ATHLETICS COACH

ATHLETICS COACH 

January 2017

Athletics Australia acknowledges the traditional owners of the lands on which we 

walk, run, jump and throw. We pay respect to Indigenous elders, both past and 

present. 

PRESIDENT 

Mark Arbib 

CEO 

Phil Jones 

PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNITY SPORT 

James Selby - General Manager, Program Development 

Jill Taylor - National Coaching Development Manager 

Tait Forster - Sporting Schools Administrator 

Lynda Gusbeth - Integrity Unit Education Officer 

Kylie Italiano - Coaching Development Administrator 

Leana Joyce - Coaching Education Administrator 

Bridgid Junot - Indigenous Participation Coordinator 

Kath O’Connell - Coaching Development Administrator 

Kate Richardson - Coaching Education Administrator 

Blair Taylor - Coaching Accreditation Administrator 

Brett Watton - Para-athletics Development Officer 

ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA 

Athletics House, Level 2, 31 Aughtie Drive 

Albert Park Victoria 3206 Australia 

Phone : 03 8646 4550 

Email: aac@athletics.org.au 

www.athletics.com.au 

Special thanks to Lyn Foreman, Ranell Hobson, Brooke 

Stratton, Mike Barber, Kip Hobson, Raquel Holgado, 

Kristin Hatch, Campbell Maffett, Brian Roe, Manuela 

Dalla Costa, Paul Pascoe and Carol Grant. 

Photos courtesy of Getty Images. 

Front Cover: Paralympic Bronze Medallist in the Women's 

T45/46/47 Long Jump, Carlee Beattie coached by Gary 

Bourne.

CONTENTS 

Click or tap on the box to access the page directly

EDITORIAL 

In the last three months I have had the absolute 

privilege to facilitate and observe Accredited 

Athletics Coach Courses at either end of Athletics 

Australia’s education continuum. 

In October, I was in Hobart to deliver a Level 2 

Intermediate Club Coach course, supporting 

Tasmanian coaches who wished to further develop 

their coaching skills. It was inspiring to witness the 

coaches develop their confidence and competence 

over the two days and I look forward to following the participants coaching journey. 

Thank you to Dennis, Rochelle, Brandon and Allan for your enthusiastic participation 

and your willingness to continue to invest in your personal development as a coach. 

Over the last 2 months, Athletics Australia has delivered two IAAF CECS Level IV 

courses, in the event groups of Sprints & Hurdles and Middle & Long Distance. 

These courses were fortunate to engage a variety of knowledgeable and experienced 

facilitators, with Sharon Hannan and Lindsay Watson taking the role of lead facilitators, 

ensuring that all participants were capably led through their personal learning 

experience. A huge thank you to all the facilitators who so generously shared their 

wealth of knowledge and experience and a special thank you to all the participants who 

dedicated eight days to further their coaching capability and create strong, supportive 

peer links with likeminded coaches. 

At every course I have attended in 2016, the consistent theme has been the inspiring 

passion of the participants, from those commencing their coaching journey at a Level 1 

Community Athletics Coach Course, through to those experienced coaches attending an 

IAAF CECS Level IV course. Thank you to every coach for sharing this passion, our sport 

is so very fortunate to be in your hands. 

Have a merry and safe Christmas. 

Jill Taylor 

National Coaching Development Manager 



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EDITORIAL 

Message from the General Manager 

As 2016 draws to a close it provides cause 

to pause and reflect on the year that was. 

We have more coaches, conducted more 

accredited education courses, conducted more 

professional development sessions and the 

opportunities for coaches will only continue to 

increase going forward. 

Also this year the Athletics Coach Advisory 

Group was reconvened and has provided 

experienced counsel that is assisting with 

the coaching component of the Athletics 

Australia Strategic Plan. I would like to take this 

opportunity to thank those members that have 

given their time so generously to assist the sport. The group consists of: Adam Bishop 

(CEO Athletics SA); Benita Willis (QLD Aths and Recreational Running Facilitator); 

Dennis Goodwin (President, ATFCA); Duncan Tweed (CEO, Athletics NSW); Sharon 

Hannan (Facilitator, Mentor, High Performance Athletics Coach); Kirsteen Farrance 

(School Sport Australia) and Ralph Newton (Little Athletics Australia). 

Whilst thanking people, I of course would like to thank the full team within the Program 

Development Department. However, it is appropriate to single out Jill Taylor, Kylie 

Italiano, Kathleen O’Connell, and Leana Joyce, for the tireless and quality work they do 

in striving for the current and future coaches of our sport in all its forms. I am grateful 

to the Member Associations and facilitators for providing opportunities for supportive 

learning environments at the frontline of the sport that nurture and support participant 

and athlete engagement. Thank you also to the network of formal mentors and the 

many more informal mentors there to support coaches out in the field. 

Athletics Australia is also appreciative of the support and leadership that we receive 

from the International Association of Athletics Federations and the Oceania Athletics 

Association, these are key relationships that keep our offerings at the cutting edge of 

excellent practice. 



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EDITORIAL 

Finally, I would like to thank our dedicated network of coaches. Whether you are 

bringing a dynamic athletics experience to children through Kids’ Athletics, coaching 

current or future Olympic champions or leading a group of after work joggers, you are 

what brings our sport to life! 

For many of you the holiday season is not necessarily down time as the Summer of Aths 

heats up. However, I hope that this time of year allows you time to reflect on the year 

that was and spend quality time with those important to you. 

Best wishes and thank you. 

James Selby 

General Manager, Program Development 



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COACHING NEWS 

National Junior Coaching Coordinator Appointed 

We wish to offer our congratulations and a very warm welcome to Accredited Athletics 

Coach Paul Pearce who has been appointed to the role of National Junior Coaching 

Coordinator. 

Paul will be well known to many of you as the current National Junior Coach, Sprints. 

Paul is a former Australian Champion in the 400m, Commonwealth Games finalist 

and World Junior, Senior World Championships and World Uni Games representative. 

Paul has held a number of school coaching roles, was a guide runner at the Beijing 

Paralympic Games and Team Coach at the 2013 Lyon IPC World Championships. 

"I’m looking forward to not only 

working with our highly impressive 

juniors across the country, but even 

more so working with their fantastic 

coaches, whether they be seasoned 

campaigners, or new on the scene. 

Our coaching community as a 

whole needs to be embraced and 

worked with so they can continue to 

produce great athletes. I hope I can 

provide any help that they may need 

to progress their learning as well 

as their athletes development. I’m 

sure they all have something that I 

can learn from too." 

