The coaching staff at SPIRE Academy’s track and field program, including Tim Mack, Kibwé Johnson and Kerron Stewart, recently offered their thoughts on the team’s progress, challenges and aspirations.

Kerron Stewart, Head Coach of Sprints, is optimistic about the team’s composition, noting the rapid learning curve of the predominantly young roster. She commended their commitment to working hard to achieve their goals and said, “They’re learning very quickly, and it’s very impressive how quickly they’ve been able to adjust and train in a new environment.” 

Looking to the future Stewart believes the team will have a strong presence at Nationals and is confident in their ability to compete. She explained, “I think we’re [going to] have a bigger team going to Nationals, and our presence will be felt. People are [going to] know that we’re there, and we are ready to compete and I think these kids are [going to] do something very special.” She also shared, “One of the things I am most proud of for the program is the transition that the kids [make] after they finish here. They move on to college, and the ultimate goal is for them to develop on and off the track academic wise and athletic wise.” With notable athletes in the program including Jenna-Marie Thomas, Kadia Rock, Jamario Russell, Yasmeen Roy and Peyton Wheeler, Stewart sees potential for the program to grow and continue producing top-tier athletes.

Tim Mack, the Program Development Director and Head Coach for Vertical and Horizontal Jumps echoed Stewart’s sentiments on the program’s trajectory. A top priority for him is keeping the athletes healthy. To ensure this he has adopted a “less is more” approach. With this methodology, he said, “I’m really fired up that they’re healthy. They’re ready to go and then also because they’re healthy and feeling good, they’re also ready to compete [and] they feel confident.”

He also explained SPIRE’s athletes have been making incredible gains, and they’re determined and ready to challenge themselves. He said, “We [have] a very talented group…They’ve been making a lot of progress.” He’s proud to report there’s been immense growth in the short time he’s been at the school and stated, “SPIRE is [the] way to greatness.”

Kibwé Johnson, Head Coach for Throws, also shared his confidence in the team’s potential, emphasizing that despite their being young they work hard and are mature for their age. Johnson is looking forward to being highly successful at the Indoor and Outdoor National Championship meets, and in the future, he wants to make SPIRE the number one high school track & field program in the country.

He explained that training will have a specific focus for the Indoor National Championship and the Outdoor National Champions. Johnson also expressed how the sport focuses more on achieving long-term goals rather than immediate victories, and said, “There are various disciplines within track and field but in terms of training for maximum performance, it’s a yearly training plan.”

Recognizing how important relationship-building is and the need for the athletes to bond, Johnson is looking forward to having more “out of sport” activities to bring the team together. He is glad The athletes and coaches were to enjoy a catered dinner before the holiday break and plans to continue having similar activities in the future.  

All three coaches believe that SPIRE’s track and field program has the potential to be among the best nationally and internationally. With a commitment to excellence in athletics and academics, SPIRE is the prime destination for aspiring athletes who want to achieve greatness.

SPIRE’s track and field program is poised to build upon last season’s success which saw some athletes from the program qualifying for and competing at the Carifta Games in Nassau, Bahamas. The school’s Kadia Rock and Ajani Daley performed well, and both athletes qualified for the semi-finals and achieved personal best running times at this well-known event, which is often considered an unofficial precursor to competing at the Olympics. With continued training, SPIRE’s track and field program is ready for a successful season.