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Track and Field

There has been a bit of fuss on social media in the last week or two about QLD sprinting sensation Gout Gout.
It's a bit surprising because the clips of Gout doing the rounds are from back in March..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8IuQc-QVhE

I guess a bit of the interest is the fact that the World U/20 championships are on at the moment in Peru.
Gout is still only around 16.
Well about an hour or two ago Gout completely missed the start of the 200 metre final and was well down going into the bend.
He's come over the top of all the others, just failing to catch the 100 meter champion Walaza who was an Olympic relay medallist with the South African team a few weeks ago.

If you get a chance to have a look at it...this kid looks like being something special at the next Olympics and probably at his peak in Brisbane.

(Here it is)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3wWo5qEtTg

and...just when you thought it was safe to leave the track...

Olympian Torrie Lewis has also won a silver in the Women's 200m

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylpKloQWK5w

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #1 –
That was some finish by Gout Gout  :o

Good runs by both athletes and both should be at the peak of their powers in 2028  :)
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #2 –
I'm just trying to work out the scenario that earned him his name.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #3 –
Quote from: bratblue – on
I'm just trying to work out the scenario that earned him his name.

His parents are South Sudanese and I think Gout Gout translates from one of the Nilo-Saharan languages as "Runs like a Cheetah"  :)
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #4 –
Just with that finishing speed he might end up being more suited to 200/400 running than 100/200.
Whichever... he's an exciting prospect.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #5 –
I'm not sure if this rule is true of athletics, but of almost every other code, beware the child star.  They often fail to live up to expectations.  
"everything you know is wrong"

Paul Hewson

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #6 –
Quote from: Thryleon – on
I'm not sure if this rule is true of athletics, but of almost every other code, beware the child star.  They often fail to live up to expectations.

Torrie Lewis already has an Olympic silver medal so she's probably exceeded expectations.  Gout X 2 could fall by the wayside but I expect that he'll be there in 2028.

Remember the Cripps who played for St Kilda - Jason I think?  He did Little Athletics at the same time as my daughter and their two clubs took part in District and State competitions.  Jason wore spikes when most kids just had runners and his parents would ponce around explaining, "Jason doesn't do the 70m because it's not an Olympic event!"  He was very quick though and won everything from the 100m to the 400m.  He must have decided that footy was more his thing and gave athletics away for an AFL career.  The fleetness of foot he showed at Little Aths served him well on the footy field but his hamstrings just couldn't hack it.  I wonder if all that sprinting he did as a pre-teen was a contributing factor  :-\
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #7 –
Quote from: Thryleon – on
I'm not sure if this rule is true of athletics, but of almost every other code, beware the child star.  They often fail to live up to expectations.  

Nothing is ever certain but...
I've been involved in Track and Field for over 50 years.
I reckon this kid is as exciting a sprint prospect as we've had.
With just a bit of natural progression he'll go sub 10/20 in the 100 and 200 before he reaches 21.
His 20.60 run today was into a headwind. His start probably cost him a couple of metres and he came home nearly over the top of a much more mature, athlete who is no mug runner.

I'm probably one of the most ardent critics of the Little Athletic system and bringing juniors on too quickly.
I beleive it's cost us multiple talented athletes over the years as it's destroyed young prospects by pitting them against early developers.
It's also had a negative impact on the sport in general, in terms of it's profile and participation into senior ranks.
Very few teenagers want to tell their friends they do 'Little A's' and as the kids go through the age groups the drop off is significant.

