Eagles Track Club set for September relaunch

Eagles Track Club will be relaunched in September, focusing on sprints and hurdles.

David Riley, head coach of the Eagles organisation, and head coach of Excelsior High School, launched the track club in 2012.

“The Eagles Track Club has been around for a while, and we literally started some work back in 2012 and thereabouts,” said Riley.

“It is just to provide an opportunity for those post-high school who want somewhere to train. It is mainly for my former athletes who return to Jamaica and need somewhere to train, and we just provide them with that opportunity,” he said.

Riley indicated that the club will be primarily based at Excelsior High School, but will also have access to other training facilities around the island.

PRIMARY BASE

“There are multiple places where we do various things, but the primary base will be at Excelsior, where there is sufficient facility to support something like that,” he said.

“We do have access to a technique lab where all the technology exists, and there are other tracks that we have access to as well,” Riley stated.
The coach pointed out that they have not decided on the athletes or management team that will be installed at the Mountain View-based club yet. However, he indicated that athletes and coaches who wish to join the organisation will have to apply.

“We have not made any such decisions and so what I have done is to communicate what my plans are for next season and we have not done any of that yet,” Riley said.
“I am not at the point to make a decision as to who is going to be there, and everybody will have to apply for me to decide and for the organiastion to decide who we are going to have in the club and what their roles are going to be, whether they are athletes or whether they are coaches or whatever, and so no such decisions have been made,” he said.

DEVELOPMENT

He also highlighted that the rebirth of the club forms part of his plans to aid the development of the country’s professional athletes.
“It is part of the journey. It is important. If you look at the long-term needs of our track and field and all means of our track and field programme and where we are at now with respect to the offering and the results that we have been getting so far, I think it is just the right time,” Riley underscored.
Riley remained tight-lipped when asked how the club will be funded.

“I am not revealing any of that information right now,” he said.