Published On:Friday, December 30, 2011

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE success of twin brothers Latario and Lathone Collie-Minns on the international scene has paid off big dividends for the local track and field fraternity.

The National Scholastic Sports Foundation of the United States has decided to take advantage of the wealth of experience here by bringing a team of seven high school athletes to participate in a triple jump clinic.

It's called 'Project Triple Jump' and it identifies athletes whom the US feels have the potential to make future US youth and junior national teams.

"The Bahamians are a lot better than we are in the triple jump at that particular age group, so we sort out Antonio Saunders back in July at the Pan Am Juniors and he put us in touch with coach Peter Pratt and we have been working on this ever since," said Cedric Walker, a board member in the organisation.

Walker, who hails from Rochester, New York, has been in town with Joy Kamani of Washington since Monday. They brought in seven athletes who spent the week in sessions with Pratt's Jumpers Inc. Track Club.

With the contingent leaving today, Walker said they will carry a wealth of experience from the three day sessions, which included beach training, practical workouts at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium and theory methods in the classroom.

"Apart from the athletic part, we were very pleased with the cultural exchange," Walker said. "We have seen quite a bit that we didn't know about the Bahamas."

But on top of all of that, Walker said they couldn't ask for a better instructor than Pratt. "He's a gem. If you guys don't want him, we will take him," Walker said. "A man like that deserves a Mercedes Benz and a stadium named after him.

"He's a gem as a coach. The United States say thank you for the experience we got from him in the short time that we've been here. We only wish it was a little longer."

Kamani, who came in from Houston, Texas, said they couldn't ask for a better exposure for the athletes, two from New York State, two from Dallas and one from Boston, Charleston, South Carolina and Dayton, Ohio.

"They have learnt more from coach Pratt in three days that will be so immeasurable that it should last them a lifetime," Kamani said. "A lot of the fundamentals and tips that he gave them certainly filled our expectations of coming here."

Originally from Barbados, Kamari said the Bahamas is such a "beautiful place and the people have been so nice and friendly." She noted that she really enjoys just being away from the cold and enjoying the island experience again.

For Pratt, just the thought of coaching Americans at home was far beyond his wildest dream.

"I think it should tell us who believe that we are there that we are not developing as far as we should," he said. "The athletes that they have here are athletes they have identified for 2016.

"We haven't targeted 2012 yet. So this should be a wake up call for us, not just in track and field, but in all sports. If they are preparing for 2016, what are we preparing for? I'm glad to be a a part of that because that is where I would like to see the Bahamas go."

Saunders, a coach at CR Walker Secondary High who works directly with Pratt, said he didn't think that what he and Walker talked about would have come to fruition.

"When Cedric approached me about it, I thought it was a big joke," Saunders said. "But when I came here and he contacted me and we started talking with him, I was really thrilled so see it all happen."

Saunders said it's so sad that it takes the Americans to come in and show their appreciation for Pratt. But at the same time, he's hoping that everybody will benefit from the coaching clinic in the long run.

For four of the athletes, they couldn't ask for a better place to be than in the Bahamas.

Sprinter/jumper Jennifer Madu from Dallas, Texas, said the trip here has been something different.

"I like the fact that I had the opportunity to come here and learn from a coach like Mr Peter Pratt," she said. "We haven't done much because of the intense training, but it's been a great experience.

"I just want to get better with my technique. I'm pretty good with my speed and my run-up phrase, but I wanted to work on my technique in the air and being able to follow through in the pit."

Devin Field, also from Dallas, said Pratt pushed the idea of doing what "makes you comfortable, rather than you have to do this and you have to do that.

"I also like the way they train because they don't use as much weights. To replace the weights, they work on more aspects of the triple jump like the technique, speed and everything. I like how they broke everything down and you can see how it's done."

Molly Shapiro of New York said she definitely learnt a lot of new things that she didn't know before.

"Today, we were in the classroom and they broke down the three different phrases in how we are going to achieve our goals. It was very helpful," she said.

As for her impression of the Bahamas, Shapiro said it's certainly much "warmer" than in New York and she really enjoyed the "hospitality" of the Bahamian people.

Jumper Chris Brown, who also doubles up as a wide receiver in football, said he found a new way to train and he hopes to put the experience to good use.

"I need to run more on the beach and do less weights so I can develop more techniques," he stated. "The learning experience for me was a lot of fun."

Brown has already selected Notre Dame to continue his education in college where he has been recruited as the number one wide receiver in high school in the country.

"I'm going for football, but they say I can also do track, so this experience here will definitely help me in triple jump," Brown stated. "So I'm really excited about going back home and working on my technique."

Latario Collie-Minns, the triple jump gold medallist at the 7th IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, France, said it was a pleasure to work with the visiting group of athletes.

"It shows that because we have excelled further than they have in triple jump, they are not too ashamed to come to us and learn some of the things that have gotten us to the top," Collie-Minns said.

He noted that he and his twin brother Lathone, who was the bronze medallist at the championship, are working hard with Pratt because in addition to the IAAF World Junior Championship, they also have their sights set on the 2012 Olympic Games.

The 17-year-old jumping duo are in their senior year at Teleos Christian School.