MET-TRACK XMAS UPDATE!

Met-Track coaches will be getting very little time off during the Christmas and New Year period, with the vast majority of squads continuing as normal at their regular venues. Schools academies will of course be suspended until the new term in January, but most other activities offer a potentially welcome break from Christmas pudding and the TV.

Met-Track Scheme Manager Jason Hussain said: "We wish everyone who is associated with Met-Track a really happy Christmas and New Year period, but we don't want them to lose focus on what they may already have achieved with their local squad.

"Most centres are open for our normal activities," he continued, "and we really don't want people to lose that valuable momentum they have built up during the Autumn. And of course anyone new who would like to try out with us is more than welcome to turn up at their local squad."

Met-Track Scheme Director, John Powell, endorsed Jason's words: "We do tend to see a bit of a falling away of attendances after a holiday period, so we want to encourage as many of the young Londoners engaged with the scheme to keep going through the Christmas period. We wil be carrying out the end of year evaluation of the scheme at the beginning of next month, and we want to maximise the benefits that have been delivered to Londoners during 2010 right up to the last day of the year."

Squads affected by Christmas or New Year closures are:

• Newham - 24th December and 31st December - no squad session
• Sutton - 27th December - no squad session
• Waltham Forest - 27th December and 3rd January - no squad session

All Met-Track squads and school academies recommence as normal in the second week of January.

Watch this website for news of launches of two new schemes in London early in 2011...

Met-Track continues to churn out young people into sport

Met-Track continues to churn out young people into sport and various other positive pathways in life, thanks to its now hugely diverse menu of options on offer to young Londoners who engage with the project. But 17-year-old Omardo Anson, from the Bexley and Westminster scheme, has gone one stage further than that!
Omardo, from Abbey Wood, in South East London, and who attended Bexleyheath School until this summer - he now attends Greenwich Community College - has been to Met-Track sessions at Bexley and Westminster under the guidance of coaches Dwayne Grant, James Ellington and Gus Ebhohinhem-Ben. But now he's training with Olympic sprinter Grant, and European gold medallist Ellington, with a potential sprints future!
Met-Track Scheme Director John Powell took Omardo on as the newest recruit to his elite Trackspeed1 training group, based at Crystal Palace, and the 17-year-old wasted no time in grabbing the opportunity with both hands. Already his performances have impressed his new coach, and he has picked off quite a few senior scalps in training.
"Omardo is running well," confirmed John, "but it is his dedication that most impresses for someone so raw in the sport. He really works hard and is really keen. He pleaded with us to be included in our Spring training camp in the United States, and I eventually gave in - his face was a picture! The thing is, I really do think he could be a dark horse next summer. He's incredibly raw, but once he learns some basic skills, he could do quite well."
Met-Track is all about engagement and getting young people back on the straight and narrow though - not necessarily recruit future athletics stars, but Omardo has achieved all of this in one. He first entered Met-Track three years ago. He was a problem at home, in with the wrong crowd, crossing paths with police, and heading in totally the wrong direction in life.
"When I got into Met-Track everything started changing," said Omardo. "I found I really enjoyed training, and it gave me loads of confidence I didn't have before. It taught me self discipline for the first time in my life, and really calmed me down. My mum was really pleased too, because my school work got better, my behaviour at home improved, and we got on with each other much better. It was incredible how getting involved in sport changed my life. I am so grateful to Gus and the other coaches for helping me - I have no idea where I'd be if it weren't for Met-Track."
As for his trip to America in Spring 2011, Omardo is still pinching himself: "I can barely believe what's happening," he said. "This is all through me getting involved in Met-Track. Now I'm training with international athletes, and will be training for four weeks in one of the best facilities in the States!"
Met-Track coach Gus Ebhohinhem-Ben said: "Omardo improved greatly with us, but most importantly his level of engagement got steadily better. You could see him changing from week to week."
"This is exactly what Met-Track is all about," continued John Powell, "there is a wealth of evidence now that shows how we are changing the lives of hundreds of young Londoners like Omardo."

U-Turn1 & Bexley partnership

Met-Track have again teamed up as the lead partner with 'U-Turn1', a Bexley partnership of youth engagement agencies and education leads, delivering a unique but challenging scheme aimed at preventing and reducing knife crime on the borough.

It is based on the Juvenile Impact Programme witnessed by Met-Track Scheme Director and Scheme Manager John Powell and Jason Hussain, darting a visit to Los Angeles Police Department 2 years ago where they were so impressed with the results that they offered it to the South East London project as best practice.

U-Turn1 represents a challenging and rigorous course for young people already identified as having been involved in knife crime. It is intended to make those taking part more aware of themselves and the impact they can have on themselves, their family, friends, and the people around them.

It is formatted into two distinct parts. There is multi-agency input from a variety of sources including role models, various branches of law enforcement and prevention agencies, and diverse forums conducted by external organisations, education practitioners and youth leaders. The other half of the project is delivered by Met-Track sports coaches and staff from the local Charlton Athletic Community Trust, introducing sport as the healthier alternative for life in accordance with Met-Track's mission statement.

The coaches working with 16 young people over an initial week, followed by 12 follow-up days, have already noticed significant improvement in attitudes and engagement, and even simply after the initial week, some impressive changes had already taken place in the individuals taking part.

"The value of a scheme like this cannot be underestimated," said Scheme Director John Powell. "It simply proves just how much of an impact sport can have on a young life. It inspires confidence, promotes fun, and leads to positive thinking. I can only appeal to all local authorities in Met-Track boroughs to recognise this and promote engagement in the scheme - the benefits to the public purse, let alone the safety of Londoners, is simply quite phenomenal."

MET-TRACK Coach Strikes Gold in Delhi

Met-Track coach Tosin Oke underlined just the sort of class act the scheme's coaches represent as he stormed to gold in the recent Commonwealth Games Triple Jump final, in Delhi, India. He leapt 17.19 metres to clinch the title ahead of a classy field whilst representing his native Nigeria.

Tosin has become one of Met-Track's leading coaches over the past couple of years, and has worked in various boroughs around London, not least Hillingdon where he is the lead coach, and Westminster, where he works alongside colleague and French international sprinter, Gus Ebhohinhem-Ben.

"We were all delighted to hear about Tosin's victory," said Met' Police Superintendent and Met-Track Scheme Director, John Powell. He has always been a classy athlete, but unique in that he works hard in his spare time to put back into the community what he has gained from his many years involvement with track and field.

"I have vivid memories of watching Tosin win the European Junior triple jump title, and he has continued to build his career ever since. He is a clear candidate for London 2012 now."

Tosin returns to his Met-Track stables in both boroughs this week where he will be looking to further motivate his charges with sight of his gold medal.

"Tosin has scored some very notable successes with the young people he has been working with," said Met-Track Scheme Manager, Jason Hussain. "He is a great coach, and now an even greater role model."

Met-Track - school 'academies'

As September kicks in and the schools go back for another term, Met-Track looks forward to getting back into full swing after its school 'academies' also took a break for summer. Existing academies will restart this month, and new ones including a new launch in Haringey Borough will add to the immense success these sessions have already produced. Scheme Manager Jason Hussain said: "Although a couple of boroughs have stalled a little, the overall trend within Met-Track is one of expansion, and the recent evaluations underline just how much value we are delivering all over London." Met-Track's mid-year evaluation found that a good 86% of young people engaging with the scheme are not re-entering the criminal justice system, and a good many more have improved behavioral traits and have a far more positive future. Scheme Director John Powell said: "There is a potentially very exciting future ahead for Met-Track. We are a major partner for the innovative U-Turn1 project in Bexley quite apart from all our other activities, and our reputation is growing by the day. "The only warning hot I have to make, however, is that financially we need a major injection from somewhere, or we will struggle to sustain the current momentum. A bid for money from a fund recently launched by the Mayor of London would give us long term sustainability, but that application has a way to go yet before we are even short-listed."

MET-TRACK GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

As the mid-point of 2010 has come and gone, Met-Track is already looking back on another highly illustrious year in its five-year history.

