TS1 READY FOR SEASON OPENER

Things are going so well at the squad's pre-season training base in Florida, coach John Powell can barely dare look ahead to his squad's opening competition this Saturday.

"Training times are rarely reproduced in competition," he said, "but if you compare them with how people were running a year ago, we have a group of athletes here who are heading toward a potentially great summer season."

The one low point for the group was this morning (Tuesday 26th) when England Schools international, Edmond Amaning, pulled up with a hamstring strain for the third time in ten weeks, but the remainder are very positive.

Their opening competition is at the Florida Gliders' Spring Classic, at Lake Brantley High School track, north of Orlando, on Saturday.  The squad entry for this meeting is as follows:

100m

Dwayne Grant            

(L-R): Ellis Zorro, Omardo Anson and Josh Atille in training
at the ESPN facility, in Orlando, Florida

David Bolarinwa           

Edmond Amaning (Withdrawn)         

Omardo Anson            

200m

Jason Hussain             

James Ellington           

Dwayne Grant             

Ellis Zorro                   

Edmond Amaning (Withdrawn)       

Matthew Threadgold    

Joshua Atille                

Lawrence Wooldridge   

Ellie Doel                     

The squad may also enter two 4x100m relay teams and possibly a 4x400m quartet.

Trackspeed1 have a full programme from the Brantley meeting on.  They return to training straight away the day after, and have sessions on the Monday and Tuesday as well, before a recovery day prior to their next competition.

On Thursday May 5th, everyone will travel north east of Orlando to the University of Central Florida and compete in their annual Twilight meeting, hoping that this year it does not get cancelled due to electrical storms as was the case last year.Then its training for their final eight days in the States before returning to home shores and the season proper.

David Bolarinwa, 17, the fastest under-18 in the world last year, is 
recapturing his form in theStates after a hamstring problem interrupted 
his winter preparations.

TRACKSPEED1 SET TO IMPRESS

Trackspeed1 are spending a month in Florida, USA, training at the
impressive ESPN complex.

Trackspeed1 have taken 11 athletes some four thousand or so miles south west to the luxury town of Orlando, Florida, where their four-week training camp is already seeing some massive lifetime best marks being set in training.

The group ranges from 16-year-old Josh Atille, to 28-year-old Dwayne Grant, and  none of those in between are dragging their feet now they have hit the sun!

Their winter training had been close to a nightmare at times with the British  weather confining the group to the indoor straight at Crystal Palace, but as the cold snap passed, performances improved, and now coach John Powell is hoping this is the start of things to come this summer:

"There isn't an athlete out here who is under-performing," he said, " and whilst I wouldn't put pressure on individuals by predicting their future at this stage, I really couldn't be asking for alot more so far.

"In training rep's on the track we have had PB's al over the place and, although it's my hand timing, and way short of official, it's all leading to a really upbeat trip this time round."

The group open their competitive season on Saturday April 30th when they compete at the Florida Gliders Spring Classic meeting at the Lake Brantley High School facility, in Orlando, and then move on to the University of Central Florida meeting on Thursday 5th May.

"Opening marks are always interesting," said John, "but they rarely represent what an athlete is really going to produce at his or her peak later in the summer.  IT's good feedback for me though, and we are really looking forward to getting off the mark now."

The athletes training in Florida are: James Ellington, Joshua Atille, Ellis Zorro, Ellie Doel, Dwayne Grant, Jason Hussain, David Bolarinwa, Edmond Amaning, Omardo Anson, Matthew Threadgold, and Lawrence Wooldridge, with therapist Greg' Funnell.

POWELL HIITS 35 !

Today (April 16th) marks the 35th anniversary of Trackspeed1 coach John Powell taking his first coaching exam at the very venue he has coached at for every one of those three and a half decades - Crystal Palace!

Aged 17, John was verbally examined by Linford Christie's coach, Ron Roddan for his then 'Assistant Club Coach' badge, blissfully unaware at the time what a massive  impact on his life - and that of countless aspiring athletes - his role as a coach would have.

