Clive Roberts

Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 1st Season at Iowa Alma Mater, Year: Central Michigan, 2003

Clive Roberts enters his first season as an assistant coach for the University of Iowa track and field team. He will oversee the horizontal jumps, and women's short sprints, hurdles and relays.

A native of Toronto, Canada, Roberts spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach for the Bowling Green State University women's team. During his first indoor season with the Falcons, he guided sprinter Jessica White and hurdler Nicole Standback to successful seasons. White set the school record in the 60 meters (7.53) and placed third in the 100 meters at the MAC Championships. Her season-best time of 11.58 ranked second in school history and qualified her for the NCAA Regional, making her the Falcons' first sprinter to qualify since 2004. Standback placed third in the 60-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles at the conference meet, posting the third fastest 100-meter hurdles time (14.03) in school history.

Before joining the Bowling Green staff, Roberts served as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Central Michigan University. During his stint with the Chippewas, Roberts coached 13 MAC Champions, two indoor all-Americans, and one USA Track Championship qualifier. The men's squad won the 2005 MAC indoor and outdoor team titles, and Roberts guided conference champions Pierre Vinson and Clarence Glenn to all-America honors at the NCAA indoor meet. Roberts coached the top placers in the 60-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 60-meter hurdles, and 4x400-meter relay at the 2005 conference indoor meet, and the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, 110-meter hurdles and 400-meter hurdles champions at the conference outdoor meet. Vinson received the Most Valuable Participant award at both the indoor and outdoor championships.

Roberts was a hurdler Central Michigan, qualifying for nationals and placing second in the 60-meter hurdles at the MAC Championships. He was a Canadian Junior Champion in the 110-meter hurdles during his high school career.

Roberts graduated with a degree in finance from Central Michigan in 2003 and a Master of Arts also from Central Michigan University in 2007. He has a daughter, Makaylah, 5, and son Quentin, 2.

Roberts' Coaching Philosophy
I coach because I love the sports of track and field and because I feel it is what God created me to do. I feel a great responsibility to meet the needs of my student athletes both athletically and personally. There is no greater responsibility than to be given the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone's life. I want to win and have successful teams but I will never make the success of the team more important than the welfare of the individuals I coach. It is my job to assist the head coach in leading the team in the right direction through emphasis on academics and ethical behavior and to guide them athletically using training methods that are sounds and have proven success. It is also my job to make sure that I am always taking the individual into account and what will work best for them to reach their full potential in all areas of life. A successful team is built around successful people. Without quality individuals as a foundation the team cannot be successful.

• Open communication is the key to having a good coach to athlete relationship. Without open communication the athlete and the coach will not be on the same page.

• It is important to treat all student-athletes fairly and honestly.

• I believe a coach is accountable to their athletes just as an athlete is accountable to their coach.

• There must be clear expectations for behavior and work ethic spelled out in the team rules and voiced throughout the year.

• The coach has to give the athlete clear and reasonable expectations for performance.

• It is important to push the athlete to be successful but you must always be careful not to break their spirit. Coaching is a constant balancing act of pushing the athlete to improve while fostering their confidence.

• Athletes must be held accountable for their behavior inside and outside of practice. Anyone who breaks team rules or puts himself or herself or the team in a negative position will have to be disciplined.

• I believe the punishment should fit the crime as far as action taken for breaking team rules and that every effort should be made to make the individual fully aware of why his/her actions where wrong and that future violations will not be tolerated.

• It is important the athletes know that the coach is always in charge and that while the door is always open for communication and communication is necessary and welcome the team has one ultimate leader and decision maker and that is the head coach.

• All student-athletes will be expected to ultimately be responsible for their academic success and their athletic success. The coach's job is to lead the athlete but the athlete must be the one to follow the lead and take responsibility for his or her success and failure.

It is my job to assist the head coach in leading the team in the right direction through emphasis on academics and ethical behavior and to guide them athletically using training methods that are sounds and have proven success. It is also my job to make sure that I am always taking the individual into account and what will work best for them to reach their full potential in all areas of life. A successful team is built around successful people. Without quality individuals as a foundation the team cannot be successful.

Student-Athlete Success Under Roberts
Pierre Vinson, Central Michigan University
High School Bests: 60 m-6.95,100 m-10.60, 200 m-22.30
Collegiate Bests: 60 m-6.67, 100 m-10.29, 200 m-21.10
Honors: Eight-Time MAC Champion, All-American, 2005 MAC Indoor and Outdoor Most Valuable Recipient, Three-Time Regional Qualifier, Two-Time National Qualifier

Clarence Glenn, Central Michigan University
High School Bests: 60-m hurdles-8.60, 110-m hurdles-14.90
Collegiate Bests: 60-m hurdles-7.79, 110-m hurdles-13.60
Honors: Two-Time MAC Champion, All-American, 2005 Regional and National Qualifier, 2005 USA Championship Semefinalist

Steve Wezner, Central Michigan University
High School Bests: 200 m-22.50, 400 m-48.89
Collegiate Bests: 200 m-21.49,400 m-46.99
Honors: Six-Time MAC Champion, Three-Time Regional Qualifier

Jessica White, Bowling Green State University
High School Bests: 100 m-12.08, 200 m-25.45
Collegiate Bests: 60 m-7.50,100 m-11.57,200 m-24.38
Honors: Bowling Green 60-m Record Holder, 2006 Regional Qualifier

Amanda Sefcik, Bowling Green State University
High School Bests: Long Jump-18'11 (Blew ACL First year of College)
Collegiate Bests: Long Jump-19'7