MVP Track Club Head Coach Stephen Francis is considering implementing a strict no social media policy for his athletes during the competitive season.
This revelation comes after his recent conversation in Paris, where the seasoned coach expressed his growing concern over the impact of social media on his athletes’ performance.
Francis highlighted the issue during an interview early this month at the Paris Olympics, pointing out that the allure of social media often distracts athletes, causing them to lose their focus and derail from their objectives.
“I believe I’m going to try to implement a policy for the athletes to delete social media before they start competing,” Francis shared with the Jamaican Observer. “It’s too much of a distraction, and they spend too much time on their phones.”
This stance aligns with the behavior of some of his top athletes, including former protege Elaine Thompson-Herah, who has maintained a low profile on social media throughout her career.
This suggests that Francis may have already been encouraging a reduction in social media usage among his athletes. Notably, one of his athletes Thompson, who burst onto the scene with a remarkable 9.77-second run at the Jamaican Olympic trials last July, has since withdrawn from the public eye.
After securing a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, the sprinter has remained largely inactive on social media, even pulling out of the Silesia and Rome Diamond League meets last week due to a hamstring issue that nearly sidelined him from the Olympic 100m final.
While some athletes under Francis’ guidance have embraced a more private approach, others, like Shericka Jackson, have remained active online.
Jackson’s recent social media activity even hinted at a response to Noah Lyles’ girlfriend, Junelle Bromfield, who claimed to have been a victim of cyberbullying over the past few months.
Francis, however, is particularly concerned about the influence of social media on his younger athletes. He cited Tia Clayton, his latest promising sprinter, as an example.
Clayton, who reached the 100 meters final in Paris, struggled under the pressure, which Francis attributes to her lack of experience and possible distractions from her phone.
“Tia is in the process of learning how to be a professional. I believe she froze in the final. There were a lot of factors she wasn’t accustomed to, primarily the weather, which had turned cold,” he said.
“I also think the reality of being in contention, combined with possibly something she saw on her phone, might have caused her to freeze,” Francis explained.
