Nike Indoor Nationals
Mar 12-13, 2005 at PG County Sportsplex, Landover MD
a DyeStat Featured Meet



free Friday night clinic

  • Learn how to improve your speed, endurance and technique
  • Meet Olympic medalists and coaches

"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.

 

 


Joanna Hayes
100m hurdles
Olympic record

Justin Gatlin
100m bronze,
200m silver,
4x100 relay gold

Dwight Phillips
long jump

the program

The evening will begin with a brief introductory session on the track at the Prince George Center followed by four break-out sessions. Summit facilitator, Cedric Walker, Assistant Manager of the 2004 Olympic team, explained that the Summit will continue to be an integral part of the Nike Indoor Nationals. �Young athletes need as much exposure as possible to opportunities where they can learn important tools to maximize performance, � he stated. �The clinicians we've selected this year have mastered their particular discipline. Our coaches know how to teach it, Joanna can demonstrates it over and between the hurdles and Dwight's technique earned him gold in Athens.�

Speed

2004 Olympic Coach, John Smith makes a return visit to the Summit. Smith's intuitive kinship with the subject of speed is evident in the success of his HSI athletes including World Record holder Maurice Green (60m). Jason Smoots, will assist Coach Smith. Smoots is currently ranked #5 in the World in the 60m by the IAAF. Smith's presentation will focus on race modeling for the 100 meters and will be geared for both the athlete and coach. Participants will have the opportunity to put his teachings to work on the back-stretch of the track.

Endurance

A special addition to the Summit this year is the Endurance Symposium. Summit organizer, Joy Kamani, explained that it was time to add something special for the distance kids who faithfully support the NIN. Three well-known New York coaches, Paul Limmer, Bob Baratta and Al Berkowsky will host distance runners, their coaches and fans for an open discussion on endurance training.

Technique (long jump and hurdles)

2004 Olympic gold medalist, Dwight Phillips will lead the session on the long jump. Dwight arrives with a trail of gold behind him: 2004 Olympic Trials champion, 2003 World Indoor and 2003 World Outdoor Champion. His leap of 8.59m, just shy of his personal best of 8.60m, was more than enough to capture the first Olympic gold medal in the men's long jump since Carl Lewis won at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

Joining Dwight at the pit will be triple jumper Tiombe Hurd. Tiombe was a member of the 2004 Olympic team in Athens and is the current American record holder in the triple jump (14.05m)

2004 Olympic gold medalists Joanna Hayes, who surprised many in Athens, will work with Coach Andrew Blanks of Houston Westbury High School on the hurdles. Hayes is also the current 100m hurdle Olympic record holder (12.37) and was the 1999 NCAA Champion in the 400 meter hurdles. She is only the second American 100m hurdles Olympic gold medalist in history.

Coach Andrew Blanks' name may not be a well-known but two of his pupils shared the spotlight last summer in Athens in the 400m hurdles final. Coach Blanks is the only high school coach to have two finalists share the track in the same Olympic race: Bayano Kamani who represented Panama and Bennie Brazell- USA. Both are recent graduates of Coach B's high school program where they were both Texas State Champions and Texas State Record Holders in the 300m hurdles. Kamani was also the State Champion in the 110 hurdles. Coach B is the Texas guru of the hurdles!

The Summit will be held on Friday evening from 7:00 until 9:00 p.m. at the Prince Georges Sports & Learning complex in Landover, Maryland.- the same facility where the Nike Indoor Nationals will be held. It is free to all athletes registered for the 2005 NIN which kicks off early on Saturday morning. There is a nominal $10 registration fee for coaches, parents, etc. and tickets may be purchased at the Center. All Summit participants will receive a clinic notebook.

Plan on being there early for the best seats. Athletes should come dressed and prepared to participate.

NIN index page

 


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