Is Behind Bars Where You Really Want To Be The Fastest Man?
November 9, 2009
I recently read a story On Tim Montgomery former 100m record holder and immediately felt compelled to explain the story to Lauren. Our sport is a beautiful exhibition of talent raw speed and guts.Unfortunately people like Tim and other have cause efforts of Track and Field athletes to be questioned both Elite all the way down to our youth even 8, 9 ,10,11 year old boys and girls who are astoundingly fast have been wrongfully accused of illegal performance enhancement drug use or tactics of near abuse in the name of a medal. Never founded, these horrible accusation by uneduacated “haters” only hurt our sport and the children in it even more. Okay I’ll say it “Hating Parents”, with uninformed opinions about speed and speed aquisition science and the limits of training.
I have heard from one parent that after her child recieved her gold medal and left the podium . The Silver medalist mom asked the Gold medalist mom what kind of *&*it are you giving her? This is a sad commentary on a number of levels but first and foremost why would her brain jump there?? Could that be the only explanation? She was only 11 years old.
I will tell you why..Some people just don’t want to believe speed can be real, unenhanced based on all the reports we hear on cheating. The reason I love Youth Track I truly believe that these kids 8,9 10 and up are completely drug free and the amazing performances remind me of the power of the human body trained well and nurtured to be the best they can be.
Read on the excerpt from the ESPN Article written by Mike Fish titled :
The Fastest Man In The Prison Yard
“Banned from his sport in 2005 after the BALCO fallout, Montgomery didn’t play nice and try to rehabilitate his public image. He didn’t do “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” for example, as Jones did when she was released from prison. Quite the opposite. Montgomery turned to the streets and a fast, hustler’s life, amassing a rap sheet that makes using performance-enhancing drugs look like choirboy stuff.
First, in April 2007, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy in a multimillion-dollar bank fraud and money laundering scheme. He was accused of depositing three bogus checks totaling $775,000, for which he earned a comparatively modest $20,000. Then, as he awaited sentencing on those charges, he was arrested and later pleaded guilty to dealing more than 100 grams of heroin in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia.
As the conversation shifts to what brought him to this prison camp, Montgomery lowers his head.
“All hell broke loose after the [world] record,” he says. “I wasn’t able to really capitalize. The next year, 2003, I got subpoenaed to the grand jury for BALCO.”
On the heels of his 9.78 time in the 100 meters, clocked in Paris seven years ago this week, Montgomery upped the price of his competitive appearances from $25,000 to $60,000 a race; and his Nike endorsement deal spiked to $575,000 a year, he says. But when his name became linked to the BALCO drug scandal and his suspension from track and field kicked in, he says the money flow dried up.” Read the entire article here
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- “FAST Track” Highlights
- 2008 adidas Classic Track Meet And L.A.’s Fastest 8 Year Old
- “Fastest” Sub -Bantam Boy AAU National Champion Jalen Nailor
- What is Punshiment For Such A Crime?
Great post. Just a reminder that life is all about choices. Some are better than others, of course.
At the end of the day, you are only as good as the friends you have, and the books you read.
I am a track coach for a team in Fort Worth and we are often accused of cheating because we have so many fast kids in age divisions from primary to young men and women but in the end of the day we know we are not cheating. We as coaches always discuss the point of cheating because we never see the point. Why would someone cheat in a YOUTH TRACK EVENT but not make any money? I know teams who cheat in other ways besides drugs by putting older kids in younger age divisons but we don’t complain we encourage our kids to beat them.
Good post and hopefully we will get to see you in nationals and maybe we will see the two bantam girls with the fastest 100 meter dash times compete this year!
God Bless,
Brandon Hodge
Hello Coach! Thanks for stopping by Trackmom.com Sounds like you share my sentiments exactly Why?? I don’t really think the cheating is of a drug nature at this level I think they are just nasty accusations from unhappy parents or coaches or both, but as you mentioned an age group issue which is very unfortunate and I have eyewitnessed a couple of times. I agree with you just press in harder and win!
I think? Not sure but I think the top Bantam girls were at the USATF this past season. My daughter has moved up this season and is now a Midget. I love the bottom year it really shows the kids development and help them stay hungry for more.Once Lauren as a lower Bantam took 4th and I think to this day that was one of my favorite races of her’s.She was so determined and almost medaled.(Phoenix Invitational) I love the hunt I love the wins and I appreciate the loses as well.
I am talking about Ariah Mack. A lot of people do not believe her 100 time because when the regional meet was held she had swine flu and ran a horrible time and when she got to nationals she had a similar injury that your daughter had.( BTW your daughter is amazing to watch, I watched her warm-up and I was astounded).
I also love their bottom year but I love AAu’s sub divisions. I think that those sub-divisons really help their confidence because they are able to get the recogniton they deserve. One of my athletes Ke’Oundria Hobson was always scared when she ran against the “big” midgets, like the AAU 100 and 200 meter dash champion and runner-up who were both in our region, but when she saw that she was running against girls her age it was a wrap.
Hopefully we will see you next year and maybe we can take a trip to California or you can come to Texas so that we can give our girls something to work for
Hi Coach Hodge,
Thank -you for the kind complement about Lauren.She works hard and really understands how that helps her inthe big picture.
I too really enjoy the evenness of the AAU division break down.I tell you Texas has some amazing athletes and I love watching them all.
My husband is always amazed when I know their names and stats. Texas would be a nice track trip to take.Not sure about AAU but time will tell. I Ariah Mack a sub midget this season too so maybe they will meet at some point : - )
Track and Field is a journey for sure….. growing bodies, injuries physical and mental, and everything in between. Stats change daily and so do the athletes who own the top. It can be nerve racking to experience, don’t know how the Elite Track Moms do it. If I am blessed maybe one day I will.
Next year is almost here..See Ya!
Hey Jimson you are right…I need to read more : - ) I have some great friends like you.. I might just be alright.