From the Editor – RUSS EBBETS
The End
Kevin McGill called me in 1999 and said he was stepping down as the editor of Track Technique/Track Coach. He said he recommended me to the publisher, Ed Fox, as I had worked with Kevin for years in numerous Level 1 Schools and written several articles for him. Kevin had been a legendary presenter at my Union College December Track and Field Clinics during the 1980s.
My immediate reaction was “yes,” but tempered that enthusiasm by vowing that I had to come up with 25 good reasons why I should take the job. I was well aware, regarding the magnitude of the position and the huge shoes I would be stepping into. I got a blank sheet of paper and went to work. Thirty minutes later I had my list. I called Kevin and Ed Fox back to tell them I was interested. As I recall Ed’s decision came quickly. I hung up the phone, went back to my list and tried to decide what I wanted to accomplish first.
In 1999 the IAAF World Indoor meet was to be held in Maebashi, Japan. As it turned out that was my first international assignment as the national team chiropractor. It was a long flight and more time zone changes than I could count. As it happened America’s shot putter was Wake Forest’s Andy Bloom. Bloom had a great collegiate career and was one of the last throwers to win both the disc and shot at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. He did this in 1996.
Andy Bloom’s hometown was Niskayuna, NY, a small town adjacent to Schenectady and Union College where I had been the coach during the 1980s. Bloom was having a career year throwing 71’+, when that was an oddity. As he warmed up one morning at the Maebashi arena, I took a moment to introduce myself.
I told him who I was and that I used to coach at Union. For a second, that seemed to stop him in his tracks. He said, “Union? I used to go to your clinics there. Kevin McGill taught me the throws. That’s what got me started!” And we both laughed.
Since 1999, 100 issues of Track
Coach have followed. There have been some successes and some failures, things I am glad about and some things I am disappointed we didn’t get done. I want to thank close to 40 coaches, athletes and theorists for taking the time to answer questions in the interviews I conducted. We’ve done at least 15 roundtables where I assembled a panel of experts that shared their expertise on a variety of topics that were all pertinent to their discipline or areas of expertise.
Special thanks go to Ed Fox, Teresa Tam and the crew at Track & Field News for continually producing both a print and digital journal that has serviced the sport worldwide since the 1950s. Best wishes to all and continued success. It has been my honor and privilege to serve in this capacity for the last 25 years.