However, running only 100&200 is some kind of specialization too…
I totally agree with NumberTwo. She should compete in wide variety of events to try her out and to develop her full potencial.
For example our national champion and the only “white” 2007 World Champ Finalist Matic Osovnikar was running 400m till he was 21 years old and came to 10,32 (100m) and then switched to 100m. He now holds a PB of 10,13. Running 100/200/400 in his childhood surely did not affect his speed development.
I don’t think there are any absolutes when dealing with individuals who can vary so greatly in motivation, adaptation, training methodology and opportunity.
But I tend to agree with James and with Number Two. Err on the side of caution with youngsters. Broaden their technical base by getting them involved in other events such as sprint hurdles, long jump, high jump etc and encourage them to play other sports, especially team sports like basketball or soccer where acceleration and a broad aerobic (joggin) capacity is required between accelerations. Basketball court is only 28 metres long! It is important to socialise kids too, get them to understand the value of being a team player. Even if they should someday reach the pinnacle of athletics and specialise in a solitary sprint event, getting to the very top in this sport still requires the building and maintenance of a team of specialists for technical, medical, paramedical and admiistrative support. And central to the organisation is the star athlete and by then s/he better know how to treat those team members with courtesy and consideration otherwise they will quickly jump ship. Look at Australia’s Jana Pittman who has worn out her welcome nationally it seems in part because she’s such a prima donna (spell?).
As for kids “burning out” or plateauing, much of that depends on inspiration, motivation because without that there is no imperative to train hard and make the social sacrifices required to progress. Impatience is another issue of attitude. It may be difficult for early maturers to cope with the fact that for most of them the improvement rate will slow down dramatically in their adult years even if they have the best advice on training in the world.
In Australia a gierl named Debbie Wells was just 14 in 1976 when she clocked the 100m in 11.1sec and 22.9sec hand timed. At that same age she actually defeated Denis Boyd over 200m and Boy was an Olympic 200m finalist twice (1976 and 1980) and Commonwealth gold medallist in 1978. Debbie went to Montreal, Moscow and LA Olympics. But she finished with career best times of 11.39sec FAT and 22.98. She was a flawed personality in my opinion and took for granted what others would have killed for - an outrageous level of talent. But talent just entitles you to take a lane. When you ultimately do with it depends on your attitude, more than your aptitude.
There was another girl from Australia, Rosemary Hayward who was maybe 15 or 16 when she won bronze in the 400m at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Sydney. I’m pretty sure she clocked something like 52.9sec. But she took her talent for granted, followed her father/coach’s orderslike a dutiful daughter and when she retired after a long career, her 400m PB was still in the 52sec range. What a waste of talent.
So being brilliant at a young age isn’t a guarantee of success in later years. It can be quite a burden. But not such a burden as a mind that is closed.
Totally agree.
Up to high school track should be fun and simple for both physical and psychological reasons that James, No2, KK et. al have touched on.
I had my daughter read all your posts and we talked about it. She wants to switch the 400 with 100/200 meter hurdles and try the long jump too. So, that takes the worry from the issues brought up here.
This also gives me more reason to keep bothering Derek until I get a handle on the training in all the materials I bought from here…and appropriate application… which I will gain from many exchanges here.
In a couple years she can decide on doing longer distance if she wants to.
Besides, we have fun with this regardless of the events…
Even with her last Regional meet, which she was depleted and lethargic from swimming/hot tubbing the night before (I didn’t know not to) and performed poorly in all 3 of her events, she didn’t let it get her down, and we had a great time…and especially after finding out what caused her weakness…we had a good laugh about it.
Rick
Rick, excellent decision making.
I’m going to strongly disagree with your statement regarding her poor performance; however.
Please convey to her the fantastic job she did (in reference to the video link you provided) in maintaining her form throughout the finish line despite the error made coming out of the blocks as well as dealing with the residual effects of the previous night’s events.
Form and relaxation are two of the most vital skills a sprinter must acquire and, while your daughter will only improve in that area as time moves forward, for a youngster of her age to hold that together, between what I mentioned in addition to being so far behind the winner, demonstrates an excellent degree of composure.
I would be very proud of her for that reason.
She’ll have to beat Jodie Williams from the UK
100M: 11.24
200m: 22.79
Not comparing Apples to Apples…
Yes, Jodie Williams looks like she will be sure Olympic runner, but she will also be 17 years old next month.
