Glen Mills
Encyclopedia
Glen Mills C.D
is a sprinting
athletics coach from Jamaica
. He was the head coach of the Jamaican Olympic athletics team between 1987 and 2009. He is currently head coach of the Racers Track Club which includes world and Olympic record holder Usain Bolt
and the 100 metre World Champion Yohan Blake
. Other athletes that he has coached in the past include Kim Collins
, Dwain Chambers
and Ray Stewart
.
team at age 13. After his first year he was dissatisfied with his performances and gave up on the idea of becoming a professional sprinter. Despite this setback Mills was still enamoured with athletics and frequently attended the practice meetings to watch the others run. The high school coach
, Henry McDonald Messam, noticed his interest and reluctance to participate and so assigned him various tasks and chores to keep him busy. Two years after, Mills had learnt well from the head coach and was given the job of coaching a class of younger track and field
athletes. He retained the job after graduation, progressing to form an official part of the Clamperdown High School coaching staff. The arrival of a new head of the sports department threatened Mills coaching opportunities and he was sacked in favour of a more experienced coach. The move backfired as many of the school's better athletes chose to stand by Mills, training with him at his new, unofficial training ground. Mills was quickly reinstated at the school and went on to train many successful sprinters, including Olympic
silver medallist Raymond Stewart
.
By the early 1970s Mills had trained a significant number of male sprinters in the national junior team. The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association
(JAAA) called on him to work on the team, for the CARIFTA Games
. Following this appointment Mills became a prominent coach in the Jamaican athletics scene. He continued to work on his coaching style and earned a diploma from the International Olympic Committee
training centre in Mexico
and a qualification in High-Level Sprint Tech training at the IAAF Training Centre in Puerto Rico
. During his time as a coach in Jamaica he has worked with a number of Caribbean athletes including Yohan Blake
, Aleen Bailey
, Xavier Brown, Leroy Reid and Kim Collins
. In addition, Mills also coached British sprinter Dwain Chambers
when his athletics ban expired.
shortly after the Athens Olympics
and he became the sprinter's coach in late 2004. Bolt was initially a 200 metres
specialist but Mills suggested that his young charge should improve his stamina to run over 400 metres
. Bolt was more keen on running the 100 metres
instead and Mills promised him that he could run in the event on the condition that he beat the 200 metres National Record first. At the 2007 Jamaican Championships in June, Bolt broke Donald Quarrie's 36-year-old record by 0.11 seconds, running 19.75 seconds. Mills agreed to Bolt's demands and let him run the 100 m event. The acceptance of the request paid dividends for both sprinter and coach as Mills was impressed with Bolt's new drive and focus in training. By the end of 2007 Mills was pleased with Bolt's performances and the coaching had improved his technique, particularly with a more efficient stride frequency and better balancing. In a trade-off the two agreed to a two part training programme in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Mills would help Bolt work on his speed for the 100 m initially then turn his focus to the stamina needed for the 200 m. The programme paid off as Bolt set three world records and took gold in both 100 m and 200 m events in Beijing
. Bolt praised Mills, saying it was his coaching which made him improve, not only as an athlete, but also as a person. Despite Bolt's unprecedented achievements in Beijing, Mills still felt he could improve if his stride frequency was further reduced and his technique perfected.
Mills stepped down as the Olympic Jamaican athletics coach in late 2009, having overseen athletes to 71 world championship and 33 Olympic medals in his 22 years in the role. He said other prominent coaches deserved a chance at undertaking the position and decided he wanted to focus more on his Racers Track Club team.
Order of distinction
The Order of Distinction in Jamaica is the fifth in order of precedence of the Orders of Societies of Honour, which were instituted by an Act of Parliament – The National Honours and Awards Act.The Motto of the Order is "Distinction Through Service"....
is a sprinting
Sprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
athletics coach from Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
. He was the head coach of the Jamaican Olympic athletics team between 1987 and 2009. He is currently head coach of the Racers Track Club which includes world and Olympic record holder Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
and the 100 metre World Champion Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake is a Jamaican sprinter and the current 100 metre World Champion. He holds the national junior record for the 100 metres, and tied Seun Ogunkoya as the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier...
. Other athletes that he has coached in the past include Kim Collins
Kim Collins
Kim Collins is a track and field sprinter from the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 2003, he became the World Champion in the 100 m. He represented his country at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, from 1996 to 2008, and was the country's first athlete to ever reach an event...
, Dwain Chambers
Dwain Chambers
Dwain Anthony Chambers is an English sprinter of Afro-Caribbean descent. He has won medals on the international stage numerous times and is one of the fastest European sprinters in the history of recorded athletics. His primary event is the 100 metres sprint, in which he has the second...
and Ray Stewart
Ray Stewart (athlete)
Raymond Douglas Stewart is a former Jamaican athlete who specialised in the 100 metres event. As a junior athlete Stewart found much success at the CARIFTA Games, winning five gold medals within a four year period. In 1984 he reached the 100 m Olympic final and won an Olympic silver medal...
.
