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04/27/2017 12:00 AMRecent Central Connecticut State University graduate Kendal Walker has hopped aboard as the newest member of the East Haven track and field program’s coaching staff. Kendal, who will be working with the Yellowjackets’ sprinters and jumpers, brings a wealth of experience to East Haven. Kendal competed for Central Connecticut and is now coaching track at his alma mater to go along with his new role with the Easties.
Kendal feels that his experience as a collegiate coach will be a big benefit to East Haven’s athletes, particularly the ones who have designs on competing at the next level.
“Being able to coach at a higher level, I’m able to pass down that knowledge to the younger athletes, so when they get to college, it’s not as big a transition,” Kendal says. “They don’t know just how big of a jump it is. The level of competition is so much better. Out of high school, two things can happen—they’ll get there and crumble or they’ll rise to it. Since I’m fresh out, I can help them understand what it means to be a collegiate athlete.”
East Haven’s Athletic Director Anthony Verderame has his own background in track. Verderame feels enthusiastic about the addition of Kendal to the Yellowjackets’ athletic family.
“Kendal has been an amazing addition to the East Haven track and field staff,” says Verderame. “His collegiate track experience and technical knowledge of the sport is far beyond his years of age. We are truly fortunate to have Kendal on board.”
Kendal was a member of the outdoor track program at Hamden High School, where he also played basketball in the winter. Kendal’s main event was the 400-meter dash, and he was also part of two relays—the 4x400 and the sprint medley—that set school records and ran at nationals in 2012.
For college, Kendal initially committed to UConn, but transferred to Central Connecticut, and was a member of the Blue Devils’ indoor and outdoor track squads. Kendal transitioned to sprints and jumps at Central, with the 60, 100, 200, and 4x100 being his main events. Kendal’s 4x100 relay won the Northeast Conference championship last year, and he also helped Central win three straight conference titles from 2014 to 2016.
Kendal is now coaching many of the same athletes that he competed alongside at Central Connecticut. It’s an enjoyable experience for Kendal, but one that comes with some challenges.
“It’s a lot of fun because I already have a good rapport with those guys. I trained with them and I’ve been on their side, so I can relate to them very well,” says Kendal. “On the other side of things, it’s also a challenge to draw that line. They need to look at me more from the coaching aspect instead of the friend or teammate aspect since we’re not competing together anymore. I’m more so helping them be the best they can be and it’s a good experience.”
Even though he’s the young guy on the Yellowjackets’ staff, Kendal is learning from head coaches Rusty Dunne and Jim Vicario about how to provide a fatherly presence to East Haven’s athletes.
“Because I’m young, a lot of times athletes don’t give as much as they would to coaches like Dunne or Vicario because they’re older and more of a parent figure to them. [The athletes] see me more as a friend, but [Dunne and Vicario] both taught me how to draw that line and be looked at as a coach,” says Kendal. “I’m here to help them get better. They need to know I’m here to help them elevate their athletic abilities.”
Kendal feels fortunate that he’s received two coaching opportunities at such a young age, and he’s already thinking about the possibility of a head coaching career.
“In the grand scheme of things, I’m hoping to one day become a head coach myself. Probably at the collegiate level is where I’d like to be eventually,” says Kendal. “Right now, I’m just trying to get as much experience as I possibly can in the field.”