End of the Summer and the Coming Year

If you have worked with me for any time as either a coach or an athlete you have probably heard me use the phrase "arm yourself with knowledge."  That's what I look to do between this website and my twitter.  I have only been writing this blog for about four and a half months (although I've been on and off with LA Running for 10 years) but I have already started to reach out to help people, not just across the country, but across the globe!  As the AAU season winds down and the school season picks up within the next week or two, I want to talk about what to expect as the the blog grows and as I grow as a coach.  Like I have done in the past, I want to keep you all informed in what's going on not just with me but with the sport in general.

First and foremost, you have probably noticed some new pages and items recently on the website.  I have added a section on graduates of the Southern Athletics Club which I will add content to as the year goes by. For me, showcasing what the hard working athletes on the team are doing in their races and seeing how they are being rewarded by college coaches is great for the young runners out there to see that their diligence can and will be rewarded one day.

Brenda Martinez thinks this site is number one.  Well, she probably would if she read it.

The two newest pages are what I have really gotten excited about the last couple days.  There is now a downloadable documents section where information on the team and training options are available, but in the future I hope to add a lot of free training documents for other coaches and athletes to read and consider.  Building up the sport is a big part of why I started to write!  That is one reason why I have finally opened up the team webstore with the help of Jon Davis.  This will allow much easier access to coaching and training with Southern Athletics and Vintage Performance as well as a way for people across the country to get team gear.  You will also notice the Donate button has been added.  If you feel like supporting the Southern Athletics team or what I do here with the blog and Vintage Performance, feel free to show it!  Anyone who coaches in track and field can tell you that team funding is a huge part of what we do.

Two other items I plan on putting together for the future, in keeping with the philosophy of knowledge is power (as well as trying to give as much to the running community as possible) is a weekly (or so) update with some of the best articles I find that talk about track and field or athletic development.  As mentioned I will be putting up free training guides (as I finish them which could be a while!) under the downloadable documents section, but I also plan on putting up weekly training plans for high school and middle school aged athletes to follow.  It's a chance for coaches to get workout ideas, but can even be followed day to day to help foster athletic development.

Lastly I wanted to say congratulations for Hannah Ivory and Zechariah Blake for competing in the AAU Junior Olympics in Ypsilanti, Michigan this week!  Zechariah took home All-American status as he won the discus with an AAU record mark of 137 feet!  Great job representing Southern Athletics and John Curtis!

Adios, and see you guys soon.  I'll leave you with a video of Alan Webb setting the American record in the mile with a 3:46.  Enjoy.