MSN_072016

34 | July 20, 2016 | Malibu surfside news Sports
malibusurfsidenews.com
Budding track stars learn sport’s events
Alex Vejar, Assistant Editor
A small group of Malibu
children learned the ins
and outs of track and field
events at a City of Malibu
camp last week at Malibu
High School.
The four-day camp consisted
of the participants
learning the proper way to
run, long jump, high jump,
hurdle and even throw a
javelin. On the last day of
the camp, the children competed
in a miniature track
meet.
On Wednesday, July 13,
the camp focused on high
jump and hurdles fundamentals.
MHS pole vault
coach Tim Ward, along
with his daughter Madeleine,
led the group through
various drills designed to
teach proper form for both
events.
While Ward said the
events they teach change
every year depending on
what the children want
to learn, every day of the
camp focuses on proper
running techniques regardless
of what sport they like.
“Whatever sport you’re
into — whether it’s soccer,
football, tennis — the
biomechanics of how you
run are still relevant,” Ward
said. “We also try to teach
kids [that] once you learn
the correct biomechanics,
then you can manipulate
those biomechanics to
learn how to run faster or
quicker depending upon
your sport.”
In addition to teaching
people how to run the right
way, Ward said he track
and field camp also functions
as a means to get the
sport more recognition and
popularity.
“It’s just to give everybody
a full understanding...
[to] gain their interest in
track and field so they continue
doing it,” Ward said.
Sophia Chaisson flies over the elastic high jump bar on the third day of the City of Malibu track and field camp on
Wednesday, July 13, at Malibu High School. Photos by Alex Vejar/22nd Century Media
Sierra Brady clears a short hurdle at the track and field
camp.
London Brown jumps over obstacles during a hurdles
drill.
Savannah Gray attempts to clear the elastic high jump
bar.