- Athletics Australia National Junior 

Coaching Coordinator, Paul Pearce 



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2017 Australian Athletics 

Championships Draft 

Timetable 

The Australian Athletics Championships 

DRAFT timetable is now available for 

download by clicking here. Please note that 

this timetable is subject to change and will 

be finalised once the entries are closed. 

Between March 26 and April 2, Sydney is 

set to host 

the inaugural combined Junior and Open 

aged championships for able-bodied and 

para-athletes. 

Athletics Australia Anti-Match-Fixing Policy 

The Athletics Australia Board has approved an anti-match-fixing policy, which requires 

relevant persons to complete the 'Keep Sport Honest' education program. This program 

is available online, takes approximately 30 minutes and is free to complete. 

Coaches working with an Athletics Australia team are required to complete the course 

and encouraged to do so at their earliest convenience. 

Visit http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/anti-match-fixingeducation-program 

to register and begin the course today. 

If you have any questions about the course or require any other assistance in relation to 

integrity in athletics, please contact Lynda Gusbeth. 



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2017 Championships Selection Policy 

The selection policies for two additional 2017 Championships have now been published. 

These documents set out the basis on which Athletics Australia selectors will 

determine competing teams for these events in 2017. 

Coaches are advised to download these documents to ensure that they are aware of 

the aims of the policy, the selection criteria and eligibilty requirements. If you have 

any questions regarding the contents of the selection policies, please contact the High 

Performance Team on 03 8646 4550. 

2017 IAAF World Relays - Nassau 22-23 April 2017 - Click here 

2017 Commonwealth Youth Games - Nassau 18-23 July 2017 - Click here 

2017 IPC Athletics World Championships - London 14-23 July 2017 - Click here 

2017 IAAF World Championships - London 4-13 August 2017 - Click here 

2017 FISU World University Games - Taipei 19-30 August 2017 - Click here 



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Coach Mentors 

Thank you to our newest Coach Mentors Renae Cobley, Esther Armenti, Paul Torley, 

Malcolm Lavender, Adam Didyk, Matthew Fowler, Phil Anson, and Alexander Stewart 

for offering their knowledge, time, and practical expertise to beginning coaches. These 

coaches bring a range of experience with them including success at the very highest 

level of the sport. They join over 40 registered Coach Mentors who continue to make a 

massive contribution to the Athletics community across the country. 

To support our mentors and to recognise their essential role in supporting the Athletics 

coaching community, our current Coach Mentors will receive the Australian Institute of 

Sport's Mentor Training manual and be formally recognised as Coach Mentors in the 

Accredited Athletics Coaching Framework. 

If you wish to nominate yourself as a Coach Mentor in your community, click here to 

register your interest. 

Looking for a Mentor? 

Click here to access the Mentor Coach Database. This page shows all coaches who 

have indicated their availability, their preferred contact details, their area of expertise, 

and their available contact hours. This is a fantastic development opportunity 

for beginning coaches or experienced coaches looking to learn from their peers. 



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‘Illicit Drugs in Sport’ Online Education Program 

As an Australian Government initiative to assist Australian sporting organisations to 

educate all members of the harms associated with illicit drugs, The National Integrity of 

Sport Unit has developed an Online Education Program. 

The IDIS program seeks to provide practical tools and strategies to assist athletes, 

coaches and sports administrators to make appropriate choices when faced with illicit 

drug issues in sport. 

There are a number of online courses including: 

•IDIS Coaches course: provides the skills and knowledge coaches need to help athletes, 

set a behavioural standard, monitor it and take remedial action. 

•IDIS Athlete course: follows the story of four athletes who have it all in front of them 

and demonstrates the impact of their decisions. 

We encourage you to complete the online course for coaches and encourage your 

athletes to complete the Athletes course, to support Athletics Australia’s commitment 

to the protection of sports integrity at all levels of competition and within our athletic 

community. For more information click here. 

AIS Grant Opportunity 

The Local Sporting Champions program 

is an Australian Government initiative 

designed to provide financial assistance to 

young people aged 12-18 towards the cost 

of travel, accommodation, uniforms, or 

equipment when competing or coaching at 

an endorsed state, national or international 

sporting championships. 

Round 3 of the grant is currently open until 

the 28th of February 2017. 

For more information about the grant or 

to apply online click here. 

Don't forget to access the Global Drug 

Reference Online to check the status of 

any drug your athlete is taking. 



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Featured Coach Banner 

There is a fantastic opportunity for Accredited Athletics Coaches to appear as a featured 

coach on the 'Coaching Homepage' and 'Find a Coach' pages on the Athletics Australia 

website. 

If you are looking to advertise your coaching services to new athletes click here 

to nominate your interest in being listed as a Featured Coach. This is a free service 

available to all Accredited Athletics Coaches who have filled out their iCoach profile. 

- The banner will link to your website or iCoach 

profile depending on your preference. 

- Coaches to appear will be selected at random 

and changed weekly. 

An example of how the banner appears on the website 

- Ensure that your iCoach profile includes all of 

the information listed above prior to expressing 

your interest. 

2016 Year in Review 

Coaching Framework 

Athletics Australia have recently released 

the 2016 Year in Review, covering what has 

been an exciting and successful year for the 

sport. 

Highlights range from the 55 athletes 

representing Australia at the IAAF 

World Under 20 Championships, to the 

fantastic performances at the Olympic and 

Paralympic Games, to the launch of Nitro 

Athletics, set to revolutionise global track 

and field. 

The redesigned Coaching section of 

the Athletics Australia website tells 

you everything that you need to know 

about the coaching framework, course 

curricula and expected outcomes of 

each level. 

Click here to access the coaching 

framework page. From this page 

you are able to click on the level of 

accreditation that you are interested 

in for detailed information about the 

course. 



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Australian Athletics Celebrates AusPlay Survey 

Australian athletics celebrated the release 

of the AusPlay Survey by the Australian 

Sports Commission, with the sport 

boasting the largest participation base of 

any national sporting organisation. 

Highlighting that more than three million 

Australians are regularly pounding the 

pavement or taking part in traditional 

athletics offerings in clubs and at 

school, the AusPlay Survey identifies 

significant opportunity for athletics to 

foster a meaningful connection with all 

Australians. 

“The AusPlay Survey published by 

the Australian Sports Commission 

today highlights an impressive level of 

participation in athletics through jogging 

and running, which reinforces the strategy 

of Athletics Australia and its member 

associations to engage with this expanding 

base” James Selby said. 

