What a privilege!

Last week I had the privilege of being involved with athletics from grass roots to seeing the end result at the world champs. 

Being at an athletics camp all week allows you to see rapid progress and development in the athletes from quiet, meek and shy to bold, confident movers. I watched kids walk in not knowing anyone to leaving having made good friends. I heard all the excuses about why "I can't do this", but when they tried it a few times, it all just fell into place. For some of them, having never done long jump, or thrown a discus to being confident in how to work out their run up and where to stand to throw the discus, they went away with a better mind-body connection. 

As I said it was such a pleasure and privilege to be a part of their journey. These are our future athletes, and it not world class, they have the beginnings of a long career in athletics should they choose it. 

My evenings were then doesn't with my long term sprints group, and just thinking how fast they had come in their journeys. From nine year olds who put one foot in front of the other in interesting ways, to athletes running 10.7sec for the 100m and getting better. 

Unfortunately I haven't had an athlete make it to the world stage yet, but I'm seeing good signs... 

Regardless of that, being able to go and watch the best in the world compete at the highest levels in such a fantastic stadium and atmosphere was just inspiring. It pushes me as a coach to demand excellence from myself to deliver excellent coaching to my athletes. 

 I hope that the kids I saw at that camp will be inspired too, to purse their dreams, who knows where they could lead... 

This is why I live my job! 

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