Athletics

Namibia: QSB Athletics Clinic Kicks Off in Type

The thirty second Crystal Gold Quinton Steele Botes Athletics Teaching and Coaching Clinic kicked off in fashion yesterday when greater than 200 younger athletes had been taken by way of their paces by some acclaimed worldwide coaches.

They embrace prime South African coaches like Jonathan Greyvenstein and Charlie Strohmenger, who’ve each been contributors for a few years and certainly one of Africa’s prime pole vaulting coaches Louis Nienaber, who has joined for the primary time.

Namibian lengthy leap and triple leap coach Roger Haitengi, who’s now a prime coach on the College of Johannesburg, was additionally again to share his experience with a few of Namibia’s up and coming younger athletes.

Excessive leap coach Greyvenstein mentioned it was nice to be again in Namibia.

“It is wonderful that this course has been working so lengthy, you’ll not discover that in South Africa. It is a great factor to be a part of and personally I’m right here for the higher good of Namibian athletes, particularly the excessive jumpers. It is my seventh yr now that I have been coming to this and it is simply getting larger and higher,” he mentioned.

“It is incredible to know that you simply guys are supporting it as a result of then the expertise will develop which can make Namibia proud on the finish of the day,” he added.

Greyvenstein mentioned it was essential to start out teaching at a younger age.

“For us as coaches it is essential to get these athletes at a younger age, to get them into the suitable technique of leaping. Particularly excessive leap, for those who get harm with that bar as soon as, you’ll by no means come again once more, so we begin with the fundamentals, from the again, simply doing a crab stand and going right into a backflip,” he mentioned.

“At college they normally simply allow them to stand one aspect they usually simply say leap, after which these guys assume they will do it, however once they get to that bar they do not know what to do. After which they cease or they leap they usually harm themselves or they really feel silly they usually by no means return to excessive leap. So for me as a coach it is essential that the athletes begin with the proper approach as a result of for those who do it fallacious, you’ll by no means get it proper once more,” he added.

“For me it is also essential to educate the coaches, as a result of the extra coaches there are, the extra we may help the athletes. As a result of they’re right here and they’re hungry. Yearly Leonie (van Rensburg) calls us and you can’t say no as a result of it is a privilege to be part of this,” he mentioned.

Prime pole vaulting coach Nienaber, who has produced quite a few South African and African champions, mentioned it was as privilege to be a part of the clinic.

“I really feel privileged to be right here and to be invited. It is a dream of mine to get pole vaulting began in Namibia. I really like Namibia and its folks and I used to be as soon as at a coaching camp in Swakopmund, however that is my first time at this camp in Windhoek. I am very excited to have the ability to make a distinction within the lives of the Namibian children,” he mentioned.

“I believe there are a whole lot of gifted children right here, the flexibleness and agility is there, so we should simply develop them and keep near the federation and the membership and I will positively do my greatest to develop the athletes right here,” he mentioned.

Haitengi mentioned it was essential to plough again into the group.

“For me that is the place I began off – on the age of 14 I used to be found and pushed by way of so that is the place my profession began and I simply really feel I’ve to provide again. It is thrilling to see another fellow athletes and simply to provide them some recommendation to get them to the very best stage, so it is all the time thrilling to provide again and plough again into the group,” he mentioned.