Controversial

I was totally gobsmacked by the quality of the new Scotstoun facility last week: what athlete wouldn't be inspired training in these surroundings on a regular basis. The comparison with what we (don't) have is stark. And there seems to be no hope of a track and field facility in Clydebank for at least another twelve months (ie not before 2011). The field events facility at Postie's is good and we could really do something with it were we to have access to it as and when we needed it. Unfortunately we are are at the mercy of a club which seems to have no ambitions for adult athletics: they stop training at 7:30 when most clubs are starting. Any working man or woman has to get home, eat something, no matter how little, change and get to the facility. To do this and be there in time for a session starting at 6:30 is virtually impossible. Unless we can get some co-operation on later hours then this is not a suitable facility.

So with no T&F facility we can either use Glasgow's all the time and struggle with VPAAC, Giffnock North and the rest for access to the jumps and throws. Or we can do a Cambuslang and swear off everything but running events. Become a running club rather than an athletic club. After all, they seem to do OK and have runners in all age groups and were the first club in Glasgow to get the Clubmark award. Is it an idea?

I remember a coversation with Tommy Boyle in the very early 90's about starting up club development. We agreed that you start with running because uou can develop top class athletes with minimum facilities and in some cases track training can damage a young athlete. Then you develop the throws section for the same reason: you can coach throws in playing fields or farmers' fields. And finally you go for the jumps because you DO need expensive facilities for that.

The above argument was deliberately provocative. I'm determined to get some interaction on this blog one way or the other. My position will be on the next one! Let's have your comments!

Field Events

The second session of field event specific training took place on Monday at Postie's Park. Donna is making a really good job of working with the girls' long jumpers and Bobby Bell introduced Lewis Wood to throwing the hammer. Lewis said that he had thought of it but didn't know how to do it. Well, Bobby changed that and by the end of the evening Lewis was throwing like a good 'un. Unfortunately Paul Doc was there and not a single high jumper turned up. If they don't take advantage of his offer to help, it will be no loss to him (he can do his own training) but it will be a serious loss to budding field events athletes and to the club. We are in business again next Monday at 7:00 pm in Postie's Park.

Field Events

On Monday the first session of the new field events coaching system started in Postie's Park, Dumbarton. It is a pity that we have to go so far but since there is no usable track and field facility in Clydebank and the newest field events set up in the West of Scotland is at Postie's, that is where we went. Donna Campbell and Paul Doherty both had a gentle start to their coaching but it went well and more athletes are expected next week. Bobby Bell is also available for the throws events but unfortunately he had no takers on Monday - this must surely be rectified. He is too good a coach for the situation to continue!

John Lunn in Leeds used to do a UK wide ranking of clubs. His method was to take the best three performances by a club member in each of the events, allocate points according to the decathlon scoring tables, add them up and then rank them. His last year of doing it was 1993 and Clydesdale Harriers was seventh in Scotland. Of the local clubs, Shettleston was fifth with 36,393 points, Clydesdale was seventh with 34,560 and Vicky Park was fifteenth with 30.649. We were actually better in 1994 and 1995 was our best points total ever. It is to be hoped that the developing field events scene will help the club back to their former position. Whether it does or not, it will certainly bring more enjoyment to many young and not so young athletes.
CLICK ON TOP PHOTO TO CHANGE

Powered by GoodWidgets.com

Field Events

Donald Macleod, Mary Ann Savage, Paul Doherty, Donna Campbell, Bobby Bell and Brian McAusland went down to Postie's Park in Dumbarton to survey the field events facilities with a view to adding a field events specific training night. It was a glorious evening and they were all impressed with what the facility has to offer. The result is that a field events session will be held there on Wednesdays from WEDNESDAY, 6th MAY. Mary Ann will be looking after the session with Donna doing Long Jump and Paul High Jump.

Field Events

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.