Head coach of Jamaica’s World Junior Athletics team, Michael Carr, is hailing a five day camp being put on for the athletes as visionary and necessary.
At the last two World Junior Championships, Jamaica garnered 8 medals combined, five in 2012 in Spain and three in 2010 in Canada.
Both were seen as disappointing, with a lack of preparatory work including a camp for the athletes given as reason for the low medal counts.
But coach Carr who was also with the team in 2012, says he requested a camp as soon as he learnt he was appointed.
“It is something that is very important and is needed in preparation for these games because remember they are coming from all over Jamaica”, he said. “And to meet at the Games or a day before is sometimes not the best thing to do”, he said.
“It can be very challenging even for us coaches in terms of even putting the relay teams together”, the Wolmer’s High Girls’ coach stated.
With the camp also infusing unity within the team, coach Carr says as it was in the early 2000s, the camp should be made mandatory.
“The camp gives us an opportunity to know the athletes some more, (and) see what condition they are in. So if and when things happen at the Championships, we know who we can turn to, to do what”, Carr explained.
“So the camp is a wonderful thing and I think it is something that should be happening ahead of every championship meet”, he further expressed.
The 40 member squad is being housed at Mico University in Kingston, as well as GC Foster College in St Catherine.
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Michael Carr hails training camp before world juniors
