Coach Education Resources

The Functional Movement Screen
Young Athletes, Strength and Conditioning, Mobility Athletics Australia Young Athletes, Strength and Conditioning, Mobility Athletics Australia

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.

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Engagement, Connection, and Inspiration in Coaching
Coaching Skills, Coaching Values, Young Athletes Athletics Australia Coaching Skills, Coaching Values, Young Athletes Athletics Australia

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.

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Recommended Training Loads for Teenage Athletes: A Guide to Optimal Development
Planning, Young Athletes Athletics Australia Planning, Young Athletes Athletics Australia

Recommended Training Loads for Teenage Athletes: A Guide to Optimal Development

Training young athletes is a delicate balance of enhancing performance while ensuring safety, longevity, and enjoyment in sports. Overtraining can lead to burnout or injury, while undertraining may limit athletic potential. For junior athletes, particularly those aged 12-18 in track and field, the correct training loads are crucial to optimizing their development while preventing injury.

This article discusses the recommended training loads for young athletes, focusing on the balance between technique, strength training, and recovery. We’ll explore research-backed guidelines and provide insights into how to tailor programs for individual athletes’ needs.

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Conditioning Young Athletes
Young Athletes Athletics Australia Young Athletes Athletics Australia

Conditioning Young Athletes

Episode 1 of a short-lived AI Podcasting era! This episode summarises the key points from the book "Conditioning Young Athletes" by Tudor O. Bompa and Michael Carrera.

Our AI hosts discuss the importance of long-term athletic development for young athletes, emphasizing the need for age-appropriate training methods to optimise performance and prevent burnout and injury.

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Using Effective Coaching Cues
Coaching Skills, Young Athletes Athletics Australia Coaching Skills, Young Athletes Athletics Australia

Using Effective Coaching Cues

For track and field coaches and athletes, coaching cues are a great tool for instructing and reinforcing the desired skill components.

However, there is strong evidence to suggest that not all cues are equally effective.

This article delves into the critical role of coaching cues – specifically, external and internal cues – in shaping athletes' performance, including their ability to develop and retain newly acquired skills.

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