PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – If you have been on the Carnegie Mellon or Slippery Rock campus recently, especially round any track events. You might recognize a voice as you watch the Olympics this week.
CMU head track coach and Slippery Rock grad Gary Aldrich is the Head Throwing Coach for the US Track and Field team.
“I’m very loud,” Aldrich told 93.7 The Fan. “They will hear me yelling, screaming encouragement. That’s one of my things. You talk to anybody at Slippery Rock or Carnegie Mellon, you can hear Coach A no matter where he’s at.”
Especially so this year with no fans allowed in the stands due to COVID-19 protocols. You might learn a lot about Gary Aldrich.
“My voice is going to resonate more in an empty stadium,” Aldrich said. “It’s not like football, where if you say something the other team knows the play or anything like that. If I yell a cue to someone or say something, it’s not going to mean anything to anybody else. There are also language barriers as well.”
You hopefully will have the opportunity to see Aldrich, if a USA thrower wins a medal. Aldrich will be the man handing the American flag to the athlete. You might also see him at the ceremonial end, not allowed to attend the opening due to coronavirus rules.
“To be there for the closing ceremonies, something I’ve watched since I was 8 years-old watching the closing ceremonies in Mexico,” Aldrich said. “It will add to the emotion and the excitement.”
“When you step out there and you are on the track. I will have the phone camera on and take video. I will think this is unreal.”
His job as USA Staff Throws Coach is as much about being a facilitator as anything. Working with the athletes’ personal coaches, making sure the athletes are where they need to be when they need to be there. As Aldrich put it.
“Making sure they have everything they need at their disposal to perform at that elite level.”
While working with the American athletes to help them win medals, Aldrich is also searching for ideas to incorporate for his program in Oakland.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity for me to watch and learn what other people are doing so it can improve my knowledge and allow me to bring back something I haven’t had to bring back to Carnegie Mellon,” Aldrich said. “To help my athletes there become even better.”
“I tell the kids look at someone from lil’ old Carnegie Mellon, Slippery Rock, they can be on the world stage and be successful.”
45 years in the sport, it’s the first opportunity for the Slippery Rock grad to coach at the Olympics and eighth chance to coach a United States team in international competition. While wearing the red, white and blue before, this is different. It’s the Olympic games.
“It’s an amazing thing,” Aldrich, the son of a US Marine, said. “I’m blessed. I’m so very fortunate to be given this opportunity. It’s a tremendous thing.”