SQUAD GATHERS TO MAP OUT A GOLDEN FUTURE!

The biggest ever one-off gathering of Trackspeed1-UK athletes - all its 25 male athletes - got together at coach John Powell's home last week to debate a future that surely promises much after huge personal progression in 2016.

Every fit athlete has chalked up at least one lifetime best performance this summer, many more than that, with some pretty impressive slices being taken off previous record marks.  To top off all of that was also a prestigious club award from Crawley AC won by Jason Hussain as their "Athletes Athlete of the Year 2015"

Jason Hussain proudly displays his Crawley trophy

The forum, hosted by John, the group's home physio', Grace Newton, Strength and Conditioning consultant Mark Stanton, and longest ever serving athlete Jason Hussain, proved a tremendously upbeat environment in which a season review and new ideas for the next training cycle were debated.

Whilst things can always change late season or during the rest period in August/September, a survey of all the athletes suggested that 2016 could be the first year that sees zero departures from the group to pastures new- a statistic that buoyed coach John Powell's enthusiasm for the 2016-17 cycle.

"It would be a first for sure," he said, "because the vultures usually swoop toward the end of the year, but there is no suggestion that may happen again this year, in fact I have already had a number enquiries from athletes seeing to join us!

Trackside physio' is a huge bonus from Trackspeed1-UK
athletes training at the Palace

"That of course is greatly flattering to all of us, but we must ensure numbers remain manageable so that standards of excellence continue to rise.  To that end I am setting up an Academy group again, and will be splitting mainstream sessions to daytime and evening to accommodate both athletes working or studying, and those who have time on their hands earlier on.

"It's really exciting times for us really, and with no athletes involved in the Rio Olympics it means we can wind up the season in good time in August so we can have a really good run at things for 2017 with effect from mid-September."

For those who decide they want to try out the Trackspeed1-UK experience at Crystal Palace next year, they will not be short of privileges, not least trackside physio' as illustrated above...