Interview with Quick Striders coach Kwabene Brown

Quick Striders coach Kwabene Brown talks about preparing for Nike Outdoor Nationals and the rest of the outdoor season.

scrunners: How many times have you been to Nike Outdoor Nationals?
brown: I have attended Nike Outdoor since 2004, with the exception of 2007, when I was hospitalized.  But we did have several athletes compete that year as well.

scrunners: What do you see Quick Striders athletes achieving in this meet?
brown: Nike is always the biggest meet for the Quick Striders elite athletes.  They go into this meet each year with aspirations of coming home satisfied with their performances and possibly being crowned as national champions, and that goes for this year as well.

scrunners: How do you prepare your athletes for a national meet?
brown: In preparation for Nike Outdoor, our ahtletes begin to do more specific training for their events.  Training that will give them the best opportunity to obtain peak performances.  Not only physical, but mental training as well.  What I mean by mental training is that I talk to them and try to get them to have cmplete confidence in their training, understand what they have been working towards, and visualize their races before they take place. Have supreme confidence in themselves.

scrunners: How many athletes are you bringing to Greensboro?
brown: We are bringing five athletes: Lauren Ellis (400 and 200), Jorde Farmer (emerging elite 800), Briana Nelson (400), Sandi Morris (100H and pole vault), Jasmin Stowers (100H).

scrunners: What do you feel national meets do to the sport?
brown: National meets are great for the sport.  It allows athletes the opportunity to compete against the best and to truly see where they stand among the best.  It also allows the fans an opportunity to see the top track and field athletes competing on one stage.

scrunners: What did you think of the Myrtle Beach location for USATF state Junior Olympics?
brown: The Myrtle Beach site for the USATF JO S.C. Association Meet was great.  I was trully impressed with the facilities.

scrunners: Following Nike Outdoors, how many more meets will you travel to this summer?
brown: We have the USATF Region III meet from July 9-11 and USATF Junior Olympic Nationals from July 28-Aug. 2.