http://www.trinidadexpress.com/sports/Sprint_great_Greene_coaches_in_Morvant-130328603.html
Sprint great Greene coaches in Morvant
...teams up with 'Torpedo' ThompsonBy Kwame Laurence kwame.laurence@trinidadexpress.com
Story Created: Sep 22, 2011 ECT
American sprint great Maurice Greene will team up with Trinidad and Tobago's double Olympic silver medallist Richard "Torpedo" Thompson for a coaching clinic at the Morvant Recreation Ground, tomorrow. Starting time is nine a.m. One hundred children from five primary schools in the Morvant/Laventille area are expected to attend.
National Petroleum (NP) is sponsoring the clinic, while Greene's participation is being facilitated by the "Torpedo" Thompson Management Team.
"The motivation behind the clinic," Thompson told the Express, "is to encourage and inspire a lot of the young talent that we usually see go to waste in Trinidad and Tobago. It paints an entirely different picture to a young person when he can interact with the guy that he sees on TV and calls his hero. Sometimes they feel that those at the top got there without any struggles, but when we are able to explain to them that we are regular people just like them and came from similar situations, it gives them a sign of hope that they can achieve the same and better."
Greene is the 2000 Olympic Games 100m gold medallist. He is also a three-time world champion in the century, a former world record holder in that event (9.79 seconds), and the 1999 World Championship 200m gold medallist.
"I am good friends with Maurice as we both have the same manager (Emanuel Hudson). I told him that NP and I would be having a clinic and I would really appreciate it if he could make it. He said no problem at all. Maurice accomplished everything in his time, from world records to Olympic gold medals, and he really had to work his way through rough times to the top, so I just think his story would be truly inspiring for the athletes.
"I knew what it meant to me," Thompson continued, "to see the local stars come into Newtown Boys' RC and QRC, but I never got a chance to hear from, see or interact with the international stars, so I wanted to give these young athletes an experience that I never had. This will be an annual clinic and I will bring a different international star every year.
"I understand that people like (Keston) Bledman and I will not be around forever, so the youngsters are the ones who will have to take over when we leave. These clinics will be a way to teach them stretches, drills, running techniques, starts, and to speak to them about the mental aspect of the sport. It will give them a better understanding of what it takes to be a professional like us some day."
Next Monday and Tuesday, Thompson will visit schools in east Port of Spain and Morvant/Laventille. He will be accompanied by Greene on Monday. On Tuesday, the retired sprinter returns to the United States.
"My local sponsors, NP, and I are sticking to our theme of 'Fueling the Future' of Trinidad and Tobago, so apart from the clinic," Thompson explained, "we will go into a few schools and give some motivational talks."
And on Wednesday, the "Torpedo" will be at the Hyatt Regency, in Port of Spain, speaking to a group of fifth and sixth formers at an American Chamber of Commerce of Trinidad and Tobago (AmCham) conference and exhibition.
