ARCANUM – The Arcanum and Franklin Monroe track and field programs worked together for two weeks in June to instruct local athletes in shot put and discus.
The two week camp drew approximately one dozen athletes each day including junior high, high school and college throwers.
“We’ve had a good turnout both weeks,” Arcanum throws coach Theo Whitaker said. “It’s growing every year.”
The camp, which included a week of shot put instruction at Franklin Monroe and a week of discus instruction at Arcanum, drew athletes from Arcanum, Franklin Monroe, Covington and Tri-Village.
“We just started it up just to kind of help our kids out about three years ago,” Whitaker said. “Next thing you know it’s like a bunch of kids from other schools coming.”
Arcanum and Franklin Monroe both have had throwers make the Ohio High School Athletic Association state track and field meet. They want to build on that success and create a strong throws program in Darke County.
“We feel like we’re trying to build a culture around shot and disc around here and get the kids excited about it, and I think we’re succeeding in that,” Franklin Monroe track and field coach Rick Ingold said.
Regardless of whether the campers were junior high athletes just starting to learn about shot and discus or college athletes who have competed in big meets, the instruction focused on the same principles.
“We throw the same stuff to everybody because the technique is the technique,” Whitaker said. “Yeah, some things are more advanced, but the technique is the technique. So we try to throw everything to everybody.”
Throughout the week the boys and girls showed a lot of progress in the shot put and disc and even got to learn a little about the hammer throw.
“They’re working hard,” Ingold said. “They’re paying attention. They’ve got kind of a thirst for knowledge. They’re hungry to learn and hungry to get better. I’m really pleased with how it’s gone so far.”