But there are some who have thrived under the 'early' competition system.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #8 –
I was involved in LA for a few years, and have had a life long interest in T & F. Kids bodies change as they grow get get slower some get faster. Good coaches and clubs emphasize trying your best at all events and try not to focus too heavily on one or two. High jumpers can become triple jumpers. Sprinters being explosive can become throwers. This is not understood and kids get burnt out when the from in their preferred events drops off.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #9 –
In my experience, it wasn’t Little Aths that was the problem, it was some of the athletes’ parents 🙄
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #10 –
Quote from: DJC – on
In my experience, it wasn’t Little Aths that was the problem, it was some of the athletes’ parents 🙄

A big part of the problem.
Parents living through  their kids rather than  celebrating their progress.
But there are a whole range of other issues.
Rows of young kids bored to the teeth waiting for their race throw or jump.
The dramatic drop off rate as kids are lost to the sport in their teen years.
The sport today is a shadow of itself in the 60s and 70s
Thankfully we have a few elite who succeed.
But many a potentially good athlete has been lost to the sport.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #11 –
My daughter’s little aths was very well organised and the kids didn’t spend a lot of time waiting around.  Other sports beckoned though and she chose basketball.

When her children reached sporting age, little aths was too much of a commitment and they preferred basketball, footy, cricket and tennis.  They only do athletics for school sport.

My son went to little aths for two weeks before deciding that it wasn’t for him … takes after his old man!
It's still the Gulf of Mexico, Don Old!
 

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #12 –
I’ve been involved in half a dozen Little Athletic centres…and it’s true some are well run and do a good job…to a point.

 I’ve also been involved in around the same number of senior clubs. Some senior clubs offer a competition option for kids as young as eight. In practice I’ve found they do a much better job with the youngsters, and also offer the advantage of continuity into senior competition. The other big advantage is that coaches and officials are well qualified and experienced athletes themselves, whereas the folks running little A’s are often good intentioned and hard working parents. Of course, over the years of involvement some of these folks do gain some good experience and qualifications.

But here is where I believe that Little Athletics has had a detrimental effect.

It’s created a gap in the teenage years that sees a lot of athletes leave the sport before reaching their full potential in their 20s and 30s
Participation rates in the early years U/6 up until about U/10 are strong. Parental support is all around these groups….and it’s often here that we see the ugly parent, whose little one is destined for greatness, if coaches and officials will just give them (and through extension the parent), their undivided attention.

That’s the first barrier…many kids don’t want to be subjected to the expectations of these parental ‘crazies’. They’re not getting any fun out of that pressure. It can also have a negative effect on other parents and kids who get to witness this. (but I guess that’s a feature of lots of junior sport.)
Once the kids reach High school the drop off rate begins in earnest. At centre competitions older kids are often left to run their own events as mums and dads are looking after younger siblings.

 If you’re a little athlete and you’re not making regional and state championships the interest in the sport starts to wane.
Kid’s at High school at 14/15 don’t want to ‘confess’ that they do ‘Little’ Athletics. (that’s a branding issue).
Other sports become more attractive.
The also-rans are lost to the sport.

It’s left to those champion juniors who dominate… and  that’s what  were seeing at the U/20 championships. Some of these successful juniors will go on to have good senior success. For many this will be the peak, as career and Uni studies take precedent.

It’s a bit sad watching this drop off of young athletes, and I am aware of efforts to build that bridge, so that there is a strong transition to senior athletics…but it’s being blocked to some extent by the usual ‘territorial’ issues and power struggles you get when you have two separate organisations trying to combine into one.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #13 –
Quote from: Lods – on
I’ve been involved in half a dozen Little Athletic centres…and it’s true some are well run and do a good job…to a point.

 I’ve also been involved in around the same number of senior clubs. Some senior clubs offer a competition option for kids as young as eight. In practice I’ve found they do a much better job with the youngsters, and also offer the advantage of continuity into senior competition. The other big advantage is that coaches and officials are well qualified and experienced athletes themselves, whereas the folks running little A’s are often good intentioned and hard working parents. Of course, over the years of involvement some of these folks do gain some good experience and qualifications.

But here is where I believe that Little Athletics has had a detrimental effect.

It’s created a gap in the teenage years that sees a lot of athletes leave the sport before reaching their full potential in their 20s and 30s
Participation rates in the early years U/6 up until about U/10 are strong. Parental support is all around these groups….and it’s often here that we see the ugly parent, whose little one is destined for greatness, if coaches and officials will just give them (and through extension the parent), their undivided attention.

