We hear from the girl who has led Jeremiah Azu to worldwide dash success concerning the joys and challenges of being a mentor
Helen James has been a coach at Cardiff AAC for over three a long time, most not too long ago guiding Jeremiah Azu – an athlete she’s coached since he was 16 – to World and European Indoor 60m gold. A former Welsh 60m champion and nationwide age-group record-holder herself, James began operating at major college and continued all through her college years. Her mother and father emigrated to New Zealand when she was 12, returning to the UK two years later, and through that point she gained the Auckland Colleges 100m title. Significantly robust indoors, she has a 60m private finest of seven.8 which got here at RAF St Athan within the early Nineteen Seventies.
How did you get into teaching?
I obtained into teaching by my kids [two daughters]. They each competed at school and so they did very well, so I took them down to hitch Cardiff. I knew fairly a number of individuals down there from once I ran a few years in the past and my love of athletics quickly got here again.
I began off as a workforce supervisor and I used to be thrown in on the deep finish once I needed to organise two buses to journey to a contest with just some days’ discover [because there was nobody else to do it]. I used to be dreading it as a result of I assumed: “Can I really do that?”, however we did, and we did very well. After that somebody urged that I ought to become involved in teaching and I’ve been doing that ever since.
Once I began teaching I used to be juggling work and household so it was actually full on. Now that I’m retired it’s just a little bit simpler.
The coaches in Cardiff labored collectively. Again then there was fairly an enormous group of us, so one coach would write the coaching plans and the remainder of us would help. I bear in mind one gentleman saying to me: “Why are you so quiet? You had been an athlete as soon as, you realize what they’re meant to be doing, so communicate up,” and that was a turning level. Not lengthy after that the group cut up up and all of us ended up with our personal athletes. I feel these phrases simply stayed in my head and I assumed: “I can do that”.
Who has been your best teaching affect?
I’ve identified and realized from many coaches through the years. James Hillier [former British Athletics High Performance Coach – Sprints and Hurdles, now Head Coach at the Reliance Odisha Athletics High Performance Centre in India] was one among them, in addition to Adrian Thomas who coached my son-in-law Rhys Williams [Team GB Olympian who won the European 400m hurdles title in 2012]. I additionally realized lots from the late Dave Williams in Cardiff a few years in the past.
Adrian and I really mixed our teams for a short while and we’d get collectively for hill sprints on the Merthyr Mawr sand dunes close to Bridgend. The athletes have a love-hate relationship with Merthyr Mawr. They love going there, they only don’t like how they really feel after it.
I identical to to look at the completely different periods that coaches are main, and if I feel, “I like that one”, then I’ll combine it with my very own concepts.
How would you describe your teaching model?
I feel that I’m fairly pleasant and approachable, however I would like all my athletes to win. I do know that sounds a bit mad, however I coach them to win.
Everybody’s “profitable” and everybody’s success is completely different; for some athletes that may be a private finest, for others it may be county choice or worldwide choice. Everybody has a distinct stage of feat and, in the event that they work exhausting, that needs to be celebrated. I identical to to see the children do the most effective they’ll.
It’s not simply concerning the exhausting work and coaching although, it’s additionally concerning the social facet and making buddies – the camaraderie of getting on a bus collectively to go to a contest and hanging round collectively for the day. It’s presupposed to be enjoyable!
What would you say are the traits of a superb coach?
Understanding your athletes and having a superb relationship with them is de facto vital. Your athletes have to know what to anticipate from you and to have the arrogance to ask you something. For instance, in the event that they’ve obtained issues, they need to know you can assist kind them out. I prefer to be seen as somebody who cares concerning the athlete first.
You coach a big group of athletes. How do you handle that?
With issue! I’m not the one coach within the group, although. I’ve different coaches who work with me and so they’re all very educated, so all of us have an enter, particularly supervising the coaching periods. There are some days after we’ll run about 5 completely different coaching periods in a single group, so that may be tough, however we work very well collectively. I largely coach within the night, however I’m fortunate sufficient to be retired now so I can coach within the morning, too.
I feel you’ve obtained to attempt to discuss to all people, to concentrate to all people. We deal with our athletes like household as a result of we spend various time with them and we’re concerned with what they’re doing exterior of athletics in addition to on the monitor. Additionally, if I’ve obtained youngsters operating within the Nationwide Athletics League (NAL) I’ll all the time go to help, if I can.
I don’t suppose I’ve ever missed a championship with Jez [Azu] through the years. I had by no means imagined going to China [to the World Athletics Indoor Championships], however I wouldn’t have missed it for something.
Jeremiah is a superb instance of an athlete you’ve coached for the reason that very begin of his profession. What does it really feel like to find younger expertise?
With Jez, it initially took me lots to steer him to come back to the membership, however I’m so glad I persevered. I’ve one other very younger athlete now. He’s been with me a few yr and he’s excellent, he’s been profitable every thing. Initially it was his brother who came to visit to me, and I wouldn’t usually take the youthful athletes – a minimum of not as younger as he was – however as a result of they got here as a package deal I did.
Discovering expertise is thrilling for a coach. The younger athlete I’ve now has quite a lot of rising to do, but it surely was the identical with Jez. He got here in as a 16-year-old who hadn’t actually run earlier than, besides for varsity competitions.
To observe him develop through the years, and there are different athletes who’ve been with me a very long time too, so to look at them grow to be actually good athletes and actually good human beings is particular.
It’s not all the time straightforward, although. When Jez made the choice to maneuver to Marco [coach Marco Airale in Italy in 2022] I used to be clearly upset, I gained’t deny that, however I used to be anticipating it. I understood why he needed to go as a result of really, at that age, youngsters need to strive various things and comply with their desires. My kids each went travelling – and also you carry your youngsters as much as fly the nest, don’t you? I simply wished him all the most effective and there have been no exhausting emotions.
When he got here again he got here right down to see us and he ultimately began to hitch again within the odd session. It was a simple transition, there have been no points. He simply slotted again into coaching like he did earlier than he left. It was like he’d by no means been away.
What’s the most effective piece of recommendation you’d give to a brand new or aspiring coach?
Work with different coaches first and learn to coach and methods to deal with individuals. Deal with everybody the way in which they should be handled. Additionally, once you’re teaching, all people has their very own objectives and desires. It’s vital that you simply encourage your athletes to comply with their desires, however most significantly, to get pleasure from what they’re doing!
