Published Thursday, December 11, 2003

Brett Halter was a distance runner all his life.

He had no experience with throwing, but that didn't stop Missouri track and field Coach Rick McGuire from asking him to take the reins and lead MU's throwers.

"When Coach asked me to do it, I said, 'Coach, I've seen the javelin, I touched a shot put - because you've asked me to roll them back to the guys in practice - I've never seen a weight, I've never seen a hammer and I think I know what a discus is.' "

McGuire told him, "I'm not asking you to be their training partner. I want you to be their coach. You coach the person, not the event."

"That's something I will always remember," Halter said.

Five years later, Halter was named the USA Track & Field Development Coordinator for the junior men's shot put.

Halter went from long distance runner to a top throwing coach following McGuire's advice.

"He definitely works with our technique and throwing style, but he cares more about the person and developing your skills everywhere, so you can reach your own personal goals no matter what they are," said junior Ann Snider, who will be competing along with five other throwers at the Kansas State All-Comers Meet on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan. "He's very good at adapting the workouts to each one of us individually instead of as a group.

"Throwing is something a lot of people can do and not teach or they can't do it, but they can teach it. ... You don't actually have to do it in order to know it."

Halter has proven that.

"Really, it's not rocket science," he said. "It's some fundamental biomechanics, fundamental physiology and setting up training programs. Really, it's just coaching the kids and having them believe in what they're doing and what we're doing here.

"The technique's easy. I'm a world-class shadow. Without the implement, I'm world class. But you put the implement in my hand, and I get my butt kicked."

In his position for the U.S. Junior National team, Halter will scour the country for the most elite high school throwers to get them started in the U.S. track and field system and to give them the opportunity to train at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

"My tasks, what I'm asked to do, is to identify the next generation of talent," Halter said. "It's a natural fit for me. It's kind of a passion of mine. It's kind of like what I'm doing with recruiting anyway."

At MU, Halter has coached seven All-Americans and three U.S. Olympic Trials qualifiers. Halter has proven if you coach a person, not an event, you will be successful.