06.12.2007

Johnny B - 50 years in Australian athletics

There are many coaches, officials and volunteers in Australian athletics who have given exemplary service to our sport over many, many years; however it would be difficult to argue that the contribution of Dr John Boas could be topped.

In October, John celebrated 50 years in athletics and to mark the milestone a celebratory function was held a couple of weeks ago at the Ivanhoe Harriers clubrooms in Melbourne.

Many of the athletes John has coached over the past 50 years were in attendance; including his current squad of young jumpers led by talented leapers Rob Stevens and Scott Crowe.

John Boas began his athletics involvement as a 800m runner at school and at the celebration he proudly displayed a newspaper from 4 October 1957 containing two important stories of the day – news of the Russian’s successful launch of Sputnik 1, the first man-made object to orbit the earth, and secondly the results of the previous days athletics featuring John’s victory in the schoolboy 880 yards.

The two items provided a road map for John’s two great passions – science and athletics.

John joined Ivanhoe Harriers and quickly became a walks coach, mentoring the likes of Tim Erickson, who won a bronze medal in the 30km walk at the 1978 Commonwealth Games.

However, it was the arrival of a young beanpole named Ian Campbell who changed John’s involvement in Australian athletics forever. Ivanhoe didn’t have a jumps coach, but Ian Campbell could bound like a Kangaroo, so John became his coach. He read every available coaching manual and applied his own theories as a physicist and soon John’s own version of plyometric training was introduced to Australian athletics - including the unusual training method of performing a standing triple jump from a steeplechase barrier - depth jumps in the extreme!

John led Ian to Commonwealth Games silver in 1978 and a fifth place finish in the controversial Olympic final in Moscow in 1980, the year in which Ian set his lifetime best and then Australian record of 17.09m. Such was the bond between athlete and coach, that John was Ian’s best man at his wedding.

When a young Gary Honey needed a coach, there was only one choice…the man who coached Ian Campbell.

And so a jump coaching dynasty was created, with Gary making his debut for Australia at the 1979 World Cup, before going on to Moscow and the first of two gold medals at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane. Gary and John’s career highlight came in Los Angeles where Gary leapt an 8.24m to win the silver medal in the long jump behind Carl Lewis.

David Culbert joined the squad in 1987 and added to the list of John’s coaching achievements by making world championship and Olympic finals and David twice won silver medals at the Commonwealth Games – on all occasions jumping over 8.00m.

As Gary Honey noted at the 50 year celebration, “John had a knack of getting the best out of us, and he always seemed to have a squad who could perform under pressure.  It wasn’t just Ian or David or me. Everyone in his squad would jump at their best whether it was the State champs, Aussie champs or a major international meet. John was a genius in getting us physically and mentally ready to perform on the day it mattered.”

John was instrumental in the creation and development of the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association, was part of the team management on Olympic, world championship and Commonwealth Games teams and ensured the survival of the Ivanhoe Harriers Club through his vigorous pursuit of local councillors.  

Over the past half a century he has played a significant role in the development of hundreds of athletes and coaches in the jumping events in Australia.

John has been devoted to his athletes – to the determent of his professional career as a nuclear physicist, university researcher and lecturer.

After a coaching hiatus for a number of years, he has once again assembled a strong squad of young jumpers who train at Wallinda Park in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.

Given, as Gary noted, that John hasn’t looked any different for the past 30 years, “which is bad news for John, as he must of looked 60 when he was 30,” we look forward to seeing John cast his eyes and opinions over Australian jumpers for a few more decades at least.

By David Culbert

Pictured: David Culbert competes at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona