Greenhouse team are top of their game
Thursday 17 December 2009
Greenhouse coaches are at the top of their game in more ways than one. What better inspiration for a young athlete than a gold medallist?!
Winston Gordon, Wendy Hoyte and Gareth Herbert are all Commonwealth Champions and have represented England around the world.
Olympian Winston Gordon (above), a middleweight judo ace and national gold medallist, is currently coaching at his old school - Ernest Bevin College in Tooting. He competed in the Athens and Beijing Olympics and may make the British team in 2012.
Winston, aged 33, says: 'Hopefully I can do the same thing that my teacher did for me. I want to help kids stay on the straight and narrow and show them how to channel their anger in a positive way.'
Wendy Hoyte (above), a multisports coach at the special needs Spa School in Bermondsey, is the UK record holder for the 50m indoor sprint and took a Commonwealth gold in the 4 x 100m relay. Now 52, she has also helped her sons Justin and Gavin achieve success as footballers for Middlesbrough and Arsenal.
'My experience means I know how to work at all levels,' Wendy says, 'from the grassroots to the elite. I know the importance of encouragement and support. There will always be bad times and I have been through them as an athlete.'
Table tennis manager Gareth Herbert (above) was winning national titles before he was 12 and has a string of Commonwealth golds. He has played for professional clubs in Europe and in international competitions.
Gareth, 29, now passes on his extensive experience to other teachers as well as coaching for the English Youth Development squads.
'All of the things I'm working on at Greenhouse draw on my experiences,' Gareth says, 'I have gone all round the world playing table tennis.' And he now uses the models for success that he has witnessed as a player to make the Greenhouse operation even better.
With talented Greenhousers now representing their county and their country, who better to be at the helm than a coach with a unique understanding of the sport?
Find out more:
Developing young talent
Working with young people with special educational needs
