USA track-and-field coaches Johnathan Terry and Shelton Gilyard are in Guyana at the behest of His Excellency Dr. Irfaan Ali, as the country looks to boost its output and results at the elite level by producing better athletes at the grass-root level.
The USA coaches’ initial programme sees them working for three days at the National Track and Field Center with coaches and budding athletes (aged 11-22).

The coaches say they are prepared to work for the next couple of years on a long-term basis as they seek to aid the locals in harnessing track and field talent.
The coaches are connected to the Matrix and Speed Capital clubs.

Coach Terry, who has coached USA’s Erriyon Knighton (4th place in the 200 final at the 2020 Olympics), said, “What we are looking to do is assess these kids by showing best practices and front side mechanics for their sprinting styles, we are looking to teach strategy, how they drill and run, so they can be efficient when they move on the track and find the next Olympian that would be representing this beautiful country Guyana.”

He says that education for the athletes is key in, “being able to correct the wrongs instantly and being able to show them what is it they need to do and how they need to do it.”
Terry says that track and field is an individual sport and so what athletes put in is what they will reap, so they [coaches] really want to impress on the athletes the need to have the right mindset at all times.

Coach Gilyard noted the locals have a unique opportunity to do well with the right ingredients, adding, “not every kid in the US access to a great facility like the one that we are in, so giving them tools to figure out how they can simulate the best practices with the resources they have is important.”

He said part of their thrust will be putting together recommendations, “to help facilitate that countrywide is something we are also hoping achieve.”
Gilyard is impressed with the attitude of the student athletes telling the media that, “They desire to win and from our initial impression, there is flexibility, there is explosion, you can see some of the prerequisites towards running really fast times depending on their age groups.”

The coaches say they will be sitting down with the national coaches who worked with the athletes on a full-time basis to collaborate on strategies and training cycles.
The program is part of a three-stage plan to work along with the Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG) and athletes in their grassroots program to aid the development of athletes.