220 ATTEND COACHING

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30847, 4 September 1965, Page 13

220 ATTEND COACHING

More than 220 young athletes, coming from as far afield as Invercargill and Greymouth, converged on Christchurch Boys’ High School yesterday for the opening sessions of the South Island athletic coaching school.

One of the largest contingents from outside Christchurch was 50 athletes from Dunedin. Most ma jor centres in the South Island were well represented. Organised by the Canterbury branch of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Coaches’ Association, with the co-operation of the Internal Affairs Department, the school is the largest of its kind held tn the country in recent years. It will last for four days, with a free afternoon today for the Rugby test, concluding on Monday afternoon after circuit training and final tuition. Youth Athletes The school, open to athletes between the ages of 15 and 18, is intended mainly as an introduction to training techniques, race tactics and other aspects of the sport. Yesterday, one of the greatest assemblies of top-line ath-

letic coaches ever to gather in Christchurch at one time, addressed the youngsters on different events, placing emphasis on the influence of physique upon choosing an event.

The president of the New Zealand Amateur Coaches’ Association (Mr A. L. Lydiard) addressed middle and long distance runners on the fundamentals of the sport and later talked to all members of the school on his recent trip abroad, comparing overseas facilities with those in New Zealand. More Decisive Help He said that the Government should be more decisive in helping to provide the facilities which athletes and coaches needed to produce world champions. A world champion like Peter Snell had been produced in the past, not because of the assistance provided, but in spite of the lack of it, he said. Mr Lydiard expressed satisfaction at the response to the school. The aim was now to set up coaching schools at each of the main four centres on an annual basis. In the afternoon, individual coaching was given by leading New Zealand coaches, including Messrs Lydiard, F. Sharley, J. Bellwood and S. Johnson, all of Auckland. Top Canterbury and other South Island coaches and prominent athletes all contributed in their specialist events.