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Coaching

Child Protection Officers

Michael Cossor
Ann Kirkham

Godiva Coaching News

At the University of Warwick Endurance Academy Training Day on 14th December 2008, two very useful documents were identified.

Cook, G. (2001) Baseline Sports-Fitness Testing. In: B. Foran, ed.” High Performance Sports Conditioning”. Human Kinetics, Champaign. This document on the The Functional Movement Screen is available on-line and includes some video. For those who prefer to view a non-video full colour copy of the document use this link, or for a black& white version click here.

Fredericson, M., Moore, T. (2005) "Core stabilisation training for middle and long-distance runners". New Studies in Athletics. 20:1; 25-37. For convenience a copy of the downloaded document is available here. (The source is available at the IAAF "New Studies in Athletics" Archive)

At the Coaching Meeting held on 12 December 2007 Graham Knight gave a practical presentation of his coaching methods. A written summary is available here.

Coaching Support information

Local Coaching Courses

To find out about local coaching courses click on this link, which gives access to a National database of England Athletics courses, then identify the course required together with "West Midlands" on the search engine at the top of the page.

Nutrition

Recognizing the differing nutritional needs for different levels of training and competition is very important, and the IAAF has produced a very useful 38-page guide entitled "Nutrition for Athletes".

Their 2007 consensus statement provides a useful overview of nutrition in athletics.

On the UK Athletics website "Eat and Drink Like a Champion" is a resource that provides guidance and advice from UK Athletics for athletes, coaches, clubs and families to help aspiring talent in terms of nutrition and hydration. It is downloadable as a 95-page document.

Sports drinks manufacturers websites also provide useful information.The Lucozade site provides information about its products in the context of a sports science background, and sports science information is also available on the Gatorade site.

Further afield, there are some interesting recipes and sensible advice on the Australian Institute of Sport website.

Anti-doping

It goes without saying that athletes should be allowed to compete on a level playing field, and the use of illegal drugs should be penalised. This means that at club level we must do our utmost not only to train our athletes to compete fairly, but we must also be able to give them guidance on what is permitted. Incidents like the discovery that US manufactured "Vick" contained a prohibited substance not present in the UK version means that even innocent actions can give rise to problems. Likewise people suffering from such conditions as asthma need to know what they can and can't use, and what declarations are needed to the authorities (before, and not after, a problem is found!)

In 2009 the UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) Agency was set up. It is accountable to Parliament through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and is responsible for the implementation and management of the UK anti-doping policy.

Access to UKAD provides a wealth of information, including :-

• The Prohibited List - reviewed annually
• International Standard for Testing
• International Standard for Laboratories
• International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)
• International Standard for the Protection of Privacy and Personal Information

these being established under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

UK Athletics provides clarification on who is subject to testing here.

They note that you only become an "international athlete" under these regulations when you have been notified in writing of this status by UK Athletics.

HOWEVER you can still be selected for random "in competition drugs tests" at major UK championships and other events such as the English Schools, UK Trials, BMC Grand Prix, UK Women's League etc. Therefore athletes should bear in mind the need for self registration of any inhalers with UK Athletics (the above page provides a link to a registration form) and if they are drugs tested before becoming a national or international athlete they should follow the following procedure:

Lifestyle and Support

Specific information relating to the Coaching of Women and Girls has been written by Gwenda Ward and is available via Tony Ward's blog. Two articles are available at
http://www.theinsidetrack.org.uk/?p=206
http://www.theinsidetrack.org.uk/?p=243.

Strength and Conditioning

A set of Pool Training Sessions as advocated by "On Camp with Kelly" is available here.

You can get more information on the benefits of aqua-jogging at http://www.aquajogger.com/default.htm.

Sport Science

Sport Science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance. Traditionally it incorporates the areas of physiology, psychology, motor control and biomechanics, and also includes other topics such as nutrition and diet, covered above.

Coventry University provides facilities for exercise testing, muscle function testing, and technique analysis, as well as providing a strength and conditioning suite. This is supported by training programme design and other supporting facilities.

Technical Information

Sports Coach UK is the UK lead agency for Coach Development. Their website provides a wealth of information across all aspects of coaching.

Athletics Weekly also produces advice, techniques and tips for beginners in its AW basics section. Be prepared to scroll down the page, which provides links to a whole range of topics.

The Canadian Athletics Coaching Centre, which was established in October 2003 as a legacy of the IAAF World Championships held in Edmonton, is dedicated to participation and excellence in athletics, supporting coaches and athletes at all levels of the sport. Its Sport Science tab provides access to a collection of very readable articles in the key coaching themes of Bio-mechanics, Planning and Periodization, Theory and Methodology, Youth Development, Therapy, Recovery and Restoration, Coach Development, and Psychology, with other References.

The LA84foundation.org

This is the web site for the Legacy of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. This web site is a great resource for athletes, coaches, trainers and parents.

It is endowed with surplus funds from the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Their mission is to serve youth through sport and to increase knowledge of sport and its impact on people’s lives. It is a private nonprofit institution which has committed more than $160 million to accomplish its mission since 1985.

A complete list of free downloadable coaching manuals can be found here, of which the following are the most relevant ones:

Coaching Athletes. A Foundation for Success (PDF) A manual for coaches of athletes from 6-18 years of age. This book features coaching philosophy, understanding young athletes, teaching sports skills, planning practice sessions, maintaining healthy attitudes towards winning and losing, fun, coaches and parents, team discipline, nutrition, safety and managing a youth sports program.
Six chapters, 175 pages.

LA84 Foundation Track and Field Coaching Manual (PDF) Aimed at the high school track coach, this volume focuses on team administration, training principles, strength training, plyometrics, injury prevention, nutrition, organizing a track meet, rules and specific tips for coaching each track and field event. Includes a chapter on the use of Performance Enhancing substances with high school athletes.
Seventeen chapters, 456 pages.

LA84 Foundation Cross Country Coaching Manual (PDF) This manual describes how to build a high school cross country program using sound principles and methods for coaching distance running. Information on managing injuries, motivational tips, racing strategy and guidelines for organizing a cross country meet is included.
Eight chapters, 264 pages.

Please note that, while links are provided in good faith, Coventry Godiva Harriers are not responsible for the contents of any external sites.

And finally ...

Bob Phillips, Athletics writer and broadcaster, writes: "Bill Adcocks was - and still is - one of the very finest of Britain's marathon men". Bill's book "The Road to Athens" provides an insight into how he became one of the fastest marathon runners this country has seen.