CORNWALL COUNTY AA

DECEMBER 2006 NEWSLETTER

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SOUTH WEST SQUAD TRAINING

The regional training squad for track and field athletes is selected from those who have achieved a performance within 5% of that required for the national squad, and this year the region are also inviting athletes who have just missed the mark, or were English School finalists, to join a development group.

Cornwall has done well this year with the following 17 athletes selected. Deborah Fleming, Sarah Williamson, Michael Williamson, David Green, Emily Gunning, Chris Dobson, Jordon West (if he is fit), Katie Knowles, Jasmin Hicks, Jay Hill, Lee Christopher, Anna Sharrock, Jordan Henwood. In the development squad are David Willis, Matthew Harris, Emma Nightingale, Le Hamilton.

The first meeting of the squad will be at Bat High Performance Centre on 7^th January, and with this number of Cornish athletes we have four coaches in the team Neil Tunstall, Andrew Caddy, John Knowles and myself. Please encourage athletes to help save the planet by car sharing, and if there is doubt about getting there, let me know. If anybody knows of anybody they think should be included, please contact me asap. (They must be either u17 or u20 next year).

CONSTRUCTING A TRAINING SCHEDULE

Don’t forget this workshop to be held on 14^th January, 2pm at Grampound Community Centre

There will also be a chance to learn something about the Five Ring Model that the UKA Director of Performance, Dave Collins, has been pushing as a guide towards planning a programme

COUNTY SQUADS

Following the poor turnout at the last squad session at Carn Brea it looks like there has been a failure by some coaches to pass on the information to their athletes. It cost a considerable amount to hire indoor facilities, so if we don’t use them we shall lose them. Because of the poor turnout we have decided to drop middle distance (who are usually involved in cross country running anyway) and hurdles. If there is sufficient demand then they could be reinstalled, and it is beginning to look as though high jump could go the same way if there is insufficient support.

The next squad sprint day is on Crantock beach at 10am on 17^th December, and this would also be valuable to all other disciplines who would gain from the leg work on the dunes. Cost £1

The next speed/power training session in the New Year will be at Par on 14^th January at 10am Cost £2

THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH

Statistics have shown that if you believe in them, then the average younger person stays focused on a given sport for a maximum of seven years. Us vets last a little longer because there is nowhere else for us to go. In other words, plan your programme for continued change and improvement to prevent the onset of boredom whilst maintaining interest. The greatest loss is when athletes go away to university, so it is up to us to maintain regular contact.

AIMS

This is the time of the year to sit down with your athletes for five minutes and ask them what they hope to achieve in 2007. Then write it down and encourage them to get a training diary for Christmas

SEE YOU ALL IN THE NEW YEAR. HAVE A GOOD ONE

 

Tony Lett 01209 891101 tony.lett1@btopenworld.com