Bearman’s Beliefs and Magic Milers

Proud to wear the vest. Kate Sergent and Paul Hawkins. This week we read about Paul Bearman's belief's and ethos when it comes to coaching, something he has been involved with for 27 years at our club and fascinating reading it makes. Sunday was the first of this season's ever popular Tempo Winter Series races, with Matt Burdus-Cook winning comfortably by almost 3 minutes and 20 of our members competing. I'd hoped to have a report on this but fingers crossed for next week. I report on a truly magical night of 1 mile time trials at the Stratford School track last week and finally there is a report on Kate Sergent and Paul Hawkins, two of our international Masters athletes, who were competing in a 10k racewalking event at Stourport. Take care Best Wishes David Jones A smiling Paul Bearman 27 Years and Counting. Paul Bearman When I took over looking after the SUAAC Junior section 27 years ago, I more or less had a blank canvas but wanted to hold true to John Dell’s ethos that SUAAC “is a club for everyone and to ensure every member, irrespective of their background and ability, will be valued”. That was all very well but the problem was I didn’t have any qualifications or training as an athletics coach, just a lifelong passion for athletics. My main personal objective is to try to make an athlete as good, fast and as best as they can be and so not surprisingly my training programmes focus on Sprints, Hurdles and Jumps. My approach to coaching is firmly based on my own philosophy about what sport should be about i.e. enjoyment and being the best we collectively can be, helped over the years by the experience and learning from some of the best coaches in the UK and from abroad.   Over the years I’ve been extremely fortunate that so many volunteers, to one degree or another, have all combined to support the vision for the club and help transform the club into a highly successful competitive club whist still retaining the original ethos.   Apart from the expectation that we all work hard when we are actually training, we have also retained the “social” element that I always wanted us to have that makes it a fun and enjoyable club for all of us involved to be part of. Our ongoing retention rates over the years prove we must be getting it right.   Primarily athletics is about an individual athlete gradually developing and finding an event/s where they can be the “best they can be” and hopefully excel at. A major part of a coach’s job is to get to know an individual’s personality, motivation, aspirations, objectives, strengths and weaknesses etc. to help them achieve their potential and goals and so listening is a key component.   This will hopefully earn an athletes respect and trust and vice versa and the quid pro quo and challenge is that the better the athletes…