I have particularly interested in the reaction to the poor performance of American players at the Australian Open. The hue and cry is similar to what I have seen in other sports over the years as other countries caught up to us. Success in sports is not the exclusive domain of the United States. Many other countries are taking a much more systematic approach to the Long Term Athletic Development p [...]

Harrisonburg, VA- Nothing much to report here. As I mentioned in the previous entry I wanted Smoot to do a second round on some of the tests so I could get a better idea of what he was capable of. If logistically possible, I like to do quite a few tests, sometimes even repeating the same tests, so I am able to get both accurate and reliable test results that reflect what the athlete's capabilitie [...]

Harrisonburg, VA- I was in Harrisonburg to teach at the Level 2 & 3USATF Coaches Education schools and it occured to me that Smoot livedrelatively close. I asked him to come down to James Madison Universitywhere the school was being held so that we could do some pre-testingbefore he visited Baton Rouge. With all of my clients, I like to dosome pre-testing to determine their strengths and weaknesse [...]