"My biggest disappointment helped me accomplish my greatest achievement"
-- Olympic gold medalist Dwight Phillips
BY ELLIOTT DENMAN
LANDOVER, Md. � �Everything I've ever accomplished was based on hard work,� Olympic long jump king Dwight Phillips told his audience of eager-eyed listeners.
�Whatever you put in, that's what you're going to get out; my biggest disappointment helped me accomplish my greatest achievement,� he said at the Speed, Endurance, Technique Summit coaching clinic staged at the Prince George's Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, Md., the evening before the start of the 2005 Nike Indoor Nationals.
�Don't ever give up on your dreams,� he told the gathering of athletes, coaches and parents. �Don't ever let anyone tell you any different. I've had people tell me �I couldn't do this, I couldn't do that.' I never listened to them.�
Sure enough, the greatest joys of his life have come in proving to people that he really could.
The young man who never won his state high school long jump championship, who never won the NCAA long jump in his collegiate days, now reigns as Olympic long jump champion, occupant of the throne formerly held by such previous USA immortals as Jesse Owens, Bob Beamon and Carl Lewis.
He did it at Athens last August with a leap of 28 feet, 2 ¼ inches. His winning jump came in the very first round of the competition. The best of the rest of the world spent the rest of the day playing a vain game of catch-up.
Now, it's Phillips' turn to �give something back.�
And that's exactly what he was doing at the Speed, Endurance, Technique Summit .
For the third straight year, the Nike Indoor meet featured a coaching clinic, mentored by some of the greatest names in track and field, the Friday evening before the start of formal competition Saturday morning..
Carl Lewis had been the featured clinician in 2003, John Smith in 2004.
This year, Smith � the 1972 Olympic 400-meter runner, a man who still holds the world record over the full 440-yard distance, who has emerged as one of the world's most renowned coaches, and this summer will be head coach of the USA team at the World Championships in Helsinki � was back, and with him were some celebrated fellow clinicians.
Olympic 100-meter hurdles champion Joanna Hayes, the only American woman to win a gold medal in an individual event at the Athens Games, was there for the session on hurdling, along with famed coach Andrew Blanks of Westbury High School , Houston , Texas .
Nike track and field director Josh Rowe opened the proceedings, then handed the mike to John Smith.
After leading his presentation, concentrating on workouts, drills, and philosophies of training, Smith and rising star Jason Smoots conducted the session focusing on the sprints.
Joining Phillips for the presentation on the jumps was Olympian Tiombe Hurd , USA women's record-holder in the women's triple jump.
While all this was going, three noted veteran coaches and administrators from New York State � Paul Limmer, Bob Barratta and Al Berkowsky � were directing the session focusing on the endurance events. In addition to being top coaches, the trio each August conducts The Running School at Camp Chipinaw , White Lake , N.Y. , in the Catskill Mountains .
The whole clinic production was facilitated by Nike Indoor Nationals administrators Cedric E. Walker and Joy Kamani.
Inspiration was on the agenda throughout the whole production.
�I thought this was great, it was a really neat experience for the kids, to meet the people that have been here before them, and taken it to a higher level, a level I'm sure they all want to go to, too,� said hurdles champion Hayes.
�They all seemed so interested and intrigued by it. They listened every carefully. I think they're all going to do great.�
�What I liked most was the opportunity to give the kids guidance I never got when I was a kid,� said triple jump great Hurd.
�There were so many kids here, I was really surprised.�
It was all up-close and often one-to-one personal.
�I don't want any of them ever to feel we're just people they see on TV.�
Her bottom line message to the youngsters: �You're the future Olympians.� |
7:00 - 7:10 Introduction
7:15 - 8:00 Speed with John Smith and Jason Smoots
7:15 - 9:00 Endurance Symposium with Paul Limmer, Bob Baratta and Al Berkowsky
8:05- 8:50 Technical Sessions (sprints, hurdles, long jump) - Dwight Phillips, Joanna Hayes, Tiombe Hurd and Andrew Blanks
8:50 - 9:00 Q&A/Closing comments
Details of the Program
free for NIN athletes - all others $10
Olympic athletes Joannna Hayes, Dwight Phillips and Tiombre Hurd will be at the SETS session, along with elite coach John Smith and HS coach Andrew Blanks (the only high school coach to have two recent grads in an Olympic finals -- 400H at Athens).
Olympian Justin Gatlin and new Nike athlete Lashawn Merritt will be at the meet Saturday and Sunday. |