One of the big empty spaces in the club coaching programme in recent years has been the lack of good consistent field events coaches. That, I hope, is about to be put right. From the middle of April we will have at least three coaches operating at the brand new field events facility at Postie's Park in Dumbarton. The track is easier to get to than any other outdoor facility and it is also free! The money was put up by television and so the Local Authority cannot charge for it. The high jump coach will be Paul Doherty, a former pupil at St Columba's HS who has won medals for high jump and long jump at local, district and national levels. He has also been a Scottish Schools and Scottish Age Group Internationalist athlete. Paul will be continuing his own career and coaching high jump once a week. The long jump coach will be Donna Campbell who was also a pupil at St Columba's albeit a few years after Paul. She was a first class runner at all distances up to 800 metres but especially good as a sprinter but was particularly good at the long jump. She is now a PE teacher but will like Paul be coaching one night a week at Postie's. The surprise packet is David Brown who is doing a coaching course in April and wants to do some coaching in the club. He is particularly interested in long and triple jumps so we will be well catered for there. Mary Ann Savage is the qualified coach who will also be seriously involved in the jumps. For the throws, well Bobby Bell - who was the top club throws coach for many years, is talking about a comeback. His favourite events are hammer and shot although he covers all the throwing events. With Donald and Phil looking after the running events a good coaching team is building up.
