LTFCA Clinic

Everyone who knows me knows that I love to go to clinics to learn from some of the top names in the sport.  Luckily, once a year I find myself able to go to the state coaches conference held by our state coaches association in tandem with the USTFCCCA.  While there is a social element, there are always great speakers, especially in distance.  Last year I listened to nationally renowned head coach for Stillwater High school, Scott Christensen, who has had four of his athletes go on to break 4 minutes for the mile in college.  This year the head coach of John Curtis has been invited to speak on sprints, so that should make for a good talk as well. Here is a little preview I have written for Louisiana Running, our milesplit affiliate, to show what the event has to offer:

This Thursday and Friday the Louisiana Track and Field Coaches Association will be putting on their annual coaches convention where training ideas are discussed, new LHSAA and NFHS rules are presented, and a social atmosphere is a focal point.  

Held at the Ramada Lafayette Conference Center (formerly a Holiday Inn) in Lafayette, the two day event kicks off Thursday evening at 6:00 PM with a great cast of speakers.  Heather Van Norman, former LSU All-American and current coach at Nicholls State University is the main sprints speaker; Calvin Robinson of Louisiana Tech is the main jumps speaker.  Calvin has coached such athletes as recent long jump bronze medalist at the Olympics, Blessing Okagbare; Bob Nihells of Lake Park High School in Illinois is the main throws speaker and has won the Gill Coach of the Year award in 2011.  And lastly, the dynamo of the conference is two time Olympian and current LSU distance coach Khadevis Robinson.  

There is a coaching social at the end of the evening on Thursday, then a full schedule of rules clinics, awards, and more speakers the next day.  There are four slots for speakers on Friday and they are all set up at the same time, allowing coaches to listen to different speakers who focus on different events if they should want to.  And lastly, with registration you receive a year membership in the LTFCA.  New coaches, this is the perfect opportunity to find out much more about your sport, and old coaches this is a way to keep in touch with newer training methods etc.  Hope to see you guys out there!

Knowledge Is Power- August 30th

Ready for your weekend reads?  Here you go:

Anita Hinriksdotter Training by Athletics Weekly- Why it matters:  This is great insight into what one of the future stars of the sport does on a weekly basis for training.  Watch for her name in the international results as she competes for Iceland.

Complexity and the Thousand Hour Rule by Malcolm Gladwell- Why it matters: This is an article in defense of Gladwells 10,000 rule.  He addresses Epstein and counters well with regards to his research.  In the battle between talent vs work, nature vs nurture, this is a fun debate to revisit.

National High School Cross Country Rankings by Dyestat-  Why it matters: This blog, while having a good bit of continuity with the international level, really focuses on the youth level.  This ranks the best youth teams in the nation according to Rob Monroe and Dyestat.

Outside the Comfort Zone by Steve Magness- Why it matters:  It's always interesting to get a perspective on different training concepts, especially from a coaches point of view.  Steve has coached several international athletes lately and here is a view at one of them.

Jackie Areson is coached by Steve Magness

Training Slower to Run Faster by Andy Friedlander- Why it matters:  Coach Clyde Hart is the most successful 400 meter coach in history and this is a look at the non-traditional training methods he employs with his athletes.

Knowledge Is Power- August 16th

Continue to keep yourself in the know on the history of athletics or some interesting training articles.  Enjoy your weekend!

Article about USATF and Shannon Rowbury by Letsrun- Why it matters:  The USATF has been under scrutiny the past few years for lame leaders, bad meet protocol, and now this.  USATF may be the leader of the sport, but do they do what is best for the sport?

Womens 1500 Recap by Milesplit- Why it matters: This was the race that Rowbury wanted to be in, but never the less the USA had a medalist in Jenny Simpson and the future of American distance running (actually by now she can be considered the present) Mary Cain was also in the final.

Ancillary Training Ideas by Jay Johnson- Why it matters: I'm a fan of adding in some strength work even for runners and a lot of that comes from Jay.  Strength work keeps you healthy and can add some benefits more than just looking more toned.  Thanks a lot Jay!

Being Average by Vern Gambetta- Why it matters:  I love Vern's blog posts.  They are short and to the point.  They get you thinking.  We see people who struggle to be average all the time.  Maybe struggling to be elite is just as hard as struggling to be average?  Just something to ponder.

NSAF Rosters for Pan-American Championships- Why it matters:  Well, despite this being the "future" athletes of our sport, I had another reason for putting it up.  Congrats to Dylan Duvio of John Curtis Christian School for making the roster!  We wish you good luck!