Of the individuals surveyed, more than 

74% of adults listed athletics as their 

most regularly participated in sport 

and stated that their physical and 

mental health and fitness was their key 

motivation. 

“The health of the nation can be impacted 

if Australian athletics continues to 

increase its engagement with the 

expanding athletics community of joggers 

and runners,” Selby added. 

“With so many respondents detailing 

improved physical and mental health 

and fitness as their key motivation, we 

have an obligation to work alongside our 

member associations, state and federal 

government agencies across health and 

sport, event organisers and recreational 

running partners to improve the offering 

in an effort to improve the wellbeing of 

Australians more broadly.” 



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2016/2017 Summer Calendar 

The 2016/2017 Australian Summer Athletics Season is well underway with the All 

Schools Athletics Championships and Zatopek:10 hosting some of Australia's fastest 

and most promising athletes in December. 

2016 Australian All Schools Review - Day 1 - Day 2 - Day 3 

Zatopek:10 Review 

There's plenty of Athletics to look forward to in the coming months with the 

upcoming State Championships and the launch of the exciting new Nitro Athletics. 

Date Event Location 

Jan 29 Australian IAAF World Cross Country Trials Canberra 

Feb 4, 9 & 11 Nitro Athletics Melbourne 

Feb 17-19 South Australian Athletics Championships Adelaide 

Feb 17-19 Australian Capital Territory Athletics Championships Canberra 

Feb 19 Australian 20km Race Walking Championships Adelaide 

Feb 23-26 Queensland Athletics Championships Brisbane 

Feb 24-26 New South Wales Athletics Championships Sydney 

Feb 24-26 West Australian Athletics Championships Perth 

Feb 24-Mar 5 Victorian Athletics Championships Victoria 

Mar 11-12 SUMMERofATHS Grand Prix (feat. Aus 5000m Champs) Canberra 

Mar 18-19 Tasmanian Athletics Championships Hobart 

Mar 26-Apr 2 Australian Athletics Championships Sydney 

Apr 22-23 Australian Little Athletics Championships Sydney 



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VALE JOHN ATTERTON 

With the passing of John Atterton on 22 November, Athletics Australia bids farewell to a 

respected Life Member and one of its most passionate and devoted coaches. 

News of John’s battle with motor neurone disease only became broadly known within 

the athletics community in the final weeks of his life. It therefore leaves most of the 

Australian athletics family with a picture of a colleague in his 82nd year, still active in 

coaching and inspiring athletes of all levels towards the achievement of their next goal. 

But John’s involvement in athletics extended well beyond his love of and commitment to 

coaching. 

He was a high achieving athlete himself – winning the 1957 and 1958 New South Wales 

state titles and the silver medal at the 1962 Australian championships in the 3000m 

steeplechase. 

John also ran as a professional – becoming the Australian one mile and two miles 

champion in the then divided sport. He enjoyed success in army and inter-service 

competition at both 880 yards and the mile. His love of running continued on, becoming 

masters’ 800 and 1500 metres champion at Oceania level. 



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Having run as a professional, there were problems when John sought to become 

involved in the amateur club scene after his retirement. When he initially sought to 

become secretary of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Club, there was resistance and much 

debate about whether the rules allowed him to take on the role. After some angst, he 

was permitted to do so and John’s long period of extensive service to the administration 

of the sport at all levels was underway. 

As well as his first club, now known as Athletics Easts, John served the Ryde and 

Sydney Pacific clubs, including as president of the latter, before joining UTS Norths as a 

coach and committee member. 

John found ways to marry his business life, especially during his time with Seiko 

Australia, with his sport – providing sponsorship for the New South Wales Schools 

Championships, the Pulsar Games. It was one of the first meets in Australia to involve 

athletes from across the school systems in a single competition and became the 

standard template for other states to follow. 

Working with the AIS in Canberra, the Seiko AIS Invitational was born in 1986. 

He became President of Athletics New South Wales and served as the association’s 

delegate to Athletics Australia, before also becoming a board member of the national 

governing body. He was still a member of the committee of UTS Norths at the time of 

his passing. 



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John was elected a life member of Athletics Australia in 2009, at the same time as his 

wife - international athlete and revered coach, Nancy. He became a life member of 

Athletics NSW in 2012. 

But John’s devotion to coaching continued well beyond his other involvements in 

athletics. He was highly qualified to pursue his passion – a Level 4 Specialist Coach 

(Middle and Long distance) on the Athletics Coach Accreditation Framework. 

He coached athletes of all abilities and mentored across the age groups. His first 

international was Carmen Campton who was one of the early pioneers of 400m hurdles 

before running the middle distance events at the 1978 Commonwealth Games under 

John’s guidance. More recently his high achieving charges have included Nick Bromley, 

Lachlan Renshaw, Anneliese Rubie and Georgia Wassall. 

"If you wish to reach your full potential in athletics you will need 

patience, discipline, an on-going commitment and the courage to try 

new ideas and be prepared to challenge your limits. Choose a coach 

with whom you can relate, respect and trust. Above all enjoy your 

athletics. And when you begin to achieve success do not lose sight of 

your "grass roots’’ and your appreciation of all those who supported 

you. Finally, what you find hard to do, practise the most to overcome the 

weakness." 

- John Atterton, 2010 

John loved the coaching environment at major events, rarely missing a minute of the 

action at state and national championships but was equally devoted to watching his 

athletes competing at local interclub, cross country or on the road. 

As observed by fellow coach and AA Life Member, Mike Hurst, “Athletics has lost a 

great force for good with the passing of John Atterton. JA was a larger than life figure 

possessed of great wisdom, intelligence, goodwill and energy. John enhanced the track 

experience for all he coached, advised and mentored.” 



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EDUCATION COURSES 

In the wake of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and with the beginning of a new 

Athletics season for most of the country, there have been a large number of coach 

education courses across the country. We are proud to welcome over 600 newly 

accredited coaches and offer our congratulations to every coach who has successfully 

completed a higher accreditation course over this period. 

Level 4 Senior IAAF Coach Courses 

Athletics Australia delivered its first Level 4 

Senior IAAF Coach courses in October and 

December in the Sprints, Relays & Hurdles 

and Middle & Long Distance event groups. 

We wish to offer our deepest thanks to the 

experienced and knowledgeable facilitators 

Sharon Hannan, Lindsay Watson, Mike Hurst, 

Peter Hannan, Lisa Verstraten, Rod Griffin, 

Michael Hillardt, John Quinn, and Ken Green 

who contributed their time and coaching 

expertise. 

Between September and December 

61 accredited coach education courses 

held across the country. 

600+ new coaches accredited. 

241 coaches gained a higher level of 

accreditation. 

Congratulations to the following participants who gained Level 4 Senior IAAF Coach 

- Sprints, Relays & Hurdles accreditation: Andy Burton, Stephen Cain, David Fryer, 

Peter Gentz, Mick Hooper, Andrew Iselin, Adam Larcom, Andrew Lulham, Simon 

Moran, Kath O'Connell, Brett Richards, and Andrea Uberti. 

Exams from the Level 4 Senior IAAF Coach - Middle & Long Distance course are 

currently being marked and we look forward to congratulating a new set of coaches who 

have completed the Level 4 course in the very near future. 



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Level 2 Intermediate Club Coach 

There has been a great number of coaches who have taken the time to further 

their coaching education and upgrade their accreditation by completing the Level 2 

Intermediate Club Coach course. 

The most recent course in Canberra was attended by eight participants and facilitated 

by Level 3 Coach Neil Hinton. Congratulations to Wayne Brien, Nicole Roberts, Rainer 

Reuss, Lyndon Taylor, Melissa Oloyede, Tim Jurisic, Janice Clarke and David Russell 

who successfully completed all course requirements. 

Feedback from the Level 2 Intermediate Club Coach courses in September, November 

and December: 

"Reinforced technical aspects I was not quite sure about" 

"Course was excellent for developing confidence" 

"One of the better coaching courses I've been to for any sport" 

"Loved the throwing coaching advice" 

"Overall, how would you rate this program?" 

4.8 out of 5 average score from 42 completed feedback forms. 

Level 1 Community Athletics Coach 

Congratulations and welcome to our newest Accredited Athletics Coaches. Don't forget, 

as Level 1 coaches you are encouraged to connect with a mentor coach who can guide 

your development and help you to be the best coach that you can be. 

Level 1 Course Feedback: 

"Fun, very helpful. Picked up a lot of new skills" 

"The practical side of the course was very useful for coaching at my club" 

"The balance of all practical activities and learning in general was great" 

"Very interactive, a lot of fun and enjoyed the interaction with other coaches" 

"Overall, how would you rate this program?" 

4.7 out of 5 average score from 232 completed feedback forms. 



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Click on the name of the course to register today. 

Coach Education Courses in January and Early February 

Date Course Name Location State 

Jan 13 & 20 Level 2 Advanced Coach - Part A Adelaide SA 

Jan 15 IAAF Kids' Athletics Coach Brisbane QLD 

Jan 15 PD: Sleep and Routine Development Canberra ACT 

Jan 15 PD: Resistance Training Canberra ACT 

Jan 16 PD: The Clearinghouse for Sport Melbourne VIC 

Jan 21 & 22 Level 2 Intermediate Club Coach Brisbane QLD 

Jan 22 Level 2 Intermediate Recreational Running Coach Sydney NSW 

Jan 22 Level 2 Intermediate Recreational Running Coach Hobart TAS 

Jan 29 Level 2 Intermediate Recreational Running Coach Adelaide SA 

Feb 5 Level 2 Advanced Coach - Part B Throws Adelaide SA 

Feb 11 Level 2 Intermediate Recreational Running Coach Brisbane QLD 

Feb 12 & 19 Level 2 Intermediate Club Coach Perth WA 

Feb 15 IAAF Kids' Athletics Coach Melbourne VIC 

Feb 17&18 Level 2 Advanced Coach - Recreational Running Sydney NSW 

Click here to see the full calendar of upcoming coach education courses. 



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Jan 21-22 

Wellington 

ATHLETICS NEW ZEALAND 

COACHING CONFERENCE 

$40 DISCOUNT FOR AUSTRALIAN ACCREDITED 

ATHLETICS COACHES 

Click here for more information and registration 

PRESENTERS INCLUDE: Scott Goodman, Tim Driesen, Steve Willis, Dale Steveneson, 

Mike Schofield, Kerry Hill

NITRO ATHLETICS PREVIEW 

It’s been described as the new sports and 

entertainment series set to revolutionise track 

and field. A high energy, team-based competition that 

will see a new spin on traditional athletics presentation 

starring Usain Bolt. 

Traditional and odd-distance events, races against the 

clock, hurdle and 2x300m relays, Nitro power plays, 

steals and turbo-charges are all part of the program for 

the three night show as each team strives to take out the 

Nitro Athletics Melbourne crown. 

Nitro Athletics Melbourne event and competitions 

director Glenn Turnor says the aim of Nitro Athletics is 

to promote athletics in a different format. 

“This will be a different spin on traditional athletics 

and will include a mix of power, endurance, technique 

and teamwork disciplines across sprints, distance, 

field and para-athletics events,” Turnor said. “What 

we’ve tried to do is keep the authentic-ness of each of 

the disciplines, but focus more on the point scoring and 

the team element.” 

“We wanted to showcase the talent of a jumper, a 

sprinter, a middle distance runner and a thrower and 

present it much faster, with results much quicker and 

build the athletes’ personalities around the events in 

which they are participating,” Turnor added. 

TEAMS 

Australia, Bolt All Stars, China, England, Japan and New Zealand. Each team will have 

a captain and be made up of 24 athletes (12 women and 12 men). Click here for more 

information. 



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NITRO EVENTS 

There will be twelve events each night based on the athletics principles of power, 

endurance, technique and teamwork. 

Discipline Event Women/Men 

Mixed 

Power 

100m 

W & M 

150m 

W & M 

Description 

Combined placings 

determine points. 

