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Francis leaving with MVP?
published: Sunday | September 14, 2008
Leighton Levy, Sunday Gleaner Writer
Francis
FOLLOWING THE shocking dislosure last week that MVP Club's coach, Stephen Francis, might relocate his club overseas, Anthony Davis, head of the department of sports at the University of Technology (UTech), where the club is based, is not yet in panic mode.
Francis intimated last Tuesday on Sports Grill, a sports talk show on Hitz92FM, that the increasing demand for his talents and a seemingly never-ending feud with members of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association were behind his motivation to relocate. Francis' athletes won more than half of Jamaica's record-breaking 11 medals - including three of six gold medals - at the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.
According to sources at UTech, early last season, Francis had said that he was considering leaving, in part to prevent his methods being 'stolen' by other coaches. Those sources said that members of the MVP coaching staff strongly believed that there were spies on the university campus who took information to other coaches and athletic programmes across the island.
worrying
But Davis told The Sunday Gleaner that he had yet to hear anything from either Stephen Francis or his brother, Paul, to suggest that their departure is imminent. Until either does, Davis said, he would prefer not to speculate on what the future might hold.
He said, however, that if what he reads in the media is true, it is worrying.
"Yes, there would be cause for concern," he said. "There is no organisation that really wants to lose someone who contributes significantly to that organisation, but these things do happen."
Davis revealed that there were no extraordinary contingencies in place to replace Francis should he decide to leave. "It's no different than any lecturer or administrative staff who, by virtue of their contract or terms of employment, can give you 30 days' notice if they decide to leave," Davis said.
Just about 10 years ago, Francis and UTech entered into an agreement wherein he was granted full access to the university's facilities and would coach the athletes in their track programme. A number of Francis' most successful athletes are students at the university.
Davis concedes that Francis' shoes would be hard to fill, but said the programme would survive. "We would have to make do the best we can," he said. "At different points in time, people choose to leave. We would just have to find the best replacement possible."
He said those athletes who were students would be free to leave with Francis if they chose to.
Should Stephen Francis choose to leave, one scenario, sources argue, could be that his brother Paul, a Level One coach and an assistant coach at MVP/UTech, would remain at the university to continue an athletic recruitment and coaching programme. That would effectively mean there would be two branches of MVP.
no ordinary coach
But Stephen Francis is no ordinary lecturer or coach. Since 1999, when he took on a struggling Brigette Foster and made her Jamaica's best-ever female sprint hurdler and also one of the best in the world, Francis has transformed a growing list of overlooked athletes into world champions.
The list includes former world record holder Asafa Powell, Olympic Gold medallists Melaine Walker and Shelly-Ann Fraser, as well as silver medallists Sherone Simpson and Shericka Williams. He is now one of the most-respected and sought-after coaches in the world. Following the success of the Jamaican team in Beijing, track-and-field authorities in Great Britain are mulling contracting his or Glen Mills' services to prepare their athletes for the 2012 Games in London.
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Francis is opposed to sharing his methods with other coaches in JA??? What would be the objection.. competition??
Would he not want to see non-MVP athletes improve??
If true this is hardly the approach of a self-proclaimed patriot.
published: Sunday | September 14, 2008
Leighton Levy, Sunday Gleaner Writer
Francis
FOLLOWING THE shocking dislosure last week that MVP Club's coach, Stephen Francis, might relocate his club overseas, Anthony Davis, head of the department of sports at the University of Technology (UTech), where the club is based, is not yet in panic mode.
Francis intimated last Tuesday on Sports Grill, a sports talk show on Hitz92FM, that the increasing demand for his talents and a seemingly never-ending feud with members of the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association were behind his motivation to relocate. Francis' athletes won more than half of Jamaica's record-breaking 11 medals - including three of six gold medals - at the recently concluded Beijing Olympics.
According to sources at UTech, early last season, Francis had said that he was considering leaving, in part to prevent his methods being 'stolen' by other coaches. Those sources said that members of the MVP coaching staff strongly believed that there were spies on the university campus who took information to other coaches and athletic programmes across the island.
worrying
But Davis told The Sunday Gleaner that he had yet to hear anything from either Stephen Francis or his brother, Paul, to suggest that their departure is imminent. Until either does, Davis said, he would prefer not to speculate on what the future might hold.
He said, however, that if what he reads in the media is true, it is worrying.
"Yes, there would be cause for concern," he said. "There is no organisation that really wants to lose someone who contributes significantly to that organisation, but these things do happen."
Davis revealed that there were no extraordinary contingencies in place to replace Francis should he decide to leave. "It's no different than any lecturer or administrative staff who, by virtue of their contract or terms of employment, can give you 30 days' notice if they decide to leave," Davis said.
Just about 10 years ago, Francis and UTech entered into an agreement wherein he was granted full access to the university's facilities and would coach the athletes in their track programme. A number of Francis' most successful athletes are students at the university.
Davis concedes that Francis' shoes would be hard to fill, but said the programme would survive. "We would have to make do the best we can," he said. "At different points in time, people choose to leave. We would just have to find the best replacement possible."
He said those athletes who were students would be free to leave with Francis if they chose to.
Should Stephen Francis choose to leave, one scenario, sources argue, could be that his brother Paul, a Level One coach and an assistant coach at MVP/UTech, would remain at the university to continue an athletic recruitment and coaching programme. That would effectively mean there would be two branches of MVP.
no ordinary coach
But Stephen Francis is no ordinary lecturer or coach. Since 1999, when he took on a struggling Brigette Foster and made her Jamaica's best-ever female sprint hurdler and also one of the best in the world, Francis has transformed a growing list of overlooked athletes into world champions.
The list includes former world record holder Asafa Powell, Olympic Gold medallists Melaine Walker and Shelly-Ann Fraser, as well as silver medallists Sherone Simpson and Shericka Williams. He is now one of the most-respected and sought-after coaches in the world. Following the success of the Jamaican team in Beijing, track-and-field authorities in Great Britain are mulling contracting his or Glen Mills' services to prepare their athletes for the 2012 Games in London.
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Francis is opposed to sharing his methods with other coaches in JA??? What would be the objection.. competition??
Would he not want to see non-MVP athletes improve??
If true this is hardly the approach of a self-proclaimed patriot.
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