Justin wrote:
> Hi All
>
> Darrell says that the US places little importance on juniors, and this
> attitude is also reflected in his view that Lewis-Francis was wasting his
> time at the WJC.
>
> The view on this side of the Atlantic is diametrically opposite. In the UK
> we place an enormous significance on junior competition and consider the
> major junior championships to be very significant stepping stones in the
> career of a young athlete. L-F's choice was entirely consistent with this
> view and was almost universally approved and welcomed among supporters,
who
> felt that it was too early for him to run in the OG and that his
progression
> would be better served by competing against his peers. He will now have
the
> confidence which comes with winning a world title, which can only benefit
> him. The hope is that he can develop into a great champion and then
maintain
> that career for years.
>
> The benefits of this emphasis are clear. Every single one of the young
> sprinters you see competing in a GB vest came through the junior ranks. In
> fact, I doubt you will find a single UK international athlete under the
age
> of 30 who did not compete at international level as a junior. The success
of
> GB athletes at the European Junior Champs in recent years has been the
> bedrock on which the careers of some of our best athletes have been built.
>
> This enlightened approach contrasts with the almost total lack of support
> for young athletes as recently as 15 years ago. Talented juniors went from
> dominating their age group to be heavily beaten by older athletes as soon
as
> they turned 20, which leads to disillusionment and loss of confidence
early
> on. The junior programme and the under-23 competitions are designed to
ease
> this process and have been tremendously successful.
>
> Strangely, this has been achieved without decimating the education of the
> athletes, despite the fact that our school year starts in September and
runs
> through to July, with continuous assessment every bit as important as end
of
> year exams. In fact, the current crop of young athletes are notable for
> their intelligence, articulacy and maturity. Perhaps where there is a
> will....
>
> The US has a strong high school and collegiate tradition which in many
ways
> replicates the benefits of junior international competition in Europe.
> Bearing this in mind, I am very surprised by the contemptuous dismissal of
> world junior titles by certain US list members. But perhaps I should not
be
> surprised. It's clear that those same list members consider the US to be
an
> extraordinary and unique case as regards every issue raised, from drugs to
> popularity to behaviour to youngsters, with nothing to learn from the way
> this global sport is successfully managed beyond the Atlantic and Pacific
> coastlines.
>
> Best wishes,
>
Unlike others, I think that the US has a very strong Juniors program .. It
is called the NCAA .. That is where the talent base is developed in this
country .. As such these young people have obligations to their schools
which in many cases involves football and cross country during this time of
year .. It is not the "traditional" system used elsewhere in the world ..
But as Justin points out we don't always do things the same way here ... The
develop[ment program for the NCAA is the Junior College system .. SO a true
Juniors program is way down on the list as Darrell stated .. But between the
JUCO and NCAA systems we seem to do a fair job of getting talent produced ..
I do think we miss the boat, however, on overall development as we probably
miss a ton of youth each year that fall out of the system before reaching
wither of these college programs ..
Conway Hill
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