Technique Pole Vault W & M running 

concurrently in 

adjacent pits 

Pre-defined starting heights 

Four attempts only 

Endurance 3 Minute Run W & M Men start and run for 3min 

Finish distance determines 

women's start position 

Teamwork 

Medley Relay 

200, 200, 400, 800 

Mixed 4x400m 

W & M 

Technique Long Jump W & M running 

concurrently 

Teamwork 

2 x 300m Relay 

300m Sprint 

W & M 

Women run 200m 

Men run 400/800m 

Four jumps per athlete 

Combined placings 

determine points 

Starting at the 200m mark 

Combination of mixed and/or 

men and women 

Technique 

Hurdle Relay 

100mH/ 110mH 

W & M 

On the backstraight 

Power 60m Speed Sprint W & M Combined placings 

determine points 

Power 

Para Sprint 100m 

Para Sprint 200m 

W & M 

Seeded pro-style staggered 

start sprint 

Seeding and marks based on 

times 

Technique Javelin W & M Four throws per athlete 

Bonus points for landing in a 

defined target area 

Endurance 

Elimination Mile 

Elimination Two Mile 

W & M 

Two races 

Runners eliminated on 

designated laps 

Women and men placings 

combined 

Teamwork Mixed 4 x 100m Relay W & M Women legs 1/2; Men 3/4 


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NITRO ATHLETICS PREVIEW 

Team Australia Nitro Squad 

Nitro Athletics Team Australia selectors Tamsyn 

Lewis-Manou, Nova Peris, Paul Burgess and 

Benita Willis have confirmed 42 Australian 

athletes to be part of the extended Team Australia 

squad. 

Selected from over 150 nominees, the Team 

Australia squad includes a strong pool of proven 

Olympic talent and up-and-coming stars of 

Athletics. "Coming up with 42 athletes was a real 

challenge" Tamsyn Lewis-Manou told Athletics 

Australia. "The level of interest we had to compete 

for the green and gold was huge and it took us a 

while to strike the best balance for the team from 

the strong pool of applicants we had. There's still 

work to be done too. We have to reduce this squad 

to the 24 competing athletes in the weeks ahead, 

with a pool of reserves to sit alongside them. We 

expect to finalise the team in early 2017." 

Congratulations to all athletes and their coaches listed below who have been 

selected to be part of the extended Team Australia squad. 

Zsuzsanna Olgyay-Szabo (Angus Armstrong), Andrew Murphy (Rohan Browning), Eric 

Brown (Cedric Dubler) Gary Bourne (Henry Frayne, Naa Anang), Peter Gamble (Tom 

Gamble), Nic Bideau (Ryan Gregson, Luke Mathews, Brett Robinson, Jordan Williamsz, 

Zoe Buckman, Genevieve LaCaze, Eloise Wellings), Dick Telford (Jordan Gusman), 

Wayne Mason (Jack Hale), Travis Venema (Alex Hartmann), Anthony Benn (Nicholas 

Hough), Dan Pfaff (Fabrice Lepierre), Kym Simons (Kurtis Marschall), Aaron Holt (Ben 

Offerins), Evan Peacock (Hamish Peacock), Iryna Dvoskina (Scott Reardon), Andrew 

Russell (Jeff Riseley), John Henry (Luke Stevens), Stacey Taurima (Aaron Stubbs, 

Christine Wearne), James Fitzpatrick (Raph Corney), Donna Thomas (Riley Day), Bruce 

Scriven (Linden Hall), Ashley Mahoney (Michelle Jenneke), Peter Fitzgerald (Morgan 

Mitchell, Ash Whittaker), Uwe Hohn (Kathryn Mitchell), Michael Dooley (Ella Nelson), 

Sebastian Kuzminski (Ella Pardy), Alex Parnov (Liz Parnov), Michael Watkins (Jessica 

Peris), Mike Barber (Kelsey-Lee Roberts), Peter Fortune (Anneliese Rubie), Robert 

Gary (Heidi See), Russell Stratton (Brooke Stratton), and Penny Gillies (Abbie Taddeo). 


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Do not miss Usain Bolt in action at Nitro Athletics Melbourne 

The world’s greatest athlete and fastest man on the planet will be live at Lakeside next 

February at Nitro Athletics. Bolt will compete on each of the three nights so do not miss 

the chance to see the nine-time Olympic champion at Lakeside Stadium. 

If you've ever watched Usain Bolt on TV you're lucky but if you've ever 

seen him run in person you're truly blessed. 

-Ato Boldon 

Dates: February 4, February 9 and February 11 

Venue: Lakeside Stadium 

Times: 7:00pm to 9:30pm 

Tickets: General admission from just $35 for adults and $24 for children 

Book online now - Click here 


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PROFESSIONAL 

DEVELOPMENT REVIEW 

Nic Bideau 'Winning for Australian 

Distance Runners' 

On the eve of Zatopek:10, Nic Bideau 

hosted a seminar for Accredited Athletics 

Coaches sharing his knowledge and 

experiences as a High Performance Coach. 

Level 3 IAAF Coach Campbell Maffett 

was in attendance and reflects on what he 

gained out of the session with the world 

class distance coach. 

Nic's experience spans a number of 

Olympic cycles and the essence of his talk 

was about the steps involved in performing 

on the biggest of stages. It was refreshing 

to learn that his athletes, even with the quality of performances that they produce, still 

think in terms of basic steps - beginning with recording a qualifying time, and then 

being selected. There are few favours handed out no matter who you are, or who you 

coach. We also learned about which Australian venues and competitions are most 

conducive for good performances. 

After selection comes preparation and staying healthy during training. Nic's group 

rotates through a number of training camp locations in Australia, USA, Europe and UK, 

utilising each for critical phases of training carefully timed in relation to competitions. 

Another important aspect of training camps is the model of athlete leaders who guide 

and mentor younger athletes on a daily basis, leading by example. Of equal importance 

to the training camps is matching room mates and house mates so things stay on track 

both on and off the training track! 

Of course the focus of it all is performing on the big occasions, and the steps Nic goes 

through right throughout the preparation cycle to ensure athletes are ready, primed and 

able to perform when it counts...from competitions logistics, tactics, mental state and 

more. 



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The final step in the performance cycle is athletes reaction to their performance, 

acknowledging that they are often representing more than just themselves, and to 

present themselves with humility and dignity. Nic's emphasis on this point, which could 

seem more of an afterthought beyond the performance itself, highlights the strong bond 

he has with athletes, not just as a coach but as a guiding figure in their development as 

people. 

Nic didn't go into detail about actual training, except to note that they don't do anything 

magic in training...just very hard work. This served to highlight that successful 

coaching is in managing the whole person, not just the athlete towards their best 

performance. 

We wish to offer our thanks to 

the National Junior Coaches who 

delivered event specific professional 

development sessions for Accredited 

Athletics Coaches in December. 

Steven Cain (High Jump), Lyn 

Foreman (Hurdles), Rod Griffin 

(Middle Distance), Scott Martin (Shot 

Put), and Grant Ward (Javelin) all 

contributed their expertise and the 

feedback from those who attended 

was very positive overall. 

