The National Throws Squad was held in Tullamore on October 6th with apporximately forty athletes from the four throwing disciplines along with their coaches. Following registration and a brief introduction by the National Throws Co-ordinator, Ailish O’ Brien, it was down to work with some power testing. This was followed by a throws session with coaches Bart Rogers (Javelin), John Farrelly (Shot Putt), Olivia Howe and Nicola Coffey (Hammer) and Michael O’ Brien (Discus). The focus was mainly on technical improvement and drill work. Following a very tasty lunch kindly provided by Ann Coughlan, Dan Kennedy presented a video analysis session, using athletes from recent international events to highlight technical issues. Dan had been busy during the morning videoing the squad participants and some of this material was also shown and analysed. Finally, the Director of Coaching, Gary Ryan presented an excellent session on planning the athletic year with an emphasis on the practical and highlighted key aspects squad members should be focussed on. As a former Olympian, Gary’s understanding of the importance of planning was evident in his presentation and he was able to relate the material with his own experiences. Feedback from the day was very positive and to quote a few: “Looking forward to next training day” “I enjoyed it – great warm up drills and training session. I wouldn’t change anything” A special note of thanks to Tullamore Harriers for the use of their excellent facilities and for all their assistance. The next squad session is planned for November 24th..