Why do some of our best coaches help other countries?

This is why I love Mark Wetmore. Americans only.

USA should be #1 focus wrote:

I have always hated that Salazar has helped make Mo Farah a world beater. It also bothers me that our NCAA is a development ground for the rest of the World. Now I am told that one of the top marathon coaches in the US will be accepting a position overseas to help create a marathon program. Why do we insist on making everyone else better?

I've wondered this one as well, but to me the inclusion of Mo was for numerous reasons:

1) Salazar could then show Nike's mgmt. that the program is working, thus justifying the millions spent.

2) Senior mgmt. at Nike may have wanted the NOP to expand to include saving British running as well.

3) Mo has made Galen and Centro better runners.

4) Mo ticks all the feel good leftie PC boxes: Muslim, Black, Refugee, Poor, Married a solo mum, beats white guys.

Money it's part of your capitalist system.

That does nothing to explain Cam Levins.

Are you guys stuck in 1955??

USA should be #1 focus wrote:

I have always hated that Salazar has helped make Mo Farah a world beater. It also bothers me that our NCAA is a development ground for the rest of the World. Now I am told that one of the top marathon coaches in the US will be accepting a position overseas to help create a marathon program. Why do we insist on making everyone else better?

Yeah, why do they insist on working for people who pay them more? It's un-American!

Is it one of the Rio Olympic Coaches?

Salazar, Eyestone, Larsen, Schumacher, or Hanson.

Or one of the London Olympic Coaches?

God, Larsen, Li, Schumacher, or Hanson

Or one of the Beijing Olympic Coaches?

Mahon, Hudson, Hanson, Daniels, Sevene

Or are we going back to the dark ages?

Ok, serious response......

If any of you have actually talked to these guys, you would understand the passion for the sport that makes them so successful. Yes, money may be a small part, but that is not what inspires them and motivates them to do what they do. Getting the word out to as many as possible. Advancing the sport all

over the world. Giving something back. Perhaps even getting respect that they don't get at home. It's not so hard to understand. I don't get the ethnocentric view of those that look at this as unpatriotic. It's athletics/track and field....patriotism has nothing to do with it.

Yes but we got Remy

Ray,

I'm sure you know a lot of these people but HANSONS stated that they started their program back in the 90's to bring back US distance running.

A few years later Nike and Albero started the Oregon Project with the exact same purpose. It seems like they should stick to their original thoughts.

Because running is not one country vs. another. Like soccer the biggest competitions in the sport pit country vs. country but there is a lot of running to be done and money to be made in between.

exthrower wrote:

How about people born and raised in the US who compete for other countries in the Olympics...WTF....they seem like ungrateful traitors...

What about Lagat/Manzano/Chelimo etc. who bring home medals for the US. It works both ways.

Wetmore gets it wrote:

This is why I love Mark Wetmore. Americans only.

+1

Not really wrote:

exthrower wrote:

How about people born and raised in the US who compete for other countries in the Olympics...WTF....they seem like ungrateful traitors...

What about Lagat/Manzano/Chelimo etc. who bring home medals for the US. It works both ways.

But Lagat/Manzano/Chelimo actually live here.

Hardest Oly Team to make so why not compete for another country and get to go to the Oly.

Why do some of our best coaches help other countries?

Do you mean like Bela and Marta Karolyi (US Gymnastics - a tonne of medals).

Do you mean like Jurgen Grobler (British Rowing - a boatload of medals)

Do you mean like Vitaly Petrov (Pole vault Gold Olympic Gold 2016 Brazil)

Do you mean like Ato Boldon (Multiple NFL draft picks)

Do you mean like Petros Kyprianou (University of Georgia)

Do you mean like Edrick Floreal (University of Kentucky)

They aren't "our" coaches, and "we" don't insist on making everyone else better. Coaches are not on USATF's payroll, they don't receive taxpayer dollars, and they don't have to swear an oath of loyalty. Coaches are individuals with their own diverse motivations.

Some coaches might really want more than anything to see the U.S. win more distance medals. Some coaches might want to build a huge program in high school or a dynasty in college. But pretty much all coaches are motivated by the desire to help athletes achieve their dreams. And as the old hymn goes, "other hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as true and high as mine."

Frankly, I'd be ashamed of a coach who refused to work with foreigners....That is, if I bothered to attach my personal worth to what individuals I've never met are doing ;)

Wetmore gets it wrote:

This is why I love Mark Wetmore. Americans only.

Jim Bush at UCLA 1965-1984 had a similar policy. But these days, UCLA has quite a few foreigners. They seem to get a lot of Scandinavians.

Oregon has always had a foreigner here and there, but has never built their team on them, as was the case in the past at WSU, UTEP, Arkansas, and some other schools.

USA should be #1 focus wrote:

I have always hated that Salazar has helped make Mo Farah a world beater. It also bothers me that our NCAA is a development ground for the rest of the World. Now I am told that one of the top marathon coaches in the US will be accepting a position overseas to help create a marathon program. Why do we insist on making everyone else better?

How about Dan Pfaff? Coached 4 athletes in Rio, all foreigners.

How about OTC Elite? Founded to help Americans, but is now about half foreigners, including Niyonsaba. What's the deal with that?