Coaches

Virginia Special Forces Track Club has experienced and dedicated coaches who have competed, and continue to compete, at the highest levels of track and field, including state, national and Olympic competition. Produced more than 500 Champions and current district, regional, and national champions over the last decade at the AAU, USATF, Hershey and High School levels.

Nick Savage - Co-Founder/Coach
Current Speed & Assistant Coach for nationally acclaimed Flint Hill School. Helped lead the school to their first football championship in their 50 year history and four straight conference championships before resigning to focus more on the family and Special Forces. Former Speed & Specialties Coach for Nationally Ranked Bishop O'Connell High School.  Certified Nike SPARQ Trainer and Positive Coaching Alliance Member.  Selected as an Ambassador-Coach for the 2006-2007 Powerbar Elite Team. Member of 2005 Special Forces Unlimited Basketball Loudoun County Champions at the Masters Division.

Maryland High School State Champion and record holder in the Triple, and hurdles in 1978. Competed for University of Wisconsin track & field and football 1978-83. Nominated Academic All-Big Ten 1982.  Received several professional football offers prior to opting to help children achieve success in the world of sports, the arts, technology, and business. First major sports scholarship recipient to graduate with a degree in Artificial Intelligence- Computer Science in Wisconsin's history. 

Founder of The SWEAT Program (Scholastic Workshop for Excellence and Athletic Training) 1989 - 93 in Florida working with the Miami Heat, Dolphins and other professional athletes. Coached thousands of kids over the past twenty years from the pre-school to the high school level in Florida, Maryland and Virginia teams for track, football, basketball and soccer. Executive Director for Special Forces Unlimited Inc. and co-founder of Special Forces Track Club. Inventor of the "The Savage Hill"  speed and multi-purpose training device. President of Mercury Speed Unlimited and the creator of Mercury " Speed Think " methodologies providing performance and speed conditioning services for individuals and teams nationwide (e.g. Texas)  functioning primarily in the Tri-State area.

Galen Allen - Sprinter Coach/Runner/Advisor

A true warrior and passionate advocate for the program Coach Allen has diligently volunteered and competed for Special Forces for three years. With PRs of 13.1 and 26.2 in the sprints in the 50 and up Masters level Coach Allen has been an integral part of the program in every way.A former star sprinter and outstanding football player from Harrisburg, Pa. Coach is also an entreprenuer operating GAMAJA Production an entertainment firm.

Leon Riddick - Sprint/Hurdle Coach

   Excelled at Plainfield High School (Plainfield, NJ) Football & Track: Made the Central Jersey All-Area Team in football and track. The 1989 Union County 55m High Hurdle (HH) Indoor Champion and 1989 New Jersey Group 4 Section 2 110m HH Champion. In addition to the HH, also ran the 400m Intermediate Hurdle, the 200m Dash and the 4x100 Relay.  Howard University (Washington, DC) was a member of the football and track teams from 1989 to 1994. Currently serves as an Assistant Football and Track Coach at JEB Stuart High School. Helped lead the football team to their first playoff appearance since 1994.

Rupesh Mehta - Volunteer Mid Distance & Long Distance Coach

Coach Rupesh in entering his 4th year a invaulable force for the MD/LD program.  Special Forces completed one of ot's strongest years in this area producing 6-8 very strong runners that performed exceptionally well at meets, Hershey States and the Junior Olympics.

Earl Cornish - Co-Founder/Board Member
Northwestern High School (Baltimore, Maryland) Cross Country -Track and Field Hall of Fame/Record Holder and specialized in the 400, 800, 4x400 and 4x800 meter events.  

Co-Founder Northwest Striders Track Club 1990-95. Coached AAU National Record Holder 4x400meter 11-12 boys 1992 relay team (4.02.05). Coached The Catholic High School of Baltimore track and field team 1995-2002. IAAM Coach of the Year 2000. USA Track and Field Certified Athletics Official, SPARQ certified; Co-founder of Special Forces Track Club. Co-founder of Mercury Speed Unlimited providing performance and speed conditioning services for individuals and sports teams; B.S. Business Administration.

Allen Simms - sprints/jumps - Clinics
Allen is currently ranked fourth in the World in 2006 in triple jump (yes ... the World!), with a distance of 17.02m. Former George Mason student/athlete and USC Graduate. In training for 2008 Olympics.  Current personal bests include Triple Jump: 17.26m/56-7.5 and Long Jump: 8.02m/26-3.75. 

Known as a talented long and triple jumper, Simms grabbed his first U.S. title in 2004 with his triple jump win at the 2004 USA Indoor Championships in Boston. As a USC sophomore in 2003, Simms established himself as one of the nation's best triple jumpers with a win at the NCAA Indoor Championships, his third-place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championships and his fifth-place finish at the USA Outdoor Championships. He competed in the World Indoor Championships in Moscow in March 2006. Here is a recent picture of Allen in action.