The longer I coach, the more I realize that the secret to being a great coach isn't designing cutting edge training, it's the ability to repeatedly and consistently avoid doing dumb stuff.
Jessica Ramsey just hit her biggest mark since the '21 Trials (20.21m). Since then she's become a mother and sits in third with 19.56m!
Mama strength hits different 💪
But in the real world these athletes live in, they should be able to REALIZE their value in real dollars, so we need to talk about what their true potential should be in the real sports world. In the sports world or any world, value REALIZED by the provider (athlete) is based on value RECOGNIZED by receiver (sponsor, team, or meet). Currently track as a sport isn’t a sport where athletes can provide value to anyone who can use that athlete for their benefit. The value system in business is like a chain. Example. Lebron is valuable to the NBA because with Lebron they can provide value to TV networks. NBA is valueble to TV networks because with rights to televise NBA games they can provide value to companies advertising during NBA games. This is all due to having a product that creates a huge loyal fanbase. Until track improves its product to garner a huge loyal fan base, athletes will struggle to realize the type of value other professional athlete do.
My first exposure to pro track was Summer 1989 competing in Europe while still a college athlete. Remember seeing Carl Lewis treated much better than everyone else. 1990 my first year as a pro I’m the top athlete in the sport. My appearance fee was skyrocketing and I’m being paid literally in cash. Customs was stressful! Had to eventually force meets to wire my funds. 1993 IAAF (World Athletics) finally decide to offer a prize for winning World Champs. But not cash. A Mercedes 190 ($30K value). Myself, Butch Reynolds, Mike Powell, Gwen Torrance, and Mike Conley tried to organize a boycott if they didn’t offer cash. Many athletes refused and wanted the car. So my agent and I negotiated my own deal. After ‘96 I’m a global superstar and meets allow their sponsors kids access to the warmup area to ask me for autographs while I’m warming up and preparing to race. Had to ask them to stop it and organize proper autograph sessions for me to meet fans. One meet organizer tried to shame me in the media saying I didn’t appreciate fans. My fee kept rising. Meets colluded and agreed none would pay me above $100K. They each violated their own agreement. Carl before me did his own thing, I did mine, and Bolt did his thing. Each of forced the sport to change for us, but neither of us were able to change the sport. Until a critical mass of prominent athletes work together there will be no change.
@MJGold Even AFTER Carl Lewis was a global superstar, his manager Joe Douglas was STILL working as a math teacher at my high school in LA. No offense, but your sport is jacked up.