Down-Right is an Athletics performance squad based at Loughborough University, which aims to provide a professional training environment for athletes in the sprints, hurdles and horizontal jumps.

In the last ten years Athletics has become a highly competitive professionalised sport and the introduction of lottery funding and the UK:A high performance initiative now provides an opportunity for more and more athletes to train full time. However, few outside of the lottery funded elite have the opportunity to work with full time coaches and receive supervised and structured training across all developmental areas – speed, strength, flexibility, psychology, nutrition, regeneration etc.

Down-Right Speed and Jumps bridges the gap between promising talent and the elite level by giving its members the opportunity to experience full time, structured training so they can maximise the chance of achieving their true potential. Such an undertaking requires a professional attitude and a substantial commitment in terms of time and discipline. Therefore, only those athletes that show a real dedication will be considered for selection.

For an aspiring young athlete, the time frame for approaching their potential will be short lived as the pressures of work and everyday life make it difficult to give up the time required to truly excel at such a demanding sport. While a coach has many opportunities to “get it right” an athlete only has one. Therefore, the coaches at Down-Right understand the importance of raising their game and spend a considerable amount of time on professional coach development. Lead coach Tom Crick has learned from some of the world’s most renowned athletics coaches including Dan Paff, Loren Seagrave, Henk Kraaijenhof and Ludmilla Olijars, as well as attending courses on a variety of supporting areas such as strength and conditioning, nutrition and sports medicine.

Getting Involved

Anyone interested in joining Down-Right Speed and Jumps must be available to train five or more days a week at Loughborough University and show a continuing commitment to achieving excellence in their event. All enquiries should be directed to Tom Crick at .

Internships

Down-Right Speed and Jumps provide opportunities for aspiring coaches and sports therapists to develop their skill set and gain valuable work experience with high level athletes. Internships last between 3 and 12 months during which time you will work closely with the team in your chosen discipline. For those wishing to gain employment in elite sport this is a fantastic opportunity to add to your CV without a large financial outlay.

There are three internships available:

• Athletics Coach - Learn how to write speed based training plans for elite athletes and gain experience of applied coaching skills. Excellent for trainee PE teachers and S&Cs looking to develop their skills in speed and power training
• Strength & Conditioning Support - Learn how to develop speed and power programs that complement sprint training and for work with soccer teams.
• Sports Therapy / Massage - Gain experience working with elite athletes and learn how to use the Accelerated Recovery Performance Program. Excellent for trainee massage and sports therapists.

All enquiries should be directed to Tom Crick at