As part of the recent Australian All School Championships a coaches PD session 

was held on the Thursday prior to competition. The session was titled 'Optimising 

Training to Fast Track Athlete Skill Acquisition‘ and presented by Daniel 

Greenwood, a Senior Skill Acquisition Specialist based at the AIS. 

Daniel ran an engaging and interactive session, pitched at coaches of developing 

athletes. The presentation challenged the coaches to think about their role at 

training and how we give feedback. Key messages included: 

- Teach athletes to learn to teach themselves. 

- Encourage athletes to be independent and think for themselves. 

- There's not one way of doing things so we have to build adaptable athletes. 

- The environment is always changing, people are different and we need to treat 

them as individuals. 

- A cue that may work for one athlete may not work for another. 

Click here to access the Powerpoint slides from the presentation. 


28

COACHING RESOURCES 

Human Kinetics has a special offer for all Accredited 

Athletics Coaches. Join Human Kinetics for FREE 

and enter the promo code ‘ATHLETICS’ at checkout to 

receive 25% off all books (including ‘High-Powered 

Plyometrics’ featured below). 

High-Powered Plyometrics 2nd Ed. 

Radcliffe, J. & Farentinos, R. (2015) 

'High-Powered Plyometrics presents exercises and 

programs used by today’s top athletes, coaches, 

and conditioning experts for development of 

explosive power, strength, and speed. Along with 

exclusive access to an online video library, it 

features 23 programs for 21 sports and the latest 

training methods, equipment, and assessments as 

well as 79 exercises for increasing power.' 

Click here for more information 

Contents 

Power for High-Level Performance 

Athletic Power Activation Process 

Power Training Methods and Equipment 

Power Assessments 

Upper-Body, Core, Lower-Body Power Development 

Complex Training 

Sport-Specific Training 

Season-Long Power Maintenance 

"Jim Radcliffe is the secret weapon behind the 

success of all of the sports at the University 

of Oregon, and his High-Powered Plyometrics 

is a must-have for all coaches and athletes. 

Radcliffe translates explosive power to sports 

better than any coach out there" 

- Rose Monday, USA Track & Field 2012 Olympic 

Games Women's Assistant Distance Coach 



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29

Suggested Reading from the Coach Resource Database 

Nelson, A., Driscoll, N., Landin, D., Young, M., & 

Schexnayder, I. (2007). Acute Effects of Passive 

Muscle Stretching on Sprint Performance, 

Journal of Sports Sciences. 

This peer-reviewed study challenges the effects of passive stretching 

on sprinting performance, finding that times recorded for a 20m sprint 

were significantly slower when passive stretching was performed prior. 

Gearity, B. (2016). Unstanding Your Athletes: 

10 Must-Read Sociology Articles for Coaches, 

Volt Athletics. 

"The sociology of coaching and athletic performance. What is it? Why 

is it important in helping us understand our athletes and become more 

effective coaches?" 

Elder, D. (2015) 4 Key Elements of Designing 

a Strength Program, Bridge Athletic. 

"High training loads, achieved safely, are protective from injury. It is likely 

that training loads higher than what is required for peak performance 

can be reached. However the period after training troughs due to 

planned rest, tapering or injury/illness is a time of increased injury risk." 

New Studies in Athletics 

The IAAF’s highly respected technical journal is a must-read 

for any coach looking to stay at the leading edge of the latest 

research in Athletics coaching. 

All Accredited Athletics Coaches receive a ~$25 discount 

on subscription by completing this form. 


30

BUILDING YOUR 

COACHING WEBSITE 

So you missed the last Club Committee Meeting only to find out that in your absence 

you have been given the job of creating a new website for the club - or perhaps you are 

just looking to pick up new athletes to build your coaching squad. Your kids have left 

home and your own skills in this area are limited to watching a few youtube videos and 

checking the weather occasionally. Never fear, the task is not what it used to be, and 

some basic organisational skills are now much more important than technical wizardry. 

The following are some strategies rather than technical details on how to go about 

creating your new website. 

Building the Site – How to Make it Happen 

1. Do not get a committee involved to 

design your site. Just do it, launch it, and if 

other people don’t like it they will soon tell you. 

'Website by Committee' usually ensures a six 

month development timeframe and often the 

site is never delivered. After it is up and going, 

involving other people is a lot easier, but not 

during the initial stages. 

If you are a professional coach, having 

a strong online presence is very 

important in converting positive word 

of mouth into paying clients. When 

customers hear good things about you 

from their friends and colleagues, a 

lot of them are going to go straight to 

Google to learn more and if you're not 

appearing they're probably not going 

to contact you. 

2. Have a look at other coaches sites and work out what you find useful, what is not 

necessary and what is the most applicable to your coaching business. Understand what 

content your potential clients are looking for and priortise this information on your 

page. 

3. Draw out a structure chart of your proposed site as you think it will be when fully 

complete. It isn’t necessary to have every last page drawn in, but at least the main 

areas. Try to think 'what will the site look like in a year’s time?' to fully understand 

how best to structure the site. For example, some areas of the site are fairly static and 

you don’t need to keep versions of documents over time, e.g. information about your 

background, club information, etc. However, things like your accreditation and your 

athlete's achievements are constantly changing, so have room for these sections to 

expand. 



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4. Keep in mind what information is good for a website and what is not. Information 

relevant for future athletes, recent achievements of your current squad, nice photos and 

athlete testimonials are some of the most important features to have. 

5. Now mark which pages are necessary for a “minimum” site. It is strongly 

recommended that this be absolutely no more than 10 pages, and should probably be 

only 4 pages. Don’t be intimidated by sites with lots more pages. If you aim for too big a 

site to start with, it will be difficult to navigate for users and it will never be finished 

for release. A calendar, a few news items, and a couple of photographs are all that are 

necessary to launch a site. If the information is accurate and relevant, people will come 

back again when there is more information available. 

Free Website Builders 

There are a tonne of options for coaches 

looking to create a basic free website. 

Below are some examples to get you started. 

SITE123 - Geared more towards long 

scrolling one-page websites. Easy to operate 

for beginners but limited in what you can 

include. 

Sitey - Professional looking websites that 

look great but require a little more time and 

IT know-how to set up and get working. 

Weebly - A very simple to use drag and drop 

website builder with a clean design. 

6. Set a deadline for release 

and stick to it. If you don’t get all 

your pages finished, then just remove 

the links to these areas. No-one will 

know that the area titled “Athlete 

Records” was supposed to be there 

and isn’t! Set the deadline at no more 

than two weeks. If you can’t do it in 

two weeks, then you have set your 

sights too high for an initial launch. 