That’s the first barrier…many kids don’t want to be subjected to the expectations of these parental ‘crazies’. They’re not getting any fun out of that pressure. It can also have a negative effect on other parents and kids who get to witness this. (but I guess that’s a feature of lots of junior sport.)
Once the kids reach High school the drop off rate begins in earnest. At centre competitions older kids are often left to run their own events as mums and dads are looking after younger siblings.

 If you’re a little athlete and you’re not making regional and state championships the interest in the sport starts to wane.
Kid’s at High school at 14/15 don’t want to ‘confess’ that they do ‘Little’ Athletics. (that’s a branding issue).
Other sports become more attractive.
The also-rans are lost to the sport.

It’s left to those champion juniors who dominate… and  that’s what  were seeing at the U/20 championships. Some of these successful juniors will go on to have good senior success. For many this will be the peak, as career and Uni studies take precedent.

It’s a bit sad watching this drop off of young athletes, and I am aware of efforts to build that bridge, so that there is a strong transition to senior athletics…but it’s being blocked to some extent by the usual ‘territorial’ issues and power struggles you get when you have two separate organisations trying to combine into one.

I'd like to offer another viewpoint Lods.

Firstly, quick background.
I never did little athletics, but was quite good at athletics in high school. I made state level in 800m/1500m and cross country a few times. I was invited to USA for a running tour when i was a bottom age U16 because i did well at state level cross country at the time.
Honestly, i never took it seriously, and i was just naturally gifted / fit through playing footy.

OK, so one occasion i opted to forgo an opportunity to compete at state level 800m when there was a late withdrawal - i was next to qualify. Why didn't i go? I had footy training that day and i didn't want to let the team down. Which is the heart of the problem.

Athletics, in general, is all about the individual. Yes, you have some loose involvement with the other athletes and you can compete in relay races etc, but the 'team' is not a traditional team.

So for me personally, i prefered to be part of the footy team, than compete as an individual.
I was a half decent footballer, got scouted around the same age, but again, was never serious.

At that age, teenagers want to belong. They don't want to be outcasts. Its not as obvious as peer pressure, but that does have some similarities. I think that is the biggest issue with little athletics vs most other (team oriented) sports when it comes to retaining athletes......specfically at that age.

Re: Gout Gout

Reply #14 –
Yep
It certainly is an individual sport Kruds...that doesn't mean the team aspect is totally missing

The funny thing is that when I think of my friends the closest ones are all athletes.
(That could be partly due to the anti-social make-up of a lot of self-centred athletic folk :D  :D )
Friends are few, but the trials and shared experiences of competition are a strong bond.

I started athletics at 17, around the same time Little A's was kicking off in Sydney.
Back in the days interclub was run as a club v club concept
Competition for all clubs was at the one venue... E.S Marks field
Most of the major suburbs fielded sides as well as the the universities. (Sydney Uni, UNSW)
Over the years I competed for St George, Sutherland, Parramatta and Ryde Hornsby.
The competition was structured from A-G grade according to ability.
The big clubs entered teams in all grades.
What you found was that an athlete might be an A-grade high jumper, but if we were short a shot putter in G grade they'd have a go at that event just to get points for the club...and of course there were relays.

They were pretty heady days. On a Saturday afternoon we had a couple of hundred athletes competing and you would be competing against Olympians in some events.

So while the main focus was on our own individual performances the club aspect was very strong...and winning a premiership in any grade was regarded as a big achievement. The fact that you could compete in many grades over a season in different events also meant you could have multiple team success over a year.

That was kind of a golden era for athletics and seems to be largely diminished since Little Athletics came into being.
Certainly the club aspect is not what it was.
I can't help but feel that LA's is a contributing factor in the decline of that club structure at senior level.
Having said that I think there remains a strong 'team' aspect to Little A's when the kids go to regional and state championships.

The other big team approach comes from your training squad. Our squad usually numbered around 15-20 and we all took an interest in, and celebrated each others performances.

I've also been involved in club administration. If you think Football politics is a bit wacky, you should see Athletic club administration. ;)  :D

So yes, it's a very individual sport, but not without a strong 'team' aspect in the structured club/ squad situation.