Early years
Mills enjoyed athletics from an early age and, after moving to Camperdown High School, promptly joined the sprintingSprint (race)
Sprints are short running events in athletics and track and field. Races over short distances are among the oldest running competitions. The first 13 editions of the Ancient Olympic Games featured only one event—the stadion race, which was a race from one end of the stadium to the other...
team at age 13. After his first year he was dissatisfied with his performances and gave up on the idea of becoming a professional sprinter. Despite this setback Mills was still enamoured with athletics and frequently attended the practice meetings to watch the others run. The high school coach
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
, Henry McDonald Messam, noticed his interest and reluctance to participate and so assigned him various tasks and chores to keep him busy. Two years after, Mills had learnt well from the head coach and was given the job of coaching a class of younger track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athletes. He retained the job after graduation, progressing to form an official part of the Clamperdown High School coaching staff. The arrival of a new head of the sports department threatened Mills coaching opportunities and he was sacked in favour of a more experienced coach. The move backfired as many of the school's better athletes chose to stand by Mills, training with him at his new, unofficial training ground. Mills was quickly reinstated at the school and went on to train many successful sprinters, including Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
silver medallist Raymond Stewart
Ray Stewart (athlete)
Raymond Douglas Stewart is a former Jamaican athlete who specialised in the 100 metres event. As a junior athlete Stewart found much success at the CARIFTA Games, winning five gold medals within a four year period. In 1984 he reached the 100 m Olympic final and won an Olympic silver medal...
.
By the early 1970s Mills had trained a significant number of male sprinters in the national junior team. The Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association
Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association
- Jamaica Administrative Athletic Association :The Jamaica Administrative Athletic Association is an amateur athletics association based in Kingston, Jamaica. The current president of the association is Howard Aris....
(JAAA) called on him to work on the team, for the CARIFTA Games
CARIFTA Games
For the CARIFTA swimming meet, please see: CARIFTA Swimming Championships.The CARIFTA Games is an annual athletics competition founded by the Caribbean Free Trade Association . The games was first held in 1972 and consists of track and field events including sprint races, hurdles,...
. Following this appointment Mills became a prominent coach in the Jamaican athletics scene. He continued to work on his coaching style and earned a diploma from the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
training centre in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and a qualification in High-Level Sprint Tech training at the IAAF Training Centre in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. During his time as a coach in Jamaica he has worked with a number of Caribbean athletes including Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake
Yohan Blake is a Jamaican sprinter and the current 100 metre World Champion. He holds the national junior record for the 100 metres, and tied Seun Ogunkoya as the youngest sprinter to have broken the 10-second barrier...
, Aleen Bailey
Aleen Bailey
Aleen Bailey is a track and field sprint specialist, competing internationally for Jamaica. She competed in the 2004 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal as a member of the 4 x 100 m relay team...
, Xavier Brown, Leroy Reid and Kim Collins
Kim Collins
Kim Collins is a track and field sprinter from the Caribbean nation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 2003, he became the World Champion in the 100 m. He represented his country at the Summer Olympics on four occasions, from 1996 to 2008, and was the country's first athlete to ever reach an event...
. In addition, Mills also coached British sprinter Dwain Chambers
Dwain Chambers
Dwain Anthony Chambers is an English sprinter of Afro-Caribbean descent. He has won medals on the international stage numerous times and is one of the fastest European sprinters in the history of recorded athletics. His primary event is the 100 metres sprint, in which he has the second...
when his athletics ban expired.
Training Bolt
Mills was approached by Usain BoltUsain Bolt
The Honourable Usain St. Leo Bolt, OJ, C.D. , is a Jamaican sprinter and a five-time World and three-time Olympic gold medalist. He is the world record and Olympic record holder in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the 4×100 metres relay...
shortly after the Athens Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
and he became the sprinter's coach in late 2004. Bolt was initially a 200 metres
200 metres
A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...
specialist but Mills suggested that his young charge should improve his stamina to run over 400 metres
400 metres
The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...
. Bolt was more keen on running the 100 metres
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...
instead and Mills promised him that he could run in the event on the condition that he beat the 200 metres National Record first. At the 2007 Jamaican Championships in June, Bolt broke Donald Quarrie's 36-year-old record by 0.11 seconds, running 19.75 seconds. Mills agreed to Bolt's demands and let him run the 100 m event. The acceptance of the request paid dividends for both sprinter and coach as Mills was impressed with Bolt's new drive and focus in training. By the end of 2007 Mills was pleased with Bolt's performances and the coaching had improved his technique, particularly with a more efficient stride frequency and better balancing. In a trade-off the two agreed to a two part training programme in preparation for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Mills would help Bolt work on his speed for the 100 m initially then turn his focus to the stamina needed for the 200 m. The programme paid off as Bolt set three world records and took gold in both 100 m and 200 m events in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
. Bolt praised Mills, saying it was his coaching which made him improve, not only as an athlete, but also as a person. Despite Bolt's unprecedented achievements in Beijing, Mills still felt he could improve if his stride frequency was further reduced and his technique perfected.
Mills stepped down as the Olympic Jamaican athletics coach in late 2009, having overseen athletes to 71 world championship and 33 Olympic medals in his 22 years in the role. He said other prominent coaches deserved a chance at undertaking the position and decided he wanted to focus more on his Racers Track Club team.
Awards
- NACAC Coach of the Year 2008