Athletics Weekly

I've only had a look at this as some distraction from the murder in London. It gave me light cynical relief, as myself and many of my real coach colleagues said this at the beginning of the UKA disaster, and have been saying it ever since. Unfortunately that organisation has killed off many peoples'...

Back to throws.... (Greg is a star and one of the best ever competitors in the long jump event) in my view we need to stop focusing on paper pushing to coaches and re-start a national coach and national squad system which generated many very high level throwers. Isolating coaches and athletes only m...

Let's just wish the guy the best of luck. He is a fine fellow and has chosen what he not the armchair experts and generic managers want him to do !!

Horses for courses !

Athletics is measured by results not hypothesis !!

Great to see a new system of event groups with coaching administrators running them. Such a novel idea.... not. Didn't we get rid of that some years ago when development went out of the window and the famous 'five rings' were the taste of the day ? Anyway, perhaps it's a sign that things might be ge...

The fact that many seem to have believed the rumour, suggests that there may well be a problem. I find it very strange that we have had a succession of foreign or non-athletics coaches who to be polite have not cut the mustard; but then generic management seems to be at the heart of UKA/BA. Fortunat...

A very sad day for athletics and discus throwing in particular. Lawrence is 'the' talent in the event worldwide. He is very sensible however to be choosing the route he has because, as it will potentially set up with real money not just the few coins he would earn from throwing. He loves the game an...

Thanks for that suggestion, I'll remember that in future !! The uncertainty created by even the suggestion that an athlete will have to reach an absurd level to be selected is clearly evidenced by the length and sheer diversity of responses in this thread Standards, guidelines or statistical norms.....

It would be nice to see a thread on'coaches on the move', relating to coaches who have dumped their greedy athletes for better ones!!

Some good results early on. Let's see what happens later.

Incidentally, Nigel, perhaps someone would like to ask the coaches who have taken our nineteen metre women putters to the level you mention, how it was done !!!!

Maybe something to learn there.

Can anyone explain how the 'moorcroft' nine hub athletic centres have now been reduced to the 'Lufbra' rump, and yet no-one has nailed this complete failure on the perpetrators ??? Could it be that the aspiring 'best governing body in the country' have been too busy pleasing the pay masters to notic...

This fisaco just shows the nonsensical way our sport is being run. A selection policy should reflect not only the real level of performance in events but also give motivation to athletes to work toward being in the team. Why not just say the top three in each event at the trials can go. This wouldn'...

I don't think we want any more political climbers. These two are both members of the UKA board. That organisation has been at the forefront of many awful decisions for the sport. I can't see it being any different in a broader context. We actually need some hard nosed practical candidates at the top...

He failed by his own reckoning. That's life. No tears here. Perhaps his imports should also bite the bullet. jeremy1 is right, despite a vast amount of money being spent, the team has achieved what it always achieves, some brilliant results, some good, mostly average or below. I think we now need to...

Larkim and BigGUt, that's why I said perhaps..... government lead. There are many ways to skin a cat, and that is but one. Where tax-payers money is concerned and to that matter, lottery doner's money, accountability is fortunately becoming a by-word. Gone are the days when we had an open wallet to ...

It strikes me that a lot of comments both on here and in the media, imply that the system is going to continue. Could I suggest that before this happens by default, we have an independent (perhaps government lead) audit of our sport at all levels, to see exactly what has happened since 'modernisatio...

Kipper, you are dead right. School sport is the key to sustained development, leading to club recruitment not nannying, and then on to serious athletics with well trained coaches, and a fully integrated International future. A 'seamless pathway'. Unfortunately the fragmentation, animosity, and degen...

BG you've got to take it as you give it !! It's a bit nasty when you get shredded isn't it ! Now let's get on with bringing everyone together and producing some workable ideas. I do in fact agree with some of what you say, but in part, as a research scientist, I would have put the ideas a bit differ...

Fantastic wasn't he Merito, and not an ounce of Lottery support this year !!!

I totally agree Steve, but that hasn't happened. As soon as an athlete has shown talent, they have been subject to a contract if they want funding. In that contract the athlete must agree to allowing his/her athlete be 'given' another coach if the original one is not 'considered' good enough. This h...

The crux of the matter, I think is that coaching and development have been divorced in the headlong rush for gold. CVC I am sure would be the first to say he has nothing to do with development. That being the case perhaps he should just be attached to a very small band of stars and leave the rest to...

Geoff and jjimbo, there is clearly a problem in relation to the role of clubs. At present they seem to be struggling with the role of nanny to hoards of youngsters... being glorified creches as it seems. That seems to be the only way they can get funding. But I do think that clubs should exist to be...

jjimbo, there needs to be a sane and effective discussion between them all, and this is sometimes a problem as the athlete does not want any acrimony. There needs to be arbitrators or senior mentor coaches who can step into such situations when asked, and bring heads together. Yet another thing for ...

Surely they can't get away with that ?? Your main coach says 8 and you say 5-8 ?? What does that say about the expediency of these people.

We're going for 8 but 5 will save our skins.

Not a problem of course. But as I have ALWAYS said this should be done properly and without another coach initiating the doubt in the former, as has so often seemed to be the case. The key I think is actually to take along the coaches with the athlete. So for example if an athlete has outgrown his o...

JJimbo, just defending myself from what, from experience, will be a co-ordinated attempt to derail the discussion. If people are upset, sorry !! But I somehow don't think so. I am very passionate about the future of our sport, and I am happy to discuss anything with anyone as long is it is supported...

I agree pretty much entirely. BUT the first step has to be the removal of the key perpetrators of the current disaster. Without that we will still be struggling to rescue the sport when Hell freezes over. I think the most important thing to do at the minute is to refute any attempt at presenting the...

Squads, to be effective need to be held once a month and at great facilities. Coaches and athletes should attend under the guidance of a head coach (national Event Coach) who is a specialist in the event, and with the best support services in tow. Event group squads (say the throws, or jumps) can al...

"There will never be harmony because too many people will only accept their solution and will attack any other solution without providing any viable option." - Big Gut

BG, you should know !!!