So I’ve now been coaching for 8 years, with the last 3 really taking me down the rabbit hole as I moved from being an athlete who coached to just a coach. I started learning (or really trying to learn) digging up videos on youtube (Brian Clymber does some pretty good stuff), which lead me to purchasing one of those how to coach sprinter video sets, then a USATF level 2 certification, then a USTFCCCA certification, and pretty much all the reading I could get my hands on. What it means is that I’m pretty comfortable with basic training theory and the science behind it, as well as the various technical models. This winter I determined myself weak in S&C knowledge, so I grabbed all of literature on that I could (makes the sprinting community look and sound unified) and while I know I have a long way to go, I definitely don’t feel like a pretender in the weight room any more.
All that said, I’m not totally sure where I should point myself next. I’ve started grabbing some books on leadership/psychology (Mastery and Anti-Fragile) but they feel a bit farther ahead of where I am right now. So my thoughts of what else to add are:
Physiology and kinematics (I’m an English teacher so that didn’t really happen…ever)
?
I know first and foremost this is a time thing, and that maybe the biggest thing I’m lacking is experience but does anyone have any other suggestions of what else would be worth developing?
Hornblower - I’ve read all of Stu’s stuff (actually have the whole weight series printed), though with the weights I’m more at a understanding the programming rather than determining the system to use it in (crawl before walk or something like that). Cal Dietz’s Triphasic Training was a really good find for me on that.
Bentz - ALTIS would be amazing to go visit though my school teacher’s schedule means I’d have to miss work days to do it (and its still tempting). If you haven’t grabbed the book ‘The Permanent Pain Cure’ for ELDOA/myofascial stretching you’re missing out, was reccomended by Kebba Tolbert at the USTFCCCA clinic.
Maybe a better question is what knowledge/skills does an ideal elite coach need to possess and what is the best way to go about obtaining that?
[b]
There is a tremendous amount of very high quality information on training sprinters, coaching in general and coaching track athletes on this website.
Have you read any of my blogs especially some of the recent ones?
It might help you to begin thinking about the idea of coaching as a business. Unless you have so much passion it exceeds normal rules, which is what Charlie did. Maybe you would benefit from a study of those coaches you wish to emulate?
If you have not read Speed Trap you need to read it now. It’s only one example but it’s pretty specific to track. Maybe others will recommend books written by successful coaches with results. These are the people I would emulate and draw experiences from.
What products have you purchased here? Did you know that I also sell the key concept books on Amazon and they are extremely affordable? I have been trying to focus on getting the information contained on this site more organized and uniform for coaches to be able to consume it more readily and easily.
You asked for the suggestion on what you might want to think about regarding your development. Based on reading this thread I think you might want to look at working on your own perseverance and let your frustration to learn and know more lead the way.
Let me know if I have answered your question. Thank you X man for your continued support. [/b]
Coaches and athletes need to embrace the idea regarding the business of coaching and the business of becoming an athlete.
I started my own business to sustain my chances to continue to compete in amateur sport. It was one of the best things I ever did.
When Charlie and I began working with non-athletes we were able to gain a view into what many amateur sports are missing; Professionalization, structure and mentorship to name only a few.
Universities and college often struggle putting together the necessary pieces to create sustained successful results.
Speed Trap is only book but it tells a story about one persons journey as both athlete and coach.
I learned the basic ELDOA stretches from Rucsandra Mitrea and Guy Voyer. Ming Chew’s book The Permanent Pain Cure mentioned above is the best source I know of to learn the basics without attending a seminar. Sadly, there still is not a definitive textbook on the subject by Guy Voyer or any of his senior students. I have no idea why not.
I fully agree this website is an amazing resource and I turn to it regularly. I’ve also bought Speed Trap and several of the Key Concept texts (all via Amazon actually, I think they’re how I found the site). Emulating a more successful coach is definitely something I try to do already, though at this point I feel like I’m more riffing on the ideas of several of them to create something that I’m comfortable with and more critically, fits the program I’m currently running. That said I am starting to explore the idea of leaving teaching to focus on coaching/trying to become a volunteer/intern for one of those coaches, that will be a big step…
Otherwise I guess my issue is that all of the technical and coaching literature I’ve read points in the same general direction, and as X-man points out you can always find new ideas (the notes I have from those certification seminars are gold), I just wonder if there are things outside the immediate circle that I should be looking for - trying to broaden my base while always fine tuning the specifics.
Pinky, on the S&C front I would really recommend Charlie’s Weights for Speed video series. The reason why it is so helpful is that it places strength training into the context of the overall speed development program. Almost every other resource and text I know of related to strength training treat it in isolation and make it the primary focus. The end result is typically a lot of extra strength work the athlete really doesn’t need and can’t handle in combination with the other elements, not least of which the speed work. The Weights for Speed videos provide a wonderful filter through which to analyze other strength related material.
I bought the book. It’s amazing I cant put it down, and have already started to loosen up. The myo-fascial stretches are a game changer! my cooldowns will never be the same