Kris Dando talks to Titahi Bay Amateur Athletics Club sprint coach about his 17 years with the club.

Nga Holmes

What brought you to this club, back in 1998?

I was living in Tawa and my boy was quite a quick runner. I was looking for a club and there used to be one in Tawa, but it had folded. I went to Newtown Park to see athletics, but a guy I knew said, ‘‘You have to come out to Titahi Bay’’. So I did and I’ve been here since.

How did you coaching?

I’d always been interested in it, but athletics was a bit new to me. I had been a dragon boat and rugby coach for many years, so that gave me a good grounding. When you have kids and they’re into sport, or are quite fast, you begin to take a lot more notice and you pick up things quickly if you’re really interested. I also see a lot of young rugby players who I know would be good sprinters. I just don’t leave them alone hoping they’ll come along to athletics.

What was the Titahi Bay club like in the late 1990s?

You could see from the start that there was talent here, and that’s still the case. The coaching was good, but there didn’t seem to be a huge emphasis on competitions. I went to the North Island Colgate Games as a parent in that 1998-99 season and I think Titahi Bay got three medals.

Did something happen to take the club to the next level?

I wouldn’t say it was something in particular, but the attitude seemed to change and the people running athletics in the Bay kicked into gear. We really started dominating in interclub and at the Colgates as the 2000s began. The years from 2002 to 2007 were what I call the golden era – one of those years we got 38 medals, 20 of them gold.

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Where does your motivation for coaching sprinters come from?

I’m self-taught. I was a middledistance runner, but never had the talent and it was through my son that I became interested in sprinting. I’ve got level 1 and 2 coaching qualifications, but I like to think my passion is more important than the technical side of things and now I’ve got the experience to go with it. I work the kids hard but, for me, there’s nothing better than seeing them realise the talent they have. I can spot pretty well the basic speed over 60 metres of a sprinter and then I work from there.

What time do you put in, around your job for Taylor Preston’s?

This year it’s been Monday to Friday. Two days I’m at Waihora Park, one day at Kura Park and then two days in Wellington. Keeps me busy. I don’t have a car, so I rely on someone to drop me off, or public transport.

You’ve had some excellent sprinters under your tutelage over the years.

There have been some really good ones – some just blow you away right from the start. Fa’aolataga and Mafutaga Tau [known as the Twin Turbos] were probably the fastest boys I’ve seen. I’ve kept coaching with them even today. Zane Edwards is extremely talented. I was coaching Julian Savea for a while – he wasn’t big, but he was so powerful. I can remember when he was 12, at the North Island Colgates, and he false started in the 100-metre final. He was so cagey about doing it again [and being disqualified] that he didn’t shoot out of the blocks, and he finished fourth.

Does it come down to attitude?

Sometimes the best sprinters are those who work the hardest. I’ve seen some with all the natural talent in the world, but they’re lazy and get nowhere. You have to be prepared to put in the effort at training. My motto has always been ‘‘no pain, no gain’’.

You’ve said it could be your last year in coaching?

I’ve been with the Wellington interprovincial [12 and 13-yearolds] team since 2000 and Titahi Bay just before that. I came here because of my son and he’s in his 20s now. There just comes a time when you think you’ve done enough and it’s time for someone else to take over. I’ve enjoyed it, but coming out almost every day, from about August, to coach and travelling away for competitions has to stop at some point. I’m 50 next month. I love this club and we’ve built some great history – who knows, I may keep on doing it for a while.

Can Wellington win interprovincials for a fourth time in a row in April?

The talent is there and the coaching is there. I’m a bit worried that a couple of our sprinters might not make it to the competition in Hamilton, but we’ll see. In those early years, we were just making up the numbers, but since about 2005, we’ve been consistently in the top three and I don’t see why we can’t win it this time.