Valentine A.

I bring over 20 years of experience working with youth across recreation centers and schools throughout the Metro Atlanta area. For the past 12 years, I have served as the Head Track Coach for Ben Hill Track, where I’ve developed athletes ranging from beginners to elite youth competitors.

In addition, I’ve spent the last 3 years coaching track and field at a private K–8 school in Atlanta, where I’ve consistently built one of the strongest youth programs in the area. Each year, I’ve taken 40–50 athletes to the state championships, with many earning state titles. I’ve also qualified 20–30 athletes annually for Junior Olympics competition, helping them compete at a higher national level.

I specialize in working with athletes ages 5–18, focusing on proper fundamentals, speed development, strength, discipline, and competitive mindset. My approach emphasizes long-term athlete development building not only performance but also confidence, character, and leadership skills both on and off the track.

Over the years, I’ve successfully guided hundreds of youth athletes through structured training programs, helping them achieve personal bests, championship titles, and advanced competitive opportunities.

I ran at Morehouse College in Atlanta where i competed from events 400,200,100, long jump and 4x1 and 4x4 team. During my 4 years there we won the S.I.A.C Division III from 2006-2010. I also was captain of my High school Track team at Druid Hills High school in 2005. The 800 meter run was my specialty and ended up placing 5th in my county and 7th in the state of Georgia that year.

Every session I run is structured, high energy, and development focused. Whether I’m training a 7-year-old beginner or a high school athlete preparing for state competition, each workout is designed with purpose and progression in mind. We start with a structured dynamic warm-up to prepare the body properly. This includes:

A-skips, B-skips, high knees, butt kicks

Straight-leg bounds

Carioca and lateral movement drills

Mobility work and sprint mechanics drills

I emphasize proper posture, arm drive, knee lift, and foot placement from the very beginning.
print Mechanics & Technique Development (15–20 minutes)
This is where we build efficiency and speed. Depending on the athlete’s age and event focus, we work on:

Wall drills for acceleration angles

Falling starts & 3-point starts

Drive phase work (10–30 meters)

Top-end speed sprint work

Arm mechanics drills

Stride frequency and stride length control

For field athletes, we incorporate:

Approach development

Jump technique breakdown

Takeoff mechanics

Event-specific drills

** Event-Specific or Speed/Endurance Training (20–30 minutes)
This portion varies based on goals:

Sprinters: Acceleration reps, fly sprints, speed endurance intervals

Middle distance: Pace work, controlled intervals, aerobic conditioning

Jumpers: Runway consistency, penultimate step work, landing mechanics

Younger athletes: Fun competitive relays and coordination drills

Every drill has a teaching point. I’m constantly giving feedback to correct form and maximize performance.

**Strength, Core & Conditioning (10–20 minutes)
Depending on age:

Bodyweight circuits (squats, lunges, push-ups)

Core work (planks, med ball throws)

Resistance band work

Plyometrics (box jumps, bounding)

For younger athletes, strength is foundational and technique-based. For older athletes, it’s more performance-driven.

*Cool Down & Mentorship Moment
We finish with stretching and a quick mindset check-in. I always reinforce discipline, confidence, and accountability. I believe in developing the whole athlete not just speed, but character.