The scheme launched on its 23rd borough in June, with Redbridge coming on board, where two schemes now operate. One is a standard borough scheme, and the other a scheme specifically intended for young people already on the local Youth Offending Team radar. And coach Mark Awanah says its going really well:

"They all love it, and you can see it's having a positive impact," he said. "I haven't been working on Met-Track very long, and the difference it makes to young lives is quite amazing"

The concept of schools 'Academies' has caught on, with two now active in Bromley, and a new one at Woolwich Polytechnic in Thamesmead (Greenwich). Another is developing well in Barking, and some are in the advanced stages of planning for when the new term begins in September.

"In some boroughs we've found that getting young people to traipse down to the local track is a bit of a challenge when the track isn't easily accessible," explained Scheme Manager Jason Hussain, "so we've partnered local schools. It's a double win for us, because not only are the young people already on site, but the teaching staff can identify those most likely to benefit from Met-Track, in keeping with our mission statement and aims and objectives."

Met-Track was also the major partner in delivering a day's sport for young people in East London in the 'Citysafe Games', and has seen its coaches being drafted in to special events all over the Capital. And the recruitment of 16-year-old David Bolarinwa as the healthy face / role model for Met-Track has topped off a superb six months despite the freezing start with snow and ice back in January.

David is completely converted to the cause, and says that he has no idea where he would be if it weren't for sport. He runs for TeamGB in Singapore later this month (August) in the World Youth Olympics 100 metres, having won the European title in May. The Woolwich Poly Academy is his own secondary school.

"Times are tough right now," said Scheme Director John Powell, "but the fact that the vast majority of boroughs are finding the funding to sustain and re-energise their scheme every year is testament to the value of Met-Track. We are still topping and tailing the mid-year evaluations, but it looks as if the figure of 80% of young people not offending or reoffending after engagement with the scheme has risen since January, and that really is some achievement!"

Ealing Borough Commander puts on his running shoes.

Ealing Borough Commander, Chief Superintendent Sultan Taylor, put on his running shoes and raced to Perivale Athletics Track to present an £8300 cheque to Ealing Met-Track recently. He visited the track to donate the funds that will go a long way toward perpetuating the scheme in the West London borough for the next year and beyond.

The funding comes from a special Prisoner Fund and will cover Met Track's weekly running costs as well as providing financial backing towards putting 22 youngsters on the 'Star Track' scheme designated for those who attend training regularly.

After presenting the cheque, Mr Taylor said: 'I am impressed how well our police officers and police staff worked on this project. I hope that a lot of these young athletes will become role models in the future to make Ealing the safest borough in London.' Ealing Safer Schools Officer PC McGuigan has been the lynchpin of the local scheme, which was launched over two years ago. It has continued to grow ever since.

He said: 'It is fantastic to see school children from all over the Borough who might other wise be hanging around on the streets or on their estates getting fit and participating in sport.'

Anyone wishing to participate can just turn up at the squad sessions that run at Perivale Athletics Track every Thursday 4:30-6pm and are completely free. Further information can be obtained from the borough's squad page on this site (click on the map).

MET-TRACK INHERITS 2012 STAMP OF APPROVALMET-TRACK INHERITS 2012 STAMP OF APPROVAL

Met-Track has received a huge boost after London 2012 endorsed the scheme by awarding them their prestigious 'Inspire Mark'. It recognises Met-Track's innovative style in bringing new opportunities to young Londoners in the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, using London's hosting of the biggest show on earth as a source of inspiration for young people to engage in sport.

The adoption of the Inspire logo will gradually infiltrate all of Met-Track's marketing material and will appear on this website, which itself will undergo a major refit over coming weeks. It all combines to put Met-Track at the forefront of the many youth sports schemes emerging around the Capital.

In return Met-Track will promote at every opportunity the long established ideals of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. London 2012's Get Set programme for young people to be inspired by the Games shares many of the values held within the Met-Track environment, among which are:

• Developing communication skills and social understanding;
• Helping young people eat well, get active, and feel good;
• Inspiring more young people to get involved in sport;
• Inspiring young people to take practical learning pathways.

Met-Track Scheme Director, John Powell said: "This is a ringing endorsement of all that we are about in Met-Track, and I am delighted that we have succeeded in acquiring this mark. It will perpetuate the synergy we already had with the whole London 2012 deal in getting young people into healthy lifestyles through sport. We will display the mark on all our material as the new versions are published with a great deal of pride."