Category: Track & Field

Virtually, the world’s only coeducational sport!

Posted on

Olympics in Beijing should go forward!

Support the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing!

There’s a bunch of talk about various countries bowing out of the Olympic Games in order to ‘teach China a lesson.’ I wonder what kind of lesson that would be?

I remember the last time we boycotted the Olympic Games in 1980. This was at the time Jimmy Carter was President. It was merely a distraction from the reality of double digit inflation and having our butt handed to us around the world. I remember our poor Olympic athletes being paraded on the White House lawn and being presented a meaningless medal for their non-attendance in the games in Moscow.

Many say that Martin Van Buren (“Martin Van Ruin” by critics) was our worst President, but I would nominate Jimmy Carter the incompetent, micro managing peanut farmer.

Some european countries and some from our American House of Representatives feel ‘morally’ moved to keep their young people from competing in the Olympics.

I hope no one is stupid enough to believe that this boycott talk is all about “Tibet?” Ask yourself if these two things have any connection: first, Arab oil producing countries have been squawking about the recent crack down on Muslim Terrorists in China in preparation for the Olympics; and now, China has just provided the United Nations with evidence of Iran’s Nuclear Weapons ambitions. Is this ‘tit for tat?’

Let’s let the youth of the world fight it out in the Olympics as Baron Coubertin originally envisioned and not in the oil field. He wrote:

“the important thing in life is not victory, but the fight; the main thing is not to have won, but to have fought well.”

Let the Games begin!

Roger Freberg

Posted on

Steroids in Athletics

I am constantly amazed by people who are shocked to learn that ‘steroids’ or any performance enhancing substances can be found in athletics. Where have they been? Do they really understand the history? Probably not.

Athletes have endeavored to enhance their performance since ancient times. In the days of ancient Greece, athletes would chew on animal testicles to extract testosterone. Yes, it worked. Later, athletes found that small doses of certain poisons acted as stimulants and finally in the 1930’s, Adolf Windaus received the Nobel Prize for discovering steroids ( to his credit, he also discovered Vitamin D). Steroids have been chronicled as a part of virtually every Olympic Game since their discovery.

So, we might wonder, who would want to use or benefit from steroids?

Every athlete in every sport — not just baseball players — could benefit in ways large and small…. even whimpy soccer players. It doesn’t seem to matter if the sport has money or fame… athletes appear to be looking for any edge. However, the significant — if somewhat anecdotal — heavy physical long term side effects of many performance enhancing drugs are daunting. However, the long term issues have little play with young athletes; after all, they are ‘immortal’ in their own eyes.

So, what can be done?

Outside of draconian penalties and public embarrassment… the motivation for the little edge is almost overwhelming to many athletes who will accept almost any risk as part of the game.

However, as a coach, it is important to teach athletes to look for long term success beyond athletics…. because most of us won’t make it to the ‘big leagues’… and very few make it where they can make any money. So, keeping an eye on the long term prize will make them happier and ultimately more successful in life.

One still wants to be around and in ‘the game’ when they are 60.
Roger Freberg

Posted on

Don’t Cry for Marion Jones

't cry for Marion Jones... there are others more worthy
Getting an edge over the competition has always been around… just ask the ancient Greeks, competitors chewed on animal testicles to extract natural testosterone. Poisons acting like stimulants were used in the early Olympic games and the Nobel Prize was won for the discovery of steroids in the 1930’s. The 60’s through the mid-90’s saw the growth and widespread open use of steroids until testing methods became more sophisticated, but then, so did the cheaters. Once testing became better, better ‘masking agents’ were found to fool the testers.

I always wondered about some athletes who performed fantastically on their domestic stage but dropped significantly in the Olympics or the world stage. Was the testing apparently better?

For those who remember those early times may recall the American weight lifter who said that he would beat his famous Russian competitor once he could afford the Russian’s drug bill. The eastern block was not just increasing their athletes strength through the addition of steroids, but they took it once step further, they added substances to raise the natural testosterone manufacturing ability of the body.

Some places never seem to change, governing bodies still apparently ignore what’s going on in Cuba and the Carribean.

Unfortunately we have little but anecdotal evidence as to the long term effects of athletic drug use, but it doesn’t look good. Former world class male athletes are replacing about everything in their bodies from joints to organs. And many women appear to have compromised their fertility for a what amounts to a couple of lines in the newspaper.

We also no longer have a level playing field.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating a return to those unfettered years of wild steroid consumption… but the future’s athletes will belong to expensive gene doping labs. I look for big things at the Chinese Games. However, it is always interesting to see hard working and more talented ‘clean’ athletes passed up in college by those with an ‘edge.’

So, don’t cry for Marion Jones, she got more than most. Many drug using athletes are paying the price with far less accolades and without any medical supervision. Besides, I have read that the USADA has only banned Marion for 2 years…. she’ll be back.

Roger Freberg

By the way, if you’re an athlete taking drugs… just shut up… don’t sign up as some sort of ‘clean’ spokesman. It just looks worse when you’re caught.

MORE READING:
World of Sport braced for New Drug Scandal
Bakersfield is a drug central
Operation Raw Deal
120 Arrested!
Ben Johnson SPEAKS!

Posted on

What should we expect from Coaches?

the one hour workout.... still works

Years ago, I wrote a  small piece for a Track & Field magazine  that ended up being widely syndicated… and created much controversy among the holy clerics of American track & field. It questioned what they ‘believed’, for them , it was a form of religious heresy.

I have met some wonderful coaches who take a scientific approach to all they do & they genuinely care and develope the young student-athletes in their charge… but there are those coaches who have long since failed to think for themselves and trot out worn cliché’s and continue to quote books written by those even less enlightened than themselves.

Some coaches make up for their intellectual short comings with various ethical shortcuts and by throwing their athletes against the proverbial wall and looking for those ‘who stick!’ … and discarding the rest. Many are as ruthless as they are ignorant. There is no excuse for lapses in professionalism or the toleration of poor character in our athletes or coaches. 

It may be hard for a coach to watch a young person ‘dribbling their career down the court’, but this should not be all about the coach’s career. The athlete deserves a prize for playing the game, specifically a real future…. and part of that is an education…. and to leave the university a better person than they entered.

Roger Freberg

 

Posted on

Paul Turner of Harvard passes away

Karen and Hrvard University's Coach Paul Turner

Track & Field Coach Paul Turner of Harvard University  was one of those very rare breed of men that — if you are very fortunate — you may meet in life. A young coach could do far worse than follow in his thoughtful footsteps.

Paul was a coach who sincerely put the needs of the athlete over his personal ambitions. He worked — whether an athlete agreed with him or not —  to help determine a future for themselves beyond their athletic efforts… sometimes that meant changing universities. The challenges of division 1 sports often leave athletes unprepared for their own future, and in my observation, Paul helped many folks think beyond the next season.

Our family will miss him… I only wish there were more like Paul.

Roger Freberg

PS. If you knew Paul, You can leave your thoughts here