Tony Saunders

Coaching Values

At Illawarra Speed Coaching our primary goal is to assist keen sprinters of High School age and above to run their fastest.

Approach To Coaching

Supporting athletes to reach their goal is my personal motivation for coaching.

In my opinion, it’s not about where the athlete finishes in their respective disciplines, its more about giving 100% and striving to run PBs. I tell my athletes that there is no winning or losing in athletics or in life, its all about learning to make you a better person. I explain to the athletes, it’s not about how bad you want success, it’s more about what are you prepared to do, to achieve success.

Athletes and Current Squad

Our squad is only small, which enables a more comprehensive approach where each athlete’s mechanics and overall performances can be adjusted if required.

I am extremely lucky enough to have some talented & dedicated athletes in my squad. Former Australian 400M Champion, Chelsea Ezeoke and NSW All School 400M Champion, Emily Strecker, are just two of the outstanding young ladies I coach.

In my opinion, a great athlete requires numerous strengths, however, the main ingredient is DISCIPLINE. There are many, many talented people in the world, however, not as many that are DISCIPLINED.

Greatest Achievements as a Coach

Perhaps my greatest achievements in my 21 years of coaching would be two fold.

First and foremost, having the pleasure to assist and guide some wonderful young men and women, not only to assist their personal life goals, but to instil in them the importance of respect, caring and self-belief.

Secondly, having been fortunate enough to have coached 12 National Champions, and numerous State Champions. All successes were derived from a great network of family support, nutritionists, strength and conditioning professionals. Without the dedication by these people, the athletes success would have not blossomed.

What’s Next

My primary goals are to learn as much as possible by studying, networking with other coaches, and successfully completing as many courses and attending conferences as possible. Thus ensuring that I am providing my athletes with the best and most up to date knowledge and skills.