And please – don’t put in a page 

with 'Under Construction'. If it isn’t 

finished, remove the link to the page – 

no-one will know! Have a think about 

how many professional sites you have 

seen with “Under Construction” – 

none! 

7. The Big Tip: Design your site from the “Top Down” using the highest 

level menu as the starting point and work out the hierarchy down to lower 

pages. However, once this design is completed, it is best to build the site 

from the “bottom up” by first uploading any photographs or PDF Documents, 

then create the lowest level web pages, and then build the menus that point 

to these pages and link the site together. If you don’t take any notice of 

anything else on this page, take notice of this tip. 

Once your website is up and running, remember to include it on your iCoach profile and 

any other business profiles that you may have. When your website is linked from trusted 

websites, it helps drive traffic to your site and increases the likelihood of your website 

appearing higher on Google searches. 


32

THE DEVELOPING ATHLETE 

Champion hurdler, National Junior Coach and Coach Education Facilitator Lyn Foreman 

shares her philosophy for identifying junior talent and coaching the developing athlete. 

I have been involved in our sport for nearly 50 years - as an athlete for 20 years, and 

now as a coach for the last 28. 

During my time as a coach, many people including coaches and administrators have 

often asked how easy it must be to 'spot' talent. I have also been asked why I coach 

athletes who are 'average' with some believing that I shouldn’t be wasting my time with 

them. I explain that I was one of those 'average' athletes, who was told I would never 

amount to much. I remember thinking I had time and patience and would find a way, 

even if it took longer for me than for others. So I chipped away and trained hard to be 

the best that I could be. 

Over my 28 years of coaching I have come to 

know that the athlete who “makes it” will be the 

one you least expect. The successful athletes 

are the chippers, hard workers and resilient 

ones – so no, I can’t pick them. It’s impossible 

to know the real size of their ‘heart’ in the early 

stages, particularly when there are so many 

changes, influences and cross roads in a life’s 

journey. 

We all get excited by the young talented athlete 

who is running faster than Usain Bolt or 

Catherine Freeman at the same age, but there 

are many other factors to be taken into account that will determine whether that young 

athlete makes it to the top. 

"I...was one of those 'average' 

athletes, who was told I would 

never amount to much" 


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A young athlete will improve naturally by 

merely growing, but sometimes even with the 

guidance of a special coach their potential is 

not realised, as they may not physically grow 

to be the size of Usain or continue to be selfmotivated 

through the many challenges like 

Catherine Freeman. In addition the following 

factors are sometimes not considered: 

1. It takes 6-10 years to develop 

an athlete to International 

representation. Are they patient enough? 

Generally no, but there is enough going on 

in junior ranks to keep them interested up 

to the World U20 Championships and World 

University Games. 

2. Winners will come from the 2nd, 

3rd, 4th ranked junior athletes, rarely 

the No.1’s. I believe this is because when 

the going gets tough the No.1 athlete doesn’t 

recognise it and believes they are no longer 

good enough and drops out. The challenge 

is to teach these athletes how to be 

resilient. What a lethal combination: Talent 

and hard work! 

If you are lucky enough to have a 

number one athlete cross your path 

in your lifetime, it's a huge challenge, 

so be prepared to plan, direct, set 

boundaries and stay at least one 

step ahead of them and above all 

teach them to respect all people, 

including officials and fellow athletes. 

When I see stories of disrespectful 

athletes in the media, I think maybe 

the development coach could be 

the root of the problem, by allowing 

bad behaviour purely because they 

fear they may lose the athlete if 

the problem is confronted. I take 

it personally if an athlete I coach 

misbehaves. I use my good friend 

and colleague Jackie Byrne’s analogy, 

“Who’s driving the bus?” The coach 

has to be the driver! 

3. Mind the Gap… 19-23 years. The 

post junior athlete just needs to hang in 

there, improving and reaching targets for the 

next few years. This is a wilderness period 

for them, they just need to be patient. 

As an athlete I believed: 

• You can do anything you want to as long as 

you want it badly enough – you will find a way 

(there is more than one way to skin a cat). 

Everyone has something – speed may not be 

a strong point but can be offset by a strong 

mind. 

• Never underestimate the power of the will. 

"Above all teach them 

to respect all people" 


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What the Athlete Needs 

• Time 

• Patience - 6-10 years to develop 

• Consistency with training 

• Resilience 

• Work Ethic 

• A mirror - to look hard at your self 

• Responsibility 

• A stable environment - if your life is on 

the rails you get a performance! 

• Routine 

What the Coach Needs 

• Time 

• Patience 

• Problem solving skills 

• An ability to read and understand your 

athlete 

• Planning skills 

• A mirror - so you can continue to 

question yourself and develop your skills 

• To be a role model to your athlete 

"As a coach I believe 

that the athlete is a 

person first" 

My Coaching 

I have had immense joy in coaching, a lot of sadness also along the way which is part of 

life, but I consider it a privilege to take on an athlete and watch them grow and develop 

to be the best they can be as an athlete and people. This is amazing really as I never 

initially wanted to coach. As an athlete I felt a bad vibe amongst coaches and never 

wanted to get involved. I hope the environment has improved so to encourage more 

retired or young athletes to give back to the sport. I have surrounded myself with likeminded 

coaches whom I love working with. If I didn’t have such a supportive husband 

who 'pushed' me into coaching, I would never have started. He thought I would be good 

at it! 

I targeted the young athlete (no younger than 14 years of age) so my knowledge was 

ahead of theirs, something I continued throughout my coaching career. My first squad 

developed Sarah Jamieson, Lauren Poetschka and Rebecca Campbell who all went on 

to Senior Representation. 


35

I have developed and adapted my style of coaching over the years and worked with 

a wide range of athletes from young children through to Olympic level. I believe it’s 

important to work with developing athletes as every era has different and varying needs. 

I attend as many congresses, conferences and lectures as I can to stay up with the 

latest trends. It’s mixing with coaches on such occasions that I realise we interpret 

information vastly different which is why there is so many interpretations of the same 

drill, action, technique etc. 

Some coaching strategies I have found useful: 

• When I give an instruction – I let the athletes work with it and when they finally 

'get it' I ask them how they did it. Nine times out of ten it was nothing like I thought I 

had instructed. They found their way. It then would become that athlete’s unique cue. 

• I never ask them if they have understood an instruction – I ask them to repeat 

what understanding they had of my instruction. 

