A Wairarapa athletics coach has converted the top floor of his hay shed into a training centre.
Team Wairarapa throwing coach and founder of the centre, John Quinn, said the training area was built three weeks ago, at his farm in Carterton, to improve throwers' technique.
"It's all about technical development."
Quinn coaches
discus and shot put at the centre three times a week.
He said the great thing about the indoor centre is that athletes stop trying to throw too far and instead focus on their technique, Quinn says.
"Training inside with nets takes away the throw."
He said the area still needs some work, including reinforcement in the floor for hammer throws and better lighting.
"Our next move is to get lights up here," he said.
His 11-strong squad of athletes are required to climb a stack of hay bales to gain access to the area and Quinn jokingly said it added to the training.
The idea came to him one day while he was working on the farm with some of his athletes.
"I asked them what they thought of turning the old barn into a training centre.
"And after a year of planning we finally did it."
Quinn has been selected as a New Zealand coach for next month's Commonwealth Youth Games on the Isle of Man.
After the games he will fly to the Gold Coast to gain an IAAF level three coaching qualification in shotput and discus.
He said to put that in perspective the level four qualification is basically for an Olympic coach.
The qualification will make him the only qualified throwing coach of that standard in the Wellington region.