Since that auspicious day in 1976, many names have passed through his hands, or have been recruited to the sport during his time as one of the most successful youth team managers in the country with Blackheath and later on Belgrave Harriers.  Joice Maduaka, Phillips Idowu and Chris Lambert will be the better known names of recent years, but the number of athletes graduating from club to international level through his Trackspeed1 squad - so named only a few years ago - exceed all but the most senior coaches in the UK.

"I simply can't imagine life not being a coach," said John, who is a Police Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police, "and I reckon I'll be doing even more of it later this year.  To say time flies is a cliché, but it really does, and after 30 years in the Police this year, I can retire on a full pension.  My athletes won't know what's hit them when I get all that free time!"

John's CV as a coach is attached to this website, and it is clear that is efforts have not been restricted to these shores.  His link with Harvard University through graduate athlete Chris Lambert were cemented with an appointment to their casual coaching staff, and his links and partnerships with individuals and groups all over the globe have made Trackspeed1 a brand unto itself.

"It's no secret that it has been a very sore point when it comes to athletes moving on," said John.  "I've never really learned to take those sort of knocks on the chin, and I still get riled when it's clear that outside forces have been at work.  Athletes here get a seriously good deal, but the grass is so often made to appear greener.  But very few sprinters have ever improved after leaving, which surely counts for something.  That's why I hold such respect for athletes like James Ellington, who moved to another coach, but was big enough to admit it wasn't working, and come back.  And now he's setting PB's again!

"The job satisfaction from coaching is unique, and it's incredibly addictive.  But coaches in track and field are hugely under-rated - few people outside the sport see the trials and tribulations we have to suffer for the sake of success."

A production company are shadowing John and his squad this year with a view to producing a documentary film on what lies behind success on the track.  Supported by Adidas, it promises to link his Policing role, the Met-Track scheme he founded in 2005, and a number of the athletes in his squad.  Set against the background of London as the Olympic city in 2012, it will graphically illustrate just how tough it is to reach the top.

GOODBYE CRUEL WINTER

It's been a winter many Trackspeed1 athletes will want to be forgetting as the warmer temperatures at last hit home shores. 

Hamstring injuries have been a huge problem for coach John Powell's charges - so much so that he is looking to review his entire programme at the end of the year with other coaches and advisors both at home and abroad.

"I can't believe how many athletes have had hamstring issues this winter," he said, "but I have to say that in most cases, I am completely satisfied that a lack of strength and conditioning on the part of the athlete - and/or careless management of recovery periods during training - are the main root causes.

"We had quite a few younger athletes join what was essentially a senior group last summer, and unfortunately they have chosen to learn their trade at this far higher level the hard way - despite many warnings from me.  But we're pretty much good to go now - summer beckons, and those athletes going warm wather training are gearing up for a great trip."

About half the squad travel to Florida for a mnth's pre-season preparation on Sunday (April 17th) where they will use the ESPN Wide World of Sport facilities that outstrip the comparatively miserable surroundings they have had to tolerate during the winter.  Tjose athletes not travellling will be hoping for some scceptable UK weather after a winter nightmare that saw the entire squad programme suspended for a week atone stage.

Trackspeed1 athletes train in Florida last year: they will compete in 2
meetings while there, and field a squad relay team who will target 
the hugely impressive 40.69s mark set four years ago!

"This was the worst winter I can remember in a long time," said john, "with snow in November preventing me or the group even getting to Crystal palace, and consistently freezing temperatures making runs in trainng further than 80 metres indoors virtually impossible.

"We've missed out on a bit of speed endurance as a result, but I have to say everyone has knuckled down well this last few weeks, put plenty of fuel in the tank, and we are beginning to look in reasonable shape for summer.  These next four weeks will be hugely defining, and anyone not working seriously hard will be left very disappointed when the majors come round this season."

Trackspeed1's final full get-together in the UK will be on Saturday April 16th - fittingly exactly 35 years to the day aince John took his first ever coaching exam with Linford Christie's coach Ron Roddan - on the very track they will train on that day - at Crystal Palace!