Neville Teddy McCook

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CREATING PATHWAYS FOR TALENTED YOUTH

• Presented by
• Neville Teddy McCook
• President
• North America Central America and Caribbean
  Confederation (NACAC)
• And
• Council Member of the
• International Association of Athletics
  Federations (IAAF)

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• WHO IS A TALENTED ATHLETE?

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• HOW DOES ONE DETERMINE A TALENTED YOUTH?

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• Are we confusing skills with talent or good
  coaching?
• Is there a difference?

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• HAVING IDENTIFIED SOME TALENT, WHAT DO WE DO WITH
  THE OTHER ATHLETES WHO PRESENTED THEMSELVES FOR
  COMPETITION?

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• SOME APPROACHES TO IDENTIFYING PATHWAYS TO
  TALENTED YOUTH

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Let us look at a real life Pathway

• Athlete Usain Bolt

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• AGE 15 Represented Jamaica at the World Junior
  Athletics Championships in 2002 Gold in the
  200m.

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• 2003 AGE 16 Sets National Junior and High
  School record in the 400m in 45.25 secs.

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• 2003 AGE 16 Sets the World Junior record in
  the 200m with a time of 19.93 secs.

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• 2004-5 Suffered Growth Injuries

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• 2006 AGE 19 Booed in Jamaica after
  disappointing run at a major athletic event.

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• 2007 AGE 20 Breaks Donald Quarries National
  record of over thirty years in the 200m in a time
  of 19.75 secs. at the Jamaica National
  Championships.
• Wins the silver medal in the same event at the
  Osaka World Championships.

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• 2008 AGE 21 In his third ever competitive 100m
  race he becomes the second fastest man over the
  distance with a time of 9.76 secs.

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• 2008 AGE 21 In his fifth competitive race in
  the 100m he sets the World Record of 9.72 secs.

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• WHAT WAS BOLTS PATHWAY?
• 45.25 for 400m at Age 16
• 19.93 for 200m at Age 16
• 19.75 for 200m at Age 20
• 9.72 for 100m at Age 21

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• COACHES.
• WHAT IS USAIN BOLTS BEST EVENT?