JCSU ATHLETICS HOSTING NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD YOUTH CLINIC

JCSU ATHLETICS HOSTING NCAA OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD YOUTH CLINIC

Clinic kicks off the NCAA DII Championship Festivities

Website story link: http://www.goldenbullsports.com/news/2010/5/14/MTRACK_0514103513.aspx 

May 14, 2010

Charlotte, NC – Johnson C. Smith University will host the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Youth Clinic on Monday, May 24th from 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm on McGirt Field at the Irwin Belk Complex during the week of the 2010 NCAA Division II Outdoor Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships. The objective of the track and field youth clinic is to expose youth to the benefits of education through athletics. The clinic will be sponsored by the NCAA and their corporate partners.

JCSU Strength and Conditioning Coordinator and Assistant Head Football Coach, Greg Richardson will serve as the Clinic Coordinator. Richardson was the head track and field coach at Johnson C. Smith from 1986-87 and head coach at Norfolk State University from 1989-90. Richardson coached 23 All-Americans in indoor and outdoor track and field and the national long jump champion during the 1990 season.

The clinic will strive to educate youth (age group 8-14) on the advantages of maintaining good health and nutrition on a routine basis. This clinic is designed as a learning method to teach youth proper techniques of track and field through five sessions. Clinic sessions include event techniques for sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws, and middle distance. A health and nutrition session will also be provided.

Participants will be grouped by age and/or ability and will rotate between the five event sessions after the health and nutrition lesson. The clinic will begin at 6:00 pm with a 5:30 pm sign-in and conclude at 7:30 pm.

Lennox Graham, JCSU head track and field coach, will be involved as one of the clinic instructors. Graham has been awarded the 2010 CIAA Indoor Women’s Coach of the Year and the 2009 CIAA Outdoor Women’s Coach of the Year. He coached 10 JCSU student-athletes to All-American status this indoor season and 12 will be competing in the 2010 NCAA DII Outdoor Championships.

St. Augustine’s College head track and field coach George Williams will lend his time as a clinic instructor. Since becoming head track and field coach at St. Augustine's in 1976, Williams has built a dynasty. He has won 24 NCAA Division II titles during his tenure and he has received 90 Coach of the Year honors.

Williams was men's head coach at the 1999 World Outdoor Championships in Seville, the 1993 World Indoor Championships and the 1992 IAAF World Cup. He was an assistant coach for the 1996 Olympic Games, where U.S. athletes won gold medals in all the event groups he was responsible for - 400 meters, hurdles, long jump and the 4x400m relay.

Anthony James, head coach of the Charlotte Flight Track Club, along with Goff Emerson of the St. Augustine’s track and field coaching staff and Scott Simmons, head track and field coach at Queens University of Charlotte, will provide informative sessions as clinic instructors. Dr. Karen Butler from the JCSU Health & Human Performance Department will be the health and nutrition instructor.

Each of the clinic participants will receive a 2010 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Youth Clinic t-shirt and water bottle. To ensure the safety of each camper, certified athletic trainers will be available to provide water breaks, care and hydration stations.

Johnson C. Smith will be hosting the 2010 NCAA Division II Outdoor Men’s and Women’s Track and Field Championships May 27-29 at the Irwin Belk Complex. Events on Thursday will begin at 10:30 am (Decathlon).

For ticket information, please visit www.ncaa.com/trackandfield or call the JCSU ticket office at 704-378-1091.