More than 30 coaches representing various national sporting disciplines have benefitted from an intensive three-day training workshop conducted by the world-renowned Michael Johnson Performance (MJP) at the Hasely Crawford Stadium.
The training, which ran from October 22 to 24, represents a continuation of the partnership between energy company BP Trinidad and Tobago (bpTT) and the T&T Olympic (TTOC) and Paralympic (TTPC) Committees that started in the lead-up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and which will continue straight to the 2016 Games.
TTOC president, Brian Lewis, was enthusiastic about the partnership. “The relationship with bpTT and MJP presents an excellent prospect for athlete development and is based on shared values including respect, excellence, courage and most importantly, one team. Michael Johnson and his team have shared their knowledge openly and this collaboration is making us all-round better. We are planting a seed that will grow and deliver a mentality of excellence and elite performance in our athletes.”
Putting the collaboration into context was Danielle A Jones-Hunte, corporate communications manager, bpTT. “Trinidad and Tobago has an abundance of talent which, if presented with the right opportunities, can become world class,” she said. “Our focus is on providing tools to assist the development of national athletes and coaching is a critical aspect of that thrust. Together with the TTOC and TTPC, we expect great things coming out of the MJP training.”
Fully sponsored by bpTT, the workshop featured the MJP expertise of Lance Walker and Brian Abadie, who are both certified strength and conditioning specialists. Established by Olympic 200 and 400-metre champion, Michael Johnson, MJP provides training programmes, biomechanical analysis, nutrition assessments, coaching, physical therapy and injury prevention programmes.
According to Walker, “This is a first step in opening a portal of communication for what we expect will be constant continuing education and the ultimate goal is to merge the best of the MJP systems and local coaching expertise. International sporting organisations and countries are using our expertise and for T&T coaches and athletes, this is about taking good and making it great. This is a chance to put this country on the fast lane to athletic development.”
One of the athletes who has benefitted directly from the bpTT/TTOC/MJP partnership is 400-metre hurdle champion, Jehue Gordon: “My time at the Michael Johnson Performance Centre in Texas was really eye-opening and transformational. I was able to analyse and tweak aspects of my technique and I learnt a lot, including critical aspects such as nutrition. Michael himself is an inspiration to me and I see this relationship with MJP as a move towards the future for national sports development.”he Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, last week.