Tyrades! March Madness not a slam dunk? ‎&#820

Manzano, 26, said he can’t imagine trying to make the 2012 Olympic team without a professional coach. He and his teammates in Austin are sponsored by Nike; Ponsonby and Cook are Nike Dunks High coaches. Manzano said he is uncomfortable with the idea of going back to Texas to train with the collegiate team, another option if he were to secure a job as a volunteer assistant coach.

“If I’m going back to college [training] that would be kind of hurting myself instead of helping myself,” he said. “And it would be hard training without a coach. A coach is there to oversee things, make sure things are going well, that you’re not overdoing it or underdoing it, or not pushing yourself too hard.”
Nike Dunk High Lakers Spring 2010 Release
Ponsonby said he’s grateful to the parks and schools that have opened their doors to his displaced team, but their tracks are in many cases less than state of the art. Many tracks are wrapped around football fields, so their dimensions are 100 meters at each turn with 100 meter straightaways, rather than the proper 120-80. The surfaces also are generally less expensive and harder, which can lead to injuries, he said.