Knowledge is Power- August 9th

So continuing with our weekly series of the best articles that you need to read, here ya go!  Also, if you have any articles you think should be posted on here, feel free to submit them. Email me at vpprotraining@gmail.com.

Meet Day Protocol by Scott Christensen- Why it matters:  Reaching your potential is in a large way influenced by what you do you to prepare, mentally and physically.  Knowing what to do with your body the day of the competition is pretty much the core of sports performance.

World Championships Predictions by Athletics Weekly- Why it matters:  The World Championships happen the year before and the year after the Olympics.  It's the height of non-Olympic track and nearly as important in the track world.

Interview with Malcolm Gladwell by Runners World- Why it matters: Malcolm Gladwell is the writer of Outliers, a book which puts for the notion that practice is what separates talent.  He is a former Canadian champion runner and is one of the brightest minds in the sport.

New Doping Punishments in 2015 by IAAF-  Why it matters:  Track and Field is the purest sport still left on the earth and it has no home for cheaters and dopers.  The new 4 year ban will be a deterrent for athletes to dope, plus it will keep dopers away from the sport longer.

Iron Deficiency by Carl Valle-  Why it matters:  Iron deficiency is a major problem in sports, especially for women distance runners.  Stagnation and chronic fatigue are two attributes of iron deficiency.  In order to combat this, we need to monitor our eating!

Knowledge is Power- August 2nd

As promised I am giving you some reads for the week/weekend.  These are articles I find throughout the week that I find very interesting or I think is great information for coaches and athletes to know about.  Hope you enjoy!

Uk Reuters article on David Rudisha- Why it matterst: David is the only runner to ever run 1:40 in the 800.  His head coach has coached several Olympic champions.  This is some insight into what his camp does to train to be the best.

Marks Daily Apple article on Sleep- Why it matters: Sleep is very important to a regular person for a healthy lifestyle, so imagine what an athlete needs.  This article breaks down why you are kicking yourself in the face when you don't get your sleep.

USTFCCCA article on Online Coaching Certification-  Why it matters:  Coaching certifications can help a coach bring his understanding of the sport to a new level and now you can take the course from the comfort of your home.

NY Times review of the book Outliers- Why it matters: While the review doesn't discuss much about the theory that 10,000 hours of training is needed before someone can become phenomenal at a task, it does discuss in good detail that concept of "right place, right time" that we should consider when thinking of success.  Take a look into the book or the theories of Malcolm Gladwell to see how he believes one must be lucky, but also work for a large sum of hours on a task before true success can occur.  This book is older and the article was more a prelude into the next link.

Letsrun review of Sports Gene- Why it matters: While I haven't read the book yet (it just came out yesterday), this review is very plain and gets to the heart of why we should take interest in the book.  Talent comes in many ways (not simply the ways listed in the review or book) and we should look to strengths to help foster the best athletes.

Good Resources for Coaches

As a coach develops he needs to find places to learn and challenge his training philosophies to turn him into the best coach he can be for his athletes.  I have come across some of the best coaches in the sport through their websites and I want to share them with you so hopefully you can learn something from them as well.  These athletes have endless hours of knowledge for you to enjoy.

1) http://www.scienceofrunning.com/ - Steve Magness, a 4:01 miler in high school and former coach with Nike offers insight into coaching runners with science and reason

2) http://www.sportsscientists.com/ - Another website based on science, two physiologists study performance and training and modern sport.

3) http://www.elitetrack.com/ - This website is a series of blogs that deal with sports training in general, although there is a focus on track and field in many of the posts.

4) http://sacspeed.com - Boo Schexnayder's website for his company SACSpeed.  He is a track and field coach of the highest quality and may be the smartest man in the sport.

5) http://www.athletesacceleration.com/ - This website has access to a lot of coaching material and practical coaching advice.

Getting a College Education

One of my goals as a coach is to have all my athletes prepared for college life when they leave high school.  The main concern is having everything paid for so at least once a week I remind the kids to keep focused on their grades, stay working hard, and hopefully if they can't be offered any sort of athletic scholarship to pay for school, hopefully they will be able to go on a full academic scholarship.

At some point in every runners life they need to move on to a job and a large part of what that person is able to do depends on their education.  Letting a kid know his options and ways to pay for college can be pivotal in his or her ability to attend.

Now not all of your athletes will take you seriously when you talk about hard work and dedication in the classroom.  You won't be able to get every single kid you coach on the same page as you, but as long a you let them know the different ways they can go to school after they are done with you then you have done your job.