO not be surprised if we see another 2 loss SEC team vying for the title. Pathetic.
Bynum and Gasol are my front court. LOL We are coming to a town near you and we will be the show. Last year was a fluke.Once again the West is the strongest conference in the world.
I wanna work for Diddy. hahahahahahaha
get on facebook and find the wife, she has a new creative endeavor going this fall. Last year it was painting, this year it is well go check it out on facebook and on youtube.
Monday, October 6, 2008
DJ is off
The off season is a weird time for me. I want to sit and enjoy what happened, but my attention immediately shifts to what is coming. The preseason has started for me already. Writing workouts, and getting the rookies and not ready for prime players started. The cool part is I do not have to be so serious. Miss a day, postpone a session, no problem.
Now that is me. Behind the greatness of DJ is the little engine that could and she is always on in some form. I've done well in getting her to calm down for once. Check out the attached clip to see what goes down in the off season. A little insight into the lives of some of your favorite athletes when they are not running. Enjoy...
For more find her on facebook...
Now that is me. Behind the greatness of DJ is the little engine that could and she is always on in some form. I've done well in getting her to calm down for once. Check out the attached clip to see what goes down in the off season. A little insight into the lives of some of your favorite athletes when they are not running. Enjoy...
For more find her on facebook...
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