By Jerome Lagunzad
Long before he produced nine Olympic gold medalists and five world record holders, teaching has been a way of life for renowned American track and field mentor Dan Pfaff.
That explains why Pfaff, 64, could not help but be excited to impart his vast knowledge to around 30 national team coaches in a two-week advanced coaching course at the PhilSports Comlex in Pasig City.
“Part of my mission is to improve the culture of how people operate in the sport. It’s like planting seeds to grow crops to continue to be the resource (of future elite athletes),” said Pfaff yesterday during a media briefing at the Floating Island Restaurant inside the Ayala 30th Mall.
Organized by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association with the help of Ayala Corp. and the Philippine Sports Commission, the advanced seminar could prove beneficial in the national team’s buildup for international meets, starting with this year’s Asian Games set from August 18 to Sept. 2 in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.
“The goal is to give coaches and athletes huge information that they can apply right away to make improvements and answer questions that they can’t find solutions on,” added Pfaff, the man credited behind the gold medal performance of British Greg Rutherford in the men’s long jump competitions back in the 2012 London Olympics.
