Coach Education Resources
The Functional Movement Screen
The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is a tool for evaluating an athlete's functional movement patterns. In this article, we break down how the FMS works, assess its effectiveness in identifying movement inefficiencies and asymmetries, and why it may be a useful addition to your coaching toolkit.
Five Strategies for Balancing Coaching with a ‘Normal’ Life
Coaching track and field athletes is a rewarding yet demanding pursuit, often requiring a delicate balance between professional commitments, personal life, and the passion for coaching. In this article, we explore the wisdom and strategies of experienced coach Sandro Bisetto, who shares practical insights on time management, setting boundaries, aligning career goals, and maintaining strong family connections.
Muscular Strategy Shifts in Sprint Training: Implications for Training Cues and Exercises
The muscular strategy shifts identified by Dorn, Schache, and Pandy (2012) provide essential insights for sprint training, particularly for 100m and 200m sprinters. Coaches should focus on developing hip muscle strength and power to improve stride frequency and optimise sprint performance.
The Athlete Archetype Framework
A Totally Unscientific Way of Thinking About Different Athletes’ Needs and Motivations.
This guest article explores three ‘athlete archetypes’ and how the writer adapts their coaching style depending on the type of athlete they are working with.
Sharon Hannan: The Coach Who Built Communities, Not Just Champions
"It wasn’t just about athletics—it was about bringing people together, building relationships, and giving kids and families a place to belong."
Discover the driving influences behind one of Australia’s most successful athletics coaches of all time, Sharon Hannan.
The Norweigan Model of Lactate Threshold Training
The Norwegian model of lactate threshold training offers an intriguing approach for middle and long distance athletes. This model has been implemented successfully by some elite athletes, most notably in recent times Jackob Ingebrigtsen. The model emphasises moderating training intensity through lactate control and a unique method of blocking workouts.
This article will explore the training model and how it may be used by Australian coaches.
Coaching Circular Throws: Discus, Shot Put, and Hammer Throw
The Circular Throws (Discus, Shot Put, and Hammer) are events demanding a blend of strength, timing, coordination, and technique. To optimise performance in these disciplines, coaches shouldfocus on key technical elements, phases of movement, and biomechanical principles. This article looks at the core coaching concepts and unique considerations for each throw, with insights derived from elite throwers and supported by biomechanical research.
Engagement, Connection, and Inspiration in Coaching
Explore the art of coaching through Wayne Goldsmith’s perspective, focusing on building genuine connections, fostering engagement, and inspiring athletes beyond mere physical training. Goldsmith highlights a concerning global decline in youth sports participation, arguing that traditional, metric-driven coaching approaches often miss what truly motivates young athletes: meaningful relationships and a sense of purpose.
Community Brainstorm: December 2024
The Community Brainstorm is a monthly forum where we tackle key coaching questions together, drawing on the collective wisdom of our coaching community. Each month, we highlight a real-world challenge, inviting coaches to share insights, strategies, and resources that help others navigate common issues in track and field coaching. Join us in building a stronger, more connected athletics coaching community.
Di Sheppard’s Holistic Approach to Success On and Off the Track
Di Sheppard, the influential coach behind rising Australian track star Gout Gout, has built a career grounded in authenticity, resilience, and a no-nonsense coaching philosophy. Known for her direct approach, Di prioritises both athletic skill and personal growth, creating a training environment that demands accountability and independence from her athletes.
Learn the secret behind her success in this feature article on one of Australia’s most talked about track and field coaches.
Purposeful Sprint Drills: Boosting Technique and Performance with Informed Choices for Track Coaches
This article summarises key findings from a study investigating the selection and rationale behind sprinting drills used by track and field coaches. It focuses particularly on coaches' understanding of how these drills impact sprint performance and technique.
Energy System Chart - How to Train Maximum Speed, Speed Endurance, and Tempo
This chart provides a general overview of the optimal distances, intensity, rest, progression, and daily training loads for developing the different components of speed, speed endurance, special endurance and tempo running.
Key Elements of the High Jump Technique
These resources are based on a paper by Wolfgang Ritzdorf, Director of the World High Jump Centre in Cologne, Germany. In this paper, Ritzdorf discusses his approach to coaching high jumpers. He argues that coaches must first establish a technical model for their athletes, then assess whether their personal style hinders or helps them achieve key technical elements.
Hip Mobility and Flexibility for Track and Field
Read this academic article, published in the journal Advances in Physical Education, examining the importance of hip mobility and flexibility for track and field athletes. The article presents a program of nine mobility exercises and six flexibility exercises, with accompanying images, intended to improve hip range of motion and athletic performance.
What all Athletics Coaches Should Understand About Training and Muscle Fibres
Knowledge of muscle fibre types and how they can change is valuable for personalising training programs for different athletes’ goals. Understanding how different training modalities affect fibre type composition can help tailor programs for endurance, strength, power, or a combination of these qualities.
Moving Beyond Distance Alone - A More Nuanced Approach to Training Load in Runners
This commentary from the Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy argues that runners and coaches should move beyond solely focusing on weekly distance when quantifying and monitoring training load. The authors explain that running distance is only one aspect of training stress and fails to capture the full picture of the mechanical, physiological, and psychological demands of running.
Considerations of Training Load
Athletes need to plan and periodise their training load to enhance performance and prevent injury. This involves balancing periods of intense training (loading) with strategic reductions in training volume (unloading), such as planned breaks or rest periods. The time it takes to return to full training load after unloading is proportional to the length of the reduced workload.
Read the full article to learn the main considerations of manipulating training load for optimal athlete adaptation and performance.
The Whole Athlete and Training Program
This High Performance Town Hall explores the importance of a comprehensive training program for athletes, focusing on the “whole athlete” and the role of communication, and planning.
Master Coach, Susan Hobson, and AA Dietitian Lead, Bryce Anderson, highlight the crucial elements beyond just physical training, including nutrition, sleep, recovery, and mental health, and how these should be integrated into the program.
Hamstring Muscle Strains in Sprinters
This research paper focuses on hamstring strains in sprinters. The study systematically investigated the first six weeks following a hamstring strain in sprinters, including clinical examinations, MRI investigations and assessments of strength and flexibility. Key findings included a strong correlation between the location of the injury, distance from the ischial tuberosity and the time to return to pre-injury level, as well as the impact of proximal tendon involvement on recovery.
Force Application Technique, Sprint Performance, and Training Implications
This research paper examines the biomechanics of sprint running and how these factors affect performance in the 100m race. The study explores the importance of ground reaction force (GRF), particularly its horizontal component, in determining acceleration. The authors used a motorised instrumented treadmill to measure GRF in detail and found that the ability to orient GRF forward is crucial for sprint performance, even more so than the total force produced. The study also investigates how different levels of athletes, ranging from non-specialists to world-class performers, apply force differently during sprinting. The results highlight the need for training programs that focus on both physical strength and technical skill development, specifically in orienting force forward during acceleration.