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The new head coach of the track and field programme, Elton Coombs, will be looking to step up Vere Technical High School's thrust at recruiting top-level athletes, aiming to return them to the pinnacle of the sport.

Coombs admits that recruiting is crucial to the success of teams at the top, which was a vital feature in Vere's years of dominance when they ruled the roost at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls' Athletics Championships (Champs), winning 21 titles.

"Recruiting plays a vital role in any team being successful, and this is an area that urgent attention is needed going forward," said Coombs, who spent one semester as a student at Florida State University before returning to Jamaica to attend the University of Technology.

Recruiting has also boosted the abilities of St Jago High, Holmwood Technical High, Edwin Allen, Manchester and Hydel, who have won Champs titles since Vere tasted their last success in 2002.

Coombs knows this reality but is ready to work with what he has within his ambit this year.

"Unlike my main competitors, not much recruiting has been done for the team, and we will have to rely on athletes from within the parish," he continued.

Coombs, however, sees potential in several athletes within his current squad, who he expects to perform well in the upcoming track and field season.

"I expect Daniel Chamberlain and Jada Lynch in Class Four, Martina Maxam and Sequia Mills in Class Three, and Jessene and Ethana Williams in Classes One and Two to hold their own," he stated.

The new head coach noted that the recent promotional visit to Vere by past student Shericka Jackson, the World Championships double 200 metres champion, has helped to fuel the athletes' desire to perform.

"The athletes were happy to see her and to know that she was a part of what they are now; and to be back, this was a big motivational boost for them," he said.

Coombs has several objectives that he is looking to achieve, which he hopes will return Vere among high school's track and field elite.

"My short-term plan is to improve the discipline of the team. The long-term is to get the team back in the top three. We are on the right track, but more support is needed for this to be a reality," he said.