Coaches and Accessories

No, I'm not talking purses and belts, I'm talking about tools that a coach can have that aid him and his team.  I'm a big fan of useful devices or services to help my athletes to achieve success on a daily basis and there are a few items that I have come across that I feel make a big difference.  Here is a list of some ideas that can make a difference for your team.

Foam Rollers- These guys are one of the most useful items I have gotten for my athletes.  The foam roller is a stretching, massage, and injury prevention tool that can do wonders.  All you have to do is lie over the roller and move your body back and forth to get a deep tissue style massage and loosen up tight muscles and tissue.

McMillan Running Calculator-  This isn't a physical tool, but it is very helpful.  Even wonder about what your athletes should run in other events based off their recent performances?  This calculator is very helpful in establishing where your athletes should be (although it is not perfect!).  This is also useful in establishing paces for workouts.

GPS Watch- This is especially useful for those coaches and athletes who do not have access to a track or a course that is already marked out accurately.  I am very interested in knowing paces and distances for my workouts, and this is a great aid, especially on easy distance runs and it allows you to keep track of your athletes.

Online Team Page- This is another non-physical tool, but is very important for team organization and recognition.  Having accurate graduation years and accurate stats not only help your athletes get noticed in their running community but it also keeps track of their progression and is a showcase of their efforts throughout the years.  Especially on milesplit, you have access to different stats and graphs for each person and it keeps track of school records.

Lists of Parents and Sponsors-  This is one of the most underrated tools you can have.  A list of parents that can help during events and a list of sponsors that can help your team pay for expenses such as a travel and uniforms.  Anyone who has coached for a certain amount of time knows that you need good help to keep your program together and the best place to start is parents.  Business and individuals willing to donate money to a team are also pretty neat too.