Hawthorne aiming to make big impact at Dinthill

DANNY Hawthorne has returned to his alma mater Dinthill Technical High School to steer the track and field programme.

The veteran coach who has coached at St Mary High, St Jago High and Wolmer's Boys in the past says he wants to change the culture at Dinthill.

"I am back at the institution where I had my high school education and I want to change the culture here. Dinthill is known for doing well in football but now I want the school to do well in track and field and in other sports as well," said Hawthorne who kept goal in the daCosta Cup football competition in the early 1980s where he was also an All-daCosta Cup representative.

Last Saturday, Hawthorne had his first assignment at the competitive level with his new team at the Douglas Forrest Invitational meet at GC Foster College and he was pleased with the results, especially that of Guyanese 800 metres runner Sean Booker who is one of five athletes from other Caribbean countries at Dinthill. They arrived at the start of the academic year. Booker had the top time on the day in the 800m where he clocked one minute 56.84 seconds to win the Class One event. His time placed him ahead of Kingston College's Jaquan Coke 1:57-40 and Foga Road's Franklyn Tayloe, 1:57.61. "The plan was for him to run 1:57 but he ran faster. This is good as he is in a new environment and this augers well for him going into the season," said Hawthorne.

Hawthorne, who is an IAAF Level 3 and senior lecturer at GC Foster College, has produced national representatives Nicole Mitchell and Percival Spencer at St Mary High and Nickeal Ashmeade, Riker Hylton and Yohan Blake at St Jago and is optimistic that Dinthill can make a big impact in track and field.

"Dinthill has produced outstanding athletes like Elva Goulbourne, Fredricka Wright, Carleta McNab and Marlene Lewin in the past and can do so once again.

"When I started training I had nearly 80 athletes but the numbers have gone down because some athletes do not want to do the hard work as they are afraid of challenges but I am doing my best to change this,"Hawthorne said.

He also has concerns with a lack of equipment.

"The school has limited equipment but I have brought in most of mine to assist as I have no problem giving back to my alma mater," he said.

Hawthorne is confident that with the support of Principal Anthony Garwood things will get better.

"Principal Garwood is doing his best so far to give as much support as he can with the programme and I am very confident that things will turn out well in the future," Hawthorne said.