Finally – I believe in sharing any knowledge, tricks or strategies of coaching with my 

fellow coaches - but there is no use in having any knowledge if you don’t know how to 

apply or communicate it. This is the true art of coaching. 

Article by Level 5 Coach Lyn Foreman 


36


Patrick Tiernan, winner of the 

2016 Zatopek:10 Australian 37 

10,000m Championships

COMPONENTS OF 

SUCCESS IN THE 100M 

Accredited Athletics Coach and 'The Academy of Sport Speed and Agility Australia' 

Training Director Ranell Hobson shares her expertise in achieving sprint excellence. 

Ranell has over 20 years experience coaching speed and agility and has presented 

workshops internationally, notably with English Premier League clubs Arsenal, 

Leicester, and Wigan Athletic. 

Click here for more information including programs and courses. 

Traditional Phases of the 100m 

The 100m sprint has four distinct phases that should be addressed 

by the coach - the start, the acceleration phase, the transition 

phase and the maximum velocity phase (Winkleman, 2009). The 

acceleration out of the blocks is depicted by a piston action of the 

legs (triple extension of the hips, knees and ankles), whilst the transition and maximum 

velocity phase is a cyclical action where the athlete steps up and over the opposing 

knee. Throughout the event the athletes arms drive forward and backward (shoulder 

flexion and extension) and remain near ninety degrees at the elbow (although 

there is much deviation from this during acceleration), for the majority of the event 

(Winkleman,2013). 

Factors Affecting Sprint Performance 

Optimal sprint performance depends on both controllable and non-controllable factors. 

Research has identified specific anthropometric and physiological characteristics which 

are seen as advantageous for success in each phase of the event. Although there is no 

optimum height for elite sprinting in either the male or female event, there is a range 

that would preclude very short or very tall athletes (Uth, 2005). 

Usain Bolt is the tallest elite sprinter at 196cm (Mackata & Mero, 2013). Within this 

range, shorter athletes have an advantage at the start, as the shorter swing thigh has 

an increased velocity and stride rate whereas taller athletes have an advantage in the 

maximum velocity phase due to a longer stride length. 

Elite sprinters have a high mesomorphy, with greater relative muscle mass in the thighs 

(Bird, 2002), usually having longer legs relative to body height and have on average 

70 – 80% Type II muscle fibres (Bosch & Klomp, 2005). This is logical considering that 

sprinting is composed of 5-10% aerobic ability and 90-95% anaerobic ability (Maughan 

& Gleeson, 2004). 



38 

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“Maintaining talent...requires passion, motivation and 

dedication to training” 

Maintaining Talent 

Although one may be born with all the anthropometrical, fibre type and somatotype 

requirements to become an elite sprinter, this may only maintain them through the 

junior ranks of athletics where early success, in most part, is driven by natural abilities 

and an advantageous physique (MacNamara, Button and Collins, 2010). Maintaining 

talent beyond this requires passion, motivation and dedication to training. 

The high level of commitment required to sustain daily deliberate 

practice and physiological conditioning over many years, highlights 

the crucial role that psycho-behavioural characteristics will have on 

achieving elite performance (Abbott, 2006). Perseverance during 

challenging times, a desire to be the best, a willingness to work 

hard far beyond one’s comfort zone and a maturing athlete who 

takes responsibility for their own training and development and 

understands the sacrifices required to be the very best are 

characteristics of elite 100m sprinters (Dweck, 2007; MacNamara & Button, 2010). 

Force Production is Critical (Morin et al.) 

Research conducted on world class 100m performances discuss the mutually 

dependant parameters of stride length and stride frequency in determining speed 

(Young, 2007; Smiriotou et al. 2007; Morin et al. 2007; Majumdar & Robergs, 2011; 

Mackata & Mero, 2013; Clark et al. 2013; Morin et al. 2015). The important training 

factors arise out of how athletes increase either stride length or stride frequency, or 

both. 

Through much research, sport scientists agree the most important training factor 

contributing to an increase in stride length is force. 


39

The physical capacity of an athlete to apply a summation of forces generated by the 

body into the ground, in the correct direction, to propel the athlete forward, seems 

most important. Weyard et al. (2000) “More force equals more speed”; Young (2007) 

“Magnitude and direction of force”; Smirniotou et al. (2007) “Force production is 

critical”; Morin et al.(2012) elite sprinters are “more effective at applying force”; Clark et 

al. (2013) “it is the magnitude and rate of ground force application”. 

It is evident that the best sprinters apply more force in a shorter period of time, and 

that increased force applied in the right direction increases both stride length and stride 

frequency (Young, 2007). 

Eradicate 'Useless Mass' 

Research on the fastest sprinters in the 

world show they have the capacity to 

produce extremely high ground reaction 

forces per kg of body weight (Morin. et al. 

2015) Hence having a lean body mass and 

eliminating ‘useless’ mass is important. 

This sends a clear message to coaches that 

time spent in the development of efficient 

sprint mechanics and the development of 

relative strength and power is critical in 

achieving elite 100m sprint performance. 

Sprinting at top speed is a highly 

coordinated activity and therefore the 

patterning over increasing distances in 

efficient sprint mechanics is crucial in 

training the neuromuscular system to 

maintain high excitations of muscular 

contractions for the duration of the race 

(Bird, 2002; Majumdar & Robergs, 2011). 


40

Mechanics and Measurement 

Morin et al. (2012) studied the important 

mechanics associated with 100m sprint 

success and determined three resulting 

factors: 1) having a velocity oriented 

“force-velocity” profile, 2) the capacity to 

apply ground reaction forces that deliver 

horizontal propulsion during acceleration 

and 3) a greater cadence due to a shorter 

ground contact time. The physical capacity 

to deliver each of these determinants 

at an elite level requires a finely tuned 

neuromuscular system, a large power 

to weight ratio and close to perfect 

mechanics. 

The measurement of these performance 

factors is typically a faster finishing time for 

the event. However coaches should assess 

individual physical and psychological 

capacities to determine the strengths 

and weaknesses within an athlete’s 

development. This can be done by utilising 

the tests and tools in Table A. These tests 

will assist in identifying key training factors 

for program planning. 

Table A: 

Performance Factor 

Acceleration (Speed 

Strength) 

Maximum Velocity 

Mechanical 

Efficiency 

Psychological 

Behaviours 

Measurement Tests/Tools 

Squat jump; 

Countermovement jump; 

Starting 10m sprint; 

Starting 30m sprint 

(Tanner & Gore, 2013). 

Flying 30-40m sprint with 

20-30m