To fairly compair her to Hannah, you will have to match their performance with the age level, which would take you back to her performance in 2007, the year she turned 14:
http://www.thepowerof10.info/athletes/profile.aspx?athleteid=26161
In 2007: Jodie willams best 100 meter dash: 12.01/11.85w best 200 meter dash: 24.77/24.57w
In 2010: Hannah Cuniliffe 100 meters: 11.71 (USATF Nat. prelim) 200 meter dash: 23.91 (USATF Nat. prelim)
So, if you compare performance at the same age, looks like Jodie Williams has some competion approaching…as Hannah is significantly faster at the same age.
Anything can happen…who knows…but to compare a 14 year old sprinter to one who will turn 17 next month, is not a fair comparisonl.
Rick
I bet everyone that Donovan beat in the 1996 Olympic Finals had a faster PB at age 18 than he did.
Don’t understand your post or point?
Rick
My point is that times at a young age, as we’ve already discussed, are not good indicators of success at the senior level. Jodie Williams is currently much faster than Hannah, and is not too far off becoming a threat to the elite senior woman. I am more interested in someone running good times, regardless of age, than of running slower times at a younger age, even if those times are more impressive compared to other people of that age. The age of physical maturity makes up a huge portion of when people start running fast. It’s possible that Hannah has little maturing left to do that count benefit her performances.
Lots of things are “possible” I was stating comparable facts.
I was also stating that comparing a 14 year old with a nearly 17 year old was not a fair comparison.
Yes, Hannah may not get much faster, or yes, maybe hannah will continue to make significant gains each year…
Nobody knows for sure.
Your Donovan post made absolutely no sense at all, it was jibberish…
I get it…you don’t like the times of slower, younger runners.
you don’t have to comment on every post for the sake of the comment after you have already stated your opinion, especially ones that are complete jibberish.
I was/am excited about my daughters fellow team mate… I get it already that she may or may not get significantly faster, ok?
You preffer to think negative, good for you.
Rick
It’s obvious we don’t agree on things, but…
Best of luck to you and your daughter. Hannah is an amazing young talent and I hope to see her on a big stage in several years.
Thank you, and best of luck to you too…
Enjoy your day
Rick
Thank you James for putting it in perspective, and in a totally positive view.
I try to keep everything positive with my daughter, and yes, I need to do so even more now while I’m trying to help coach her.
She tries her best at track. I watch her and watch other kids she runs with and in practice, she always seems to put every effort she has, and even finds that little extra to give to try even harder.
Of all the sports she has played since she was young, track is the only one that really “clicked” with her.
I will never, ever forget…after the very 1st track meet that she competed in 1 1/2 years ago, in the car and on the way home she commented:
“Daddy…(then a pause)…I have finally found myself…I found what I love”
She beamed and glowed with joy…she was so happy, I almost cried…
She has been the same about track ever since that day.
That is why I have no problem doing whatever I can to give her the support to take to whatever level she can or wants.
Since then, she has been so interested in all aspects…she goes straight to the track articles online…she checks up on Allyson Felix and her other track “idols”. Reads her running mags etc.
I do worry about one aspect of her…she quit softball and soccer to try track…she had been on teams with a majority of players who didn’t want to put out the effort, for a couple years in both sports, and she just got tired of being the only one trying…
That is what caused her to originally sign up for track, that, and she loved running in all the sports more than actually playing the sports…
She played Basketball the past 2 years and enjoyed it, but not alot…she wants to WRESTLE this year instead of basketball…at first I didn’t know how to take that…then I asked some questions and found it’s girls only. So, maybe it will be good for her…just felt strange when she first told me.
She doens’t want to do a fall sport…cross country, softball and volleyball are her choices…she just wants to keep working out for track until wrestling starts…so I guess that is the game plan for now.
Again, thank you for the great perspective you have!
Rick
:rolleyes:
Relax, the winking smiley at the end of my post suggested my post was tongue in cheek.
But if you are going to be picky, JW did her times in 05/2010, when she was 16.6666667 yrs old.
It means he thinks that everybody in positions 2-8 in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics were faster than the winner, Donovan Bailey, was at aged 18.
Yawn
Would like to see this same girl when she’s about 25, but by then she most likely will have quit the sport.
Met a few girls like this, they run good times so their coaches and parents run them even harder so by the time they are 18 they hate the sport and quit.
I’m sure we all know why that happens.:rolleyes:
200m is pretty long for an 8th grader, in my humble opinion.
I don’t know man, the Jamaicans seem to incorporate running into their lives, and not just competition (as told to me), where as over here in America, parents and coaches just throw their kids into race after race with little or no regards to complete preparation, regeneration and basic nutrition, so at the end of the day, by the time a Jamaican is about 18-20 they are just bullet proof, seasoned and have a healthy approach to competing.
Also, it’s a blunder to just copy what others do not fully understanding the program as a whole. Many distance runners do this today by trying to duplicate what they can learn from the runners in North Africa but it’s mistake.