Sarah Hewitt loves athletics. This is clear from the passion she puts into both coaching and competing. Based at Brighton and Hove AC, she has mentored some of the county’s top high jumpers.
Kate Matthews caught up with Sarah for a chat about her coaching and how Covid has affected the sport.
Kate: Who are you?
Sarah: Sarah Hewitt - Head Coach at Brighton and Hove AC, coach of Sussex athletes.
Kate: Which athletes do you and have you coached?
Sarah: Over the last 13 years I have been lucky enough to coach a number of the county’s top High Jumpers - Lillie Franks (1.76), Harry Baker (2.06), Harry Reinecker (2.02), Hari Brogan (1.96), Tom Ridley (1.91), Torin Seagrove (1.85), Will Sutton (1.85).
Kate: How long have you been coaching and how did you get into it?
Sarah: I’ve been coaching for nearly 20 years. I started off by coaching sprints and hurdles at schools in Australia, whilst completing a degree in Sports Coaching. I was lucky enough to work and be mentored by Efim Shuravetsky, the former coach of Australian HJ record holder Tim Forsyth and with his support and encouragement I found myself taking on my own group.
Kate: Were you an athlete before a coach, and if so, what distances/disciplines? How does coaching compare to the thrill of being an athlete yourself?
Sarah: I remember being swept up in the excitement of the 1984 LA Olympics, watching Daley Thompson and Judy Oakes. This spilled over into school and because I was tall I was encouraged to do the high jump. Due to a lack of facilities in my area - it wasn’t until I moved to
Cornwall when I was 16 that I joined a club and received any coaching input. I competed in multiple events - with high jump and discus always my favourite. I joined BHAC in 1997 after joining the Sussex police force, enjoying success at a county level. I have managed to carry on training and competing and in 2018 I came 8th in the discus at the World Masters Championships in Malaga.
Coaching brings a different perspective to my involvement in athletics - it’s still the culmination of hard training and commitment - just not my own. I’m there as a constant - supporting and encouraging.
Kate: How often do you coach?
Sarah: I coach 2-3 times a week. Tuesday and Thursday nights are now in Brighton. We have at least one technical session, as well as running, plyometrics, drills, hurdles and core.
Kate: What are the highs and lows of being a coach?
Sarah: The highs can be the successes. This can be as simple as an athlete clicking with a drill, overcoming a hurdle - physical or mental, or of a competitive nature with pbs, medals and selection for high level competitions. The lows can come from frustration, losing motivation, losing direction.
Kate: What is/are your proudest moment(s)?
Sarah: There have been many! One of my proudest moments is Lillie Franks winning English Schools in 2017 - a few tears were shed!
Likewise, Lillie and Harry Baker being selected for England representation, and going as a team coach to Hustopece for the high jump championships, have been great moments.
I have three athletes currently in America on sports scholarships and I’m proud of the input I have had in shaping their future.
Kate: What have been the hardest moments?
Sarah: Losing the ‘tube’ in Horsham as a training facility meant that I have had to re-think my winter training strategy. Technical events and the cold do not mix. This area was unique and provided many Sussex coaches with a facility that made a great difference to Sussex athletes.
Kate: How do you motivate your athletes to keep going and focus?
Sarah: Motivation is such an intrinsic part of an athlete. As a coach you are simply providing the tools, support and encouragement. You have to believe that realistic goal setting, communication and being constant will keep athletes going.
Kate: What has coaching athletics brought to your life?
Sarah: Whilst it may sound very cliche - athletics has given me great friendships and community. It has provided me with a sense of achievement - both as an athlete and a coach. A majority of the tears have been happy ones.
Kate: Has coaching changed over the years?
Sarah: Whilst coaching on the whole has not changed - how you improve your knowledge has. The NCP helped set me up with a group of coaches who wanted to share ideas, support me and help me be the best coach I can be. It was disappointing when this initiative dissolved. There are lots of fancy words out there to describe different coaches - but I believe it comes down to passion, confidence and a sense of what’s right and what works.
Kate: What are the main difficulties that face you and your athletes in normal times?
Sarah: Access to facilities - and limited technical sessions due to no indoor facilities. The winter weather is not favourable to high jumpers. My list of moans about the high jump mats in Sussex is long! I believe that being in the south we are disadvantaged as we often have extra costs and travel to events.
Kate: What have been the main difficulties facing you and your athletes during Covid19? How have you overcome these? Did it get harder to manage the more lockdowns we faced?
Sarah: Again - lack of access to facilities (broken record!). Whilst the elite in the north have access to high jump beds and indoor training - the group below the elite are relying on basic training to remain strong and fast. By the time we get back to the track, it will be almost 6 months without a high jump session.
As a group - we have a What’s app set up and I provide daily training. This is hard as some athletes are better at communicating than others - and sometimes you find yourself chasing them. You also have to hope that your prior coaching has been enough to ensure they are doing everything well.
I believe that we are in a difficult time in our sport. The loss of an indoor and outdoor season will mean many athletes have missed out on specific age group representation - and if we have a reduced program this summer - many more will drop out.
Kate: Would you encourage others to become coaches and why?
Sarah: Yes - if you have the passion, commitment and time - athletics has much to give. The people at the heart of this sport are amazing.
Kate: How could the world of athletics be improved for both athletes and coaches?
Sarah: The structure of athletics at the moment seems so wrong from a competition and coaching perspective. Organisers are playing with field events, changing the format and leaving technicians frustrated and despondent. The lack of inclusion of hammer at IAAF meets, reducing the number of attempts, number of rounds all make field events, especially throwers feel second class. Financially the money and set up in my opinion is wrong - regardless of distance, height and speed, the top athletes in our country should be given support - with further bursaries given to the up and coming. Again, a lack of facilities and reduced investment has seen a massive drop in competitive athletes and therefore a drop in standards.