Weekly Updates Sunday 12th April
It has been great to receive messages about how our members are getting on, in such a large club of very close to 900 members by the time we include all the volunteers, you could get lost, but it has been great to keep that personal touch with you. We do hope everyone is still keeping safe and well. Please don’t forget to get in touch if you want or need help with anything at all, we are here to help!
Below are some more pieces of information for you, including the answer to question 3 of the quiz!
Fixtures:
The annual fixtures page continues to be updated with cancellations and postponements as and when information becomes available. When the government lifts restrictions on social distancing, it is likely that the fixture calendar will continue to evolve considerably depending on what will or will not be permitted.
Fundraising:
Thank you to those that have signed up to date, and for those that haven’t please consider raising money for the club when you are shopping online thorough our Easy Fundraising page. It provides invaluable income for the club and 100% is reinvested back into the club to make the sport as affordable for you as we can. Sign up here.
Coaching:
There is a continuing and growing plethora of ideas and resources out there for coaches and athletes to use in lockdown. Here we’ve updated from last week our favourites for you:
1. If you like a read on good old paper/hardback books rather than online, Athletics Weekly published a great article on the top 20 athletics and running books, you can view here.
2. For our UK Athletics qualified coaches the previous U Coach website key content is being transferred to Athletics Hub. The new modernised website will provide additional new content whether it be in videos or downloadable readable resources across all event disciplines. It will be more user friendly and easier to navigate to find the information you want. For more detail and how to login click here.
3. Our senior endurance runners are posting regular training sessions and challenges to follow on their private Facebook group, if any of our existing senior members are not signed up, to request to join click here.
4. With new videos being uploaded each week, the Welsh Athletics You Tube Channel has plenty of clips on physical preparation challenges and tests for athletes, most of which you can do at home.
5. England Athletics have a regular programme of online coaching webinars, focussing on a range of event specific themes that are free to register. The latest webinars on offer are featured on the following link, keep checking back as details of more webinars will be added over the coming days. Click here to see the full menu.
Junior Virtual Competition:
Thank goodness for Millie Pierce the only junior who took part in the run jump throw challenge! We can only assume Joe Wicks has tired the other 450 of them out, they had better not be sitting in front of a screen all day! Therefore, we will extend the closing date by one week to Friday 17th April and expand the list of eligible athletes to include our coaching team to incentivise the athletes. Initial feedback from the coaches informs us that their confidence is high, and very much like social distancing, their results will mean that athletes won’t be able to get anywhere near them! Print an entry form here Swansea Harriers Lockdown Run Jump Throw Challenge Score Sheet.doc
Email us your results via the contact details on the form, and send any images to https://twitter.com/SwanHarrierDev
Trustees/Committee:
Despite the doubters all but one of the trustees/committee logged onto Zoom last Monday 6th April for the first time in the clubs history an online video conference committee meeting! Was it luck or was it skill? We will found out in Mays meeting!
Officials:
Thanks to all those who have got in touch with Christina Jones our officials secretary to join her team ready for when the season recommences. We always need all the help we can get in this multi discipline sport to fulfil our club officiating duties at home and away matches. If you’d like to know more about becoming an official follow this link.
Know Your Coach Quiz:
Last week we asked “Can you correctly guess which of our coaches in the answer to these ten questions below?” You would have to of had a deep knowledge of the club to get all ten correct!
Q1: Hayley Tullett won a bronze medal over 1500m in the 2003 world athletics championships in Paris, which of our coaches is her uncle?
A1: He’s been with the club since the 1960’s long distance coach John Griffiths.
Q2: Which of our coaches had the fortune/misfortune (delete as you see fit) of having their patience tested whilst trying to coach hurdles to Jedward (yes those two) at the 2012 Swansea University star track camp?
A2: Unorthodoxly UK Athletics appointed Jedward as Star Track ambassadors for 2012, who burst through the fire exit doors in their bright gold tracksuits and very pointy hair, followed by their entourage, chaos ensued all around, the kids had a ball, and the coach still has nightmares – Andrew Jenkins.
NB: it turns out they used to be quite good club runners over 800m & 1500m when they were in secondary school after being questioned.
Q3: Which of our coaches used to share a flat with 007 Daniel Craig when they were in university together?
A3: Our most popular question and we are assured that this is gospel, as they lived and went to Drama classes together, MST and BST dad Rick Stratton-Thomas!
Q4: Which of our coaches up until a couple of years ago could still do a backflip and land safely (more or less) after being a former welsh international gymnast?
A4: The mind is still willing but the body isn’t for our hurdles coach Tony Morris.
Q5: Which of our coaches was the team manager for Wales in the Commonwealth Games of 2002 in Manchester?
A5: He’s been with club since day one in 1962, is one of our founder members and is still coaching, Club President Barrie Owen.
Q6: How many of our coaches are current school head teachers and who are they? Half a point for each.
A6 Half a point for sprints coach, club chair, Hannah & Joes mum Lynne Brier. Half a point for club stalwart and ever present runner as well as endurance coach Helen-Marie Davies.
Q7: Which of our coaches was also an Aikido coach?
A7: Ieuans mum the multi talented and Pole Vault coach Jane Hosgood.
Q8: Occasionally one goal of an athlete maybe to try and beat their coaches PB. Which of our coaches has a 400m Hurdles time of (56.77) who Owain Clarke & Charlie Brown are trying their best to beat/will beat?
A8: He is also the track manager, and his time survives but only for a few more weeks at least, hurdles coach Andrew Griffiths.
Q9: Which of our coaches used to be the editor of the South Wales evening post?
A9: He must have been coaching for over 30 years by now, his favourite event is the national road relays, our senior endurance coach George Edwards.
Q10: Which coaches name is missing from this team of our clubs infamous slowest ever mens 4 x 400m league relay result from the year 2000? Terry Lalley, John Owen, Jonathan Clarke & ?
A10: On the day he ran first leg followed by two hammer throwers and one javelin thrower! Was his false start deliberate or not? (2 false starts were allowed in the olden days) Only he will know the real truth, club throws coach Peter Roberts.