Uncle Jimbo's Editorial Variety is the Spice of Life  One sure way of keeping talented junior athletes in the sport of track & field is having plenty of variety in training. Variety can occur during all stages of training. Vary the warm-up occasionally, mix up drills and run thrus in regards the drills themselves and also play with the distances and intensity. Do activities occasionally that are random and enjoyable. The big one however is the program itself. Too many coaches fall into the trap of creating a solid program and running with it for years. As the coach I find myself thinking if it was me having to do all that work, wouldn't it be a bit more enjoyable if it was filled with variety and flexibility. I am always making adjustments to my program year after year and my athletes greatly appreciate it. The second point, flexibility, is also very important for coaches who think they know their craft pretty well. Listen to your athletes and make changes when you know the athlete is not going to compromise the session buy changing a few variables. Too many times I see athletes dragging their bums on the ground trying to finish a session that is a bit beyond them. At the same time it is good to stress the athletes but not to the point when technique and confidence are lost. My last point is in regards training groups being more transparent. If coaches came together more often and ran shared sessions, athletes would get the opportunity to run with a greater variety of talent and the coaches would increase their own experience and knowledge. Maybe I am a dreamer, but if we are to lift the profile of the sport and more specifically distance running in this country, we have to work together. After 16 years as professional coach I remain optimistic.  "Prepare the body, sharpen the mind, be in the moment, enjoy the ride. In modesty we share success, humility brings out our best." Thanks again JIMBO If you have any information your would like to share with the track & field community do not hesitate to email Jimbo at jpf369@bigpond.net.au .