Dear Editor,
Another great Champs, with spectacular performances and proud moments. But, for the true connoisseurs of schoolboy/ schoolgirl athletics, there was one disappointment. Missing was that time-honoured institution from the East -- the Sprint Factory: Camperdown High School.
The younger fans may not know, but Camperdown, particularly under the handling of master coach Glen Mills, used to reliably turn out from that hallowed ground the toast of sprinting at Boys' Champs year after year.
I am certainly no guru on Champs history, and must be careful not to stir controversy, but as I remember it, Don and Eddie Quarrie pioneered that fine heritage. This I understand began under the charge of an elderly little gentlemen whom I met and spoke with in the late 70s or early 80s, who was then living in Edgewater, and who as I remember had intimated that Eddie had been perhaps the naturally fastest of the Quarrie brothers.
Then came the hallowed Mills years, honing his skills with the "production" of a cadre of fine sprinters who were fabulous to watch, all in signature form, just tapping the Chevron to snatch individual races and especially relays from the then dominant KC and the emerging Calabar. Among them were the younger Quarrie brothers, Peter Hibbert, and of course Raymond Stewart.
So celebrated was the quality of that "machinery" that it is reported that when Ray Stewart went overseas on scholarship he was described by the coaches there as an already complete sprinter. His success as a schoolboy Olympian is a well-established part of our athletics history.
I am a Calabar old boy and, as aspiring athletes in 1974-75, we had opportunity to train at times on the Stadium track. Most of us did not really know Glen Mills at the time, but so revered was his work and reputation even then, that the sons of our own great Olympian and coach who introduced us to him would respectfully refer to Mr Mills as "coach".
This is thus an open appeal to Glen Mills that, despite what must be a near-packed professional coaching schedule, he etch out some time to again become involved in the athletics development programme to "refurbish" and restore that once-proud institution from the Orient. We the sentimental miss the Camperdown red and blue racers to again excite the throngs of crazy fans at the Stadium.
Home needs you, master coach Mills. Please find the time to go and "father" them again.
Donald Wray
docwraythinktankup@gmail.com
'Sprint Factory' missing from Champs
-->
Another great Champs, with spectacular performances and proud moments. But, for the true connoisseurs of schoolboy/ schoolgirl athletics, there was one disappointment. Missing was that time-honoured institution from the East -- the Sprint Factory: Camperdown High School.
The younger fans may not know, but Camperdown, particularly under the handling of master coach Glen Mills, used to reliably turn out from that hallowed ground the toast of sprinting at Boys' Champs year after year.
I am certainly no guru on Champs history, and must be careful not to stir controversy, but as I remember it, Don and Eddie Quarrie pioneered that fine heritage. This I understand began under the charge of an elderly little gentlemen whom I met and spoke with in the late 70s or early 80s, who was then living in Edgewater, and who as I remember had intimated that Eddie had been perhaps the naturally fastest of the Quarrie brothers.
Then came the hallowed Mills years, honing his skills with the "production" of a cadre of fine sprinters who were fabulous to watch, all in signature form, just tapping the Chevron to snatch individual races and especially relays from the then dominant KC and the emerging Calabar. Among them were the younger Quarrie brothers, Peter Hibbert, and of course Raymond Stewart.
So celebrated was the quality of that "machinery" that it is reported that when Ray Stewart went overseas on scholarship he was described by the coaches there as an already complete sprinter. His success as a schoolboy Olympian is a well-established part of our athletics history.
I am a Calabar old boy and, as aspiring athletes in 1974-75, we had opportunity to train at times on the Stadium track. Most of us did not really know Glen Mills at the time, but so revered was his work and reputation even then, that the sons of our own great Olympian and coach who introduced us to him would respectfully refer to Mr Mills as "coach".
This is thus an open appeal to Glen Mills that, despite what must be a near-packed professional coaching schedule, he etch out some time to again become involved in the athletics development programme to "refurbish" and restore that once-proud institution from the Orient. We the sentimental miss the Camperdown red and blue racers to again excite the throngs of crazy fans at the Stadium.
Home needs you, master coach Mills. Please find the time to go and "father" them again.
Donald Wray
docwraythinktankup@gmail.com
'Sprint Factory' missing from Champs
-->