Dacres offers advice to youngsters

Fedrick Dacres has proven himself to be one of the best discus throwers that Jamaica has to offer. As an athlete who progressed through the ranks of Jamaica’s junior programme, he knows what it takes to reach the top of his sport.

Dacres says that proper guidance can be the key to success for a junior athlete.

Dacres excelled as a junior, becoming the first Jamaican to win gold at the World Youth and the World Junior championships in 2011 and 2012, respectively. The feat, he says, was because of the coaching he received.

“For me, when I started, I never knew what I wanted out of track and field,” he said. “I was just doing it for the fun. But in my first year, my coach sold me dreams, if you understand what I mean.

“The first dream was that I could make the Calabar [High School] team, the second dream that I could make Champs (ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships), then Carifta [Games] and World Youth.”

Dacres believes that a good coach is essential for a junior athlete and that good ethics are formed through proper guidance.

“I became very ambitious because my coach wanted it,” Dacres said. “A coach’s impact is really important for a young athlete because when you’re young, you’re very impressionable. Any dream that your coach has, you are going to want to mimic that dream.”

Dacres reflected on his time as a junior and said that a major part of his development came during his time as a student athlete.

“I’ve not experienced anything like Champs, and I’ve been to quite a few games in my career. I can’t really explain it, but Champs has a vibe to it, and I think that has helped me in my senior career,” he said. “At Champs, you’re supposed to deliver because you’re not just doing it for yourself.”

Handling the pressure

He says events like Champs are the first introduction to what the pressure of professional competition will be like.

“Diamonds are made under pressure,” he quoted.

Dacres sought, however, to warn younger athletes against becoming stagnant after achieving their first success.

“I think young athletes are putting themselves in a place where they feel comfortable,” he said. “I’m seeing that a lot of young athletes are getting contracts, and they feel that this means they are supposed to stop the hunt to get better. For me, that shouldn’t be the case.”

Gregory Bryce