It is, what I can only describe to you as my honour to be able to introduce you to an amazing young sportsman by the name of Hadley Pressley. Hadley is currently taking advice from Linford Christie (amongst other superb trainers!) at Brunel University, where he is working hard for his degree in Sport Science and Coaching.
Hadley is a Sprinter and already at the tender age of 19 a rather promising, almost ‘natural born’, Coach.
Check out Hadley’s Coaching Qualifications to-date:
• UKA Level One Athletics Coach (Studying for level two!)
• Sports Leader Certificate Level 2 Community Sports Leader
• Sports Coach UK Safeguarding and Protecting Children
• FA Online Learning Fitness in Football Level 1
• FA Online Learning Coaching Children
• FA Online Learning Planning, Preparing and Evaluating Coaching Sessions
• FA Online Learning Player and Match Analysis
• FA Online Learning Child Protection
• FA Online Learning Futsal Laws of the Game
• FA Online Learning Laws of the Game
• FA Online Learning Soccer Camp Coaches
I’m not sure if you’ll remember, but I did briefly mention in a previous article that Hadley and Stephanie Gaynor (another of the Mears Group’s protégées) ran a Coaching day at St.George’s School in Broadstairs. Stephanie kindly attended to help Hadley train the youngsters and to present some workshops of her own. The training day explored sprinting and coaching but also gave the children the opportunity to ask the Mears Future Champions questions about just what it’s like to be a real athlete. The day was a huge success and Hadley told me that Stephanie truly inspired some of the girls to start running on a more serious level.
We are fortunate that Hadley has kindly shared with us the coaching plan that he implemented with Stephanie – Take a look!
When I asked Hadley what impact the Mears Group had had upon his running career so far he responded with the following:
‘If I didn’t have Mears’ support then I can honestly say that I wouldn’t still be running…’
Whilst this is wonderful in so many ways, the sad truth is that many of our potential great athletes are forced to give up their hopes and dreams due to the lack of financial support available to them. Whilst the Mears Group are undoubtedly doing sterling work they simply cannot provide for every promising young athlete in the UK!
Anyway… Moving swiftly on (before I leap onto the soapbox I keep tucked under my desk for just this kind of occasion!)
Several times during my interview with Hadley he returned to the subject of Dwain Chambers.
Hadley on Dwain:
‘Dwain Chambers inspires me because he was a drug cheat and was banned, but after he completed his ban he carried on training and running. Dwain has made sure that he’s the best in England and one of the best in the world and hits to try and get his place back in the GB squad all the time. I feel this is the determination that every athlete needs to make it to the top of a sport, a will power to be the best through pure training and hard work, since coming back from his ban this is what Dwain has done…’
Hadley’s Results from 2010 and 2011:
2010
Kent Indoor Championships 2010 - 200m - 3rd - Bronze Medal
18th April 2010 - National Junior League Cambridge Harriers - 100m, 200m and 4x100m
8th May 2010 - Kent Championships - Under 20`s 200m
9th May 2010 - Kent Championships - Under 20`s 100m - 8th
23rd May 2010 - National Junior League Medway - 100m, 200, and 4x100m
27th June 2010 - National Junior League Dartford - 100m, Long Jump and 4x100m
4th July 2010 - East Kent Street Athletics Finals - 1st Under 20`s
2011
5th Feb 11 Windsor, Slough, Eton and Hounslow AC Winter Series Open Meet - 60m 5th
9th Feb 11 Inter Varsity Match Birmingham - 60m - 5th
Hadley’s Personal Info and Stats
Club - Invicta East Kent
Events - 60m, 100m and 200m
Personal Bests - 60m - 7.55 sec
100m - 11.50 sec
200m - 23.90 sec
2010 saw Hadley win the Thanet Schools Sports Sporting Achievement award and he was also nominated for sports personality of year award for Thanet!
Hadley won the Street Athletics East Kent finals for the third year running and made it to the national finals making that achievement three in a row. He made the semi finals of that competition for the second time and only missed out on a final spot by a whisker. Hadley came 8th in the 100m under 20`s Kent Championships final in May and took the bronze in the 200m Indoor Kent Championships in Feb. In 2011 he made the University squad at the Inter Varsity match at Birmingham arena.
Hadley currently trains with Harry King who is an Ex GB coach at Brunel. He uses the fantastic facilities at the University’s High Performance Indoor Centre and recent performances have seen him steadily improve his times.
Aaaaaand… this is how he does it!
Training
Hadley trains 6 days a week for around 3 hours a day.
Monday - Sand pit Training; circuits or weights
Tuesday - Track session; circuits and or weights
Wednesday - Track session; Technical running; Plyometrics; circuits and or weights
Thursday - Track session; circuits and or weights
Friday - Circuits
Saturday – Rest Day…Phew!!!
Sunday - Hill session; Track session; Plyometrics; weights and or circuits
(Gulp)
An Example of Hadley’s training week:
Monday - sandpit (high knee forwards and backwards, shuttle runs, jumps, on spot running, burpees, tuck jumps) and Circuits 3 sets 20 sec each exercise (press ups, sit ups, squats, burpees, high knees, push press, med ball drills.
Tuesday - 6x 200m and 5x 40m and circuits 3 set 20 reps each exercise (press ups, Squats, hamstring lifts, tuck jumps, triceps’ dips)
Wednesday - Hurdle drills, technical runs, plyo`s with med ball, driving out runs, circuits 2x press ups, med ball sit ups, rope jumps, split jumps, bicep curls, burpees, hamstring bridge, high knees, tuck jumps.
Thurday - 4 x 150m and same circuit session as Tuesday
Friday - 3x2 Cleans 65kg, 3x4 squats 90kg, med ball sit ups, hurdle drills, plyo jump box, 2x 60m stride runs
Saturday - REST
Sunday - Hill runs, Plyo jumps, deadlifts 3x4 80kg, cleans 3x4 60kg, bench press 4x8 60kg, hanging leg lifts 1x 6
Ouchy!
Dedication? I think so.
Hadley’s planned races for this year:
Kent Championships
14th and 15th May 2011
South of England Championships
June 18th and 19th 2011
Senior Men League Races
May 7th Wimbledon
June 4th Brighton
July 9th Horsham
July 30th Awaiting Details
August 13th Canterbury
Invicta East Kent Open Meets
June 21st 2011
May 17th 2011
April 19th 2011
July 16th 2011
August 16th 2011
Sept 20th 2011
We’d like to thank Hadley for taking the time out from his VERY hectic schedule to talk to us and for his generosity in sharing one of his coaching plans with us. We at mashsport HQ are hoping that he’ll join us in a coaching capacity on one of our Skills Camps in the very near future!
In addition to being a blindin’ sportsman, Hadley is in fact a very nice bloke. We like him, Mears like him and one day he’ll have the whole of Great Britain cheering him on to Gold.
Mears Thanet Branch
Louise Bennett - Mears Mentor
