There's an obvious reason why college coaches can't be relied upon to develop a
grass roots program. University assistant coaches probably have an average salary
of $10,000 a year for a full-time job. You can barely live in Guatamala on that,
much less the US. Most I've seen either have a second job or work track camps
during the summer months so they can make some extra cash to survive. They don't
have the time to coach up-and-coming kids. And if you're a university head coach,
I doubt you spend your summer lounging around until the fall.
Also, most high school track coaches are also assistant football coaches. Very
few schools have coaches dedicated to one sport. Once track season is over (end
of May for high schools), they have to begin working on the next sport which is
usually football. If they don't switch gears, they're out of a job.
s.devereaux
peter stuart wrote:
> At 06:17 PM 10/24/00 -0400, you wrote:
> >> At 04:28 PM 10/24/00 -0400, you wrote:
> >> >I must disagree with Conway's assertion that we have a good junior
> >program
> >> >and it is the NCAA and JUCO programs. By the time they get to be 18
> >years
> >> >old it is way too late to really develop the sport. Some sort of
> >widespread
> >> >programs need to start before age 10 so that kids are as exposed to
> >> >opportunities to "play" track as they are to baseball or soccer.
> >> >
> >> there is ...it is called the Hershey Program.
> >
> >You're joking, right? The Hershey program, the AAU juniors, the USATF
> >junior olympics are all tiny compared to the programs in football,
> >baseball,basketball,soccer and several others. That doesn't mean they are
> >bad programs, just that they aren't accomplishing even 5% of the coverage
> >that we need. Add to that the fact that all three groups in general believe
> >they don't need the other two and you have a recipe for a muddled set of
> >incomplete programs that cannot be called development.
>
> Not joking at all. They are good programs. But, as with all good ideas, the
> clubs and the schools have to pick them up. If assume that south of the
> border is similar to north of it. Many of the good, and great, coachs don't
> want to be seen working with young kids. It is below them. But everyone
> needs to develop a grass roots progam and it takes good coaches to work with
> this very importent age-group. If they did, probably similar to up here,
> they would accomplish much more than the 5%.
> Just my 2 cents
>
> Peter Stuart
> Head Coach South-East Athletics
> Head Coach NB Canada Games
> NB Coaching Chair
> Master Course Conductor
--
"I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don't give a damn."
