Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Jarred Woods | From left: Damien, Leyton, and Amara Smith and Franks K. Munene conduct stretching...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – With youth sports programs catering mostly to older adolescents, young aspiring athletes are left with limited avenues to advance their skills.
Franks K. Munene, head coach and president of FKM International Sports, intends to broaden young kid’s access to quality athletic training by providing specific training programs designed to address each person’s individual needs.
Having come to the U.S. to attend the University of Texas El Paso on an athletic scholarship for long distance running, Munene soon began to observe a key difference from his native Kenya.
“After awhile I noticed what was missing in the U.S. – athletic development,” said Munene.
Upon completion of college, Munene continued to compete professionally and help train other hopeful athletes. After years of developing and coaching training programs for college and Olympic athletes, Munene decided turn his considerable experience toward youth programs.
“Catch them when they’re young; before they get into trouble, develop bad behavior or get out of shape,” adds Munene. “That’s how you develop Olympians. If you wait until after the age of 12, you’ll be playing catch up; it’s too late.”
Although Munene’s El Paso Youth Sports Academy is in its early stages, it’s already making an impression on those involved.
“It provides an avenue for my kids to exercise and stay fit in a fun way,” said Karleen Smith, a home school teacher and military spouse. “It also provides a means of interacting with other kids who also enjoy running. We have a great coach who helps you with technique and form to help prevent injuries. And that’s really important; especially for the kids to develop that early on because it does follow them throughout their life.
As a runner herself, Smith said she appreciated when she saw good running technique.
“That’s something you can take with you, no matter what sport or if you just want to stay fit throughout your life," said Smith.
Munene’s approach to coaching young athletes is primarily centered on developing fundamentals and focusing on the individual.
“Everything is customized, because there are never two athletes who are alike,” said Munene. “If you go with a one size fits all approach, them some will fall through the cracks.”
Munene also believes that developing good running techniques will carry over into other sports.
“You can move a kid from this sport that sport; just to keep them busy – keep them running and developing basic skills, added Munene. “There’s no shortage of activity; that’s the secret.”
Not only can running and staying fit benefit a child, it can also provide an activity for families to do together.
“My husband and I have a 2-year-old, a 5-year-old, an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old, and they all do it together,” added Smith. “It builds up family unity and also builds up camaraderie among the other families that are involved.”
Munene brings an unmatched expertise to coaching youth that is sure to inspire others to stay fit and keep running forward.
For more information about Franks K. Munene’s youth programs, contact him at 915-252-3180 or email him at fkmunene@live.com.
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2014 14:15 |
| Story ID: | 139111 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 106 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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