Clemson would you come out to outback Australia if I paid for you ticket, gave you board and food? 
And I know some nice girls around my area 
… all this just to train me! pretty pretty please!
Very interesting thread. As a up and coming athlete,this is one area that is always going to be a grey area. From experience the paying of coaching has good points and bad points. One good point that springs to mind is that you get a dedicated service (people seem to work better and sometimes harder when ££’s are involved!) The idea of paying a coach never pleased me. They should be coaching because they have a love and a passion for the sport and for seeing the athlete(s) doing well and thus acheiving to make cash from Grand Prix and sponsorship deals etc. Thats how a few of the coaches operate here in London. Its only handful of coaches that have started to charge athletes. A bad point is that it becomes business like and not ‘natural’ the athlete can become disgruntled and bitter towards a coach who he believe isn’t training him correct or is fully focusing on him. His way of thinking could be: “I’m paying this guy and I’m still running 15 seconds”??!!
Another interesting point i read was coaching styles. I think alot of coaches over here in the UK are out dated and old school! Set in their ways and not willing to update and re-educated themselves. Trust me Charlie if you reading this I would love the opportunity to come out to Canada and train with you even if it was just for 2 months! I mean my technique and time for the 60m has improved by 6/10th’s by just reading your responses and ideas. Imagine what happen if i was getting watched by the man himself…the possibilities are endless!!
I agree with you man. But there is still a good an valid way for payment. And that is from prize money. I see that a coach could put the load on the prize money. I mean take about 20 - 30 % of prize money instead of sallary. So that means that the coach will have to do i absolutly right in order to get his money Else he’ll get broke. Tell me when you go to charlie. Come pick me up . I still didn’t try his thoughts. Although I already see the results.
the thing for me in a country like this (egypt) is that so many coaches are available its unbeleivable. if ur engaged in any club then thats ur training for free! but then where’s the quality? where’s all the updating? i mean like jason said they are outdated and old school. most of them were these geeks in uni whom never had the sense or touch of the sport, and i think that ur coach must have atleast for a period of time been a sprinter himself to coach sprinting, one who can actually feel what ur doin and not just be reading out of a book wat possibilities are there of what u gona be feelin like after ur session. (if u guys know wat i man)
i mean ive tried both types and there is a big difference between one that was an athletes himself (esp ur own event) and one who just has the knowledge. my coach is 72yrs, the guy quit track in 1960!! there is so much expereince is unbeleivable, but it needs to be updated, constantly. i can say the last sprint champion that he has made was one who won the nationals in 1985. since i started working with him, summer 2002 he was still applying the exact same principles, and dont forget that in 1985 he wasnt that updated in the first place anyway, their training was all about heavy weights and short sprints.
ive spent the last 2yrs and still am trying to improve myself with him, and there is still so much to learn. think what for example if ive been with a coach like charlie from the first place, i bet there would have been a big difference. definitely no 5month of injury and bet wouldve been much much fit right now. i think so many of us did not get their opportunity with desent coaches when there was or still is a lot of potential in us. we all just trying hard and hope that we are doin what works BEST FOR US
For the coach to have been an athlete is not enough. For me its one of two. Your coach should either be someone who achieved your goals himself as a coach or as an athlete. There are coaches who were never succeful athletes and are still very very well educated about the sprints. I had a friend of mine who used to help me. He was about my age and he couldn’t do anything through nationals when I was going all the way up. But I was going up because HE was helping me. He couldn’t help him self but he helped us all reach top 3 at least at nationals. While his own best was 4th some long time ago in the hurdles. Anyway.I just wanted to say that I good coach was not necessarly a good athlete. But I do believe that a good athlete ( under 10 ) will always be a good coach ( compared to whats available. ) Its just what I see
And Komy. If you don’t like you coach. Why don’t you look for someone else. Or tell him that you’ll coach your self untill you find the right coach. Its your future after all.
They should be coaching because they have a love and a passion for the sport and for seeing the athlete(s) doing well and thus acheiving to make cash from Grand Prix and sponsorship deals etc.
only three in America can do this…