World Indoors vs NCAA

[shivfan]

"Jerry Holness, head coach of Jamaica's team to the World Indoor Championships says the NCAA Championships in the USA is one of the reasons Jamaica might never be able to assemble its best squad for the world indoors."

http://www.radiojamaica.com/content/view/25491/48/

When are the NCAA Champs? I didn't realise it clashed with Doha....

[Ned Ryerson]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

They're being held on the same weekend this year, though, in recent years, World Indoors has been the weekend prior to NCAA Indoors.

[Riff80]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

Also in any given year, some of Jamaica's best young talent in some events might be running for an NCAA college/university. I don't think that school would let them take off and compete at a world indoor championship, even if the schedules did not conflict with each other.

[7-sided]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

"Jerry Holness, head coach of Jamaica's team to the World Indoor Championships says the NCAA Championships in the USA is one of the reasons Jamaica might never be able to assemble its best squad for the world indoors."

This is completely wrong...off of the top of my head few of the Jamaican college kids can even make Jamaica's team anymore. ...Jamaica doesn't assemble its best squad for the same reason that the US doesn't - many of their best athletes don't compete indoors anymore, or with the intent of going to Worlds. (Richards, Gay, Merritt, Bolt, Powell, Fraser, Foster-Hylton, S. Williams...)

[gh]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

playing devil's advocate, one could also say that without the NCAA Championships, a significant number of the Jamaican athletes wouldn't be as good as they are today.

[shivfan]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

The American college track system certainly played a pivotal role in the development of jamaican sprinters. However, on the other hand, there were also complaints that some of these sprinters were 'burnt out' when it came to representing their country at summer Games.

So, nowadays, it does seem that the development of places like UTech, and clubs like MVP and Track Racers, are playing an important role in the development of the sport in Jamaica. That's not to say that quite a few Jamaican youngsters aren't using the NCAA system. But maybe that's more an issue with the past, as opposed to present Jamaican athletes....

[7-sided]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

"Burnt out" may not be the right word, but it sure seems to be overused. It is amazing how the Ethiopians and Kenyans seem to find their way to podiums despite a VERY active training and competitive season - usually at younger ages.

Now there is probably a better argument that the collegiate system "improperly" trains athletes, but overtraining and burning out are probably the wrong concepts to endorse.

[Pelpa]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

Not all promising youngsters are created equal. Some at the youthful stage, have less resiliant bodies to a heavy workload while some might be just suited. So, there exists that variation in a kid's ability to endure the physical and a somewhat mental strain of the competitive college system which wants (and deserves, mind you) its pound of flesh , particularly where scholarship recepients are concerned.

One keen example here is Bolt himself, who owing to his superior abilities at his youth and Junior days could have gone the route of the NCAAs, however that youngster was diagnosed with a severe back condition which could have threatened his carreer, on that note he was made to rest out almost an entire year for rehab and really consider whether he wanted track or not as a career (still sponsored by his backers). This was largely owing to what many had called a "laid back approach catering to a prima modonna".

Had he been in a collegiate system there might not been such detailed personalized attention; either go home to nothing mid way his preparation to professional acclaim or stay and risk competing and aggravating that injury, hence equating to "burnout".

Thing is: many talented young males just don't have the mental focus to subject themselves to the constant pressures demanded by the NCAAs, and tend to develope that maturity to dedication later as they age, hence forcing them to that ideal might just lead them to be uninterested, miss trianing and produce bad results, then just call it a day and perform way below where their potential could have carried them: that's called burn out.

[Pelpa]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

Make no mistake the NCAA starins have their pluses and minuses. eg one plus being a Young Asafa (18/19)subjecting himself to some of that treatment to be a better competitor.

[7-sided]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

the NCAA system seems to get the blame by Jamaicans everytime a Jamaican athlete doesn't "realize his potential", even though there is no way to measure future performance, or in some cases, present blame/credit. I guess we can be lucky that Gonzales, Rose, Blake '08, Barnes and a few others never joined the US collegiate system. The criticism would have been deafening.

[Pelpa]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

the NCAA system seems to get the blame by Jamaicans everytime a Jamaican athlete doesn't "realize his potential", .

Make no mistake the NCAA starins have their pluses and minuses. eg one plus being a Young Asafa (18/19)subjecting himself to some of that treatment to be a better competitor.
Make no mistake the NCAA starins have their pluses and minuses. eg one plus being a Young Asafa (18/19)subjecting himself to some of that treatment to be a better competitor.

Evidently not.

As a matter of fact, to nip that in the bud. we would like to say thanks for Isa.

[7-sided]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

Make no mistake the NCAA starins have their pluses and minuses. eg one plus being a Young Asafa (18/19)subjecting himself to some of that treatment to be a better competitor.

Please help me expand my vocabulary and explain what "starins" means.

[Pelpa]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

Make no mistake the NCAA starins have their pluses and minuses. eg one plus being a Young Asafa (18/19)subjecting himself to some of that treatment to be a better competitor.

Please help me expand my vocabulary and explain what "starins" means.

That right there is what we call a "typo" as in a typographical error. What was intended to be there, as is easily interpretted, is the word : "Strains". eg. Are you going to put me through the "starins" of ensuring you understand my syntax and context? Gonna have a look back at the board rules regarding this.

Like I said, I'm prepared to note my error, but you instead save face by going on a fart finding mission to avoid your follies

[Pelpa]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

On a further note, you can pay penance by issuing your views on managing the psyche of the young male talent entering the collegiate rungs. Do you concur that there are vulnerable to distractions and also that these kids are differntially susceptible to physically and mentally socummbing to the demands of the NCAAs? Do you concur that this can be worsened when the kid is homesick (homesick as in being in a foreign country away from mom and family and customary culture)?

Just remeber my ears are up here when your're talking to me likewise my mouth, so you can better hear me when we converse eye to eye.

[7-sided]

Re: World Indoors vs NCAA

I honestly had no idea what you were trying to say because you consistently "outkick your coverage" with your self-serving rhetorical flourishes; it makes what you type nearly impossible, at times, to follow. I know that I'm not the only one who feels that way. But rather than just explain that it was a typo you attack me. [exhale] Anyway, even when I replace "starins" with "strains" it still barely makes sense and really doesn't address anything that was being discussed.

Make no mistake the NCAA [strains] have their pluses and minuses. eg one plus being a Young Asafa (18/19)subjecting himself to some of that treatment to be a better competitor.

Still barely makes sense (and how is "strain" a plus?), but...whatever.

Again, "burnt out" has become the requisite "cop out"; whether it describes American/European distance runners or Jamaican athletes. As gh points out: there are far more Jamaican athletes who have EXCELLED through the NCAA System than have failed. And, there are far more Jamaican athletes who have won medals by the NCAA route than through the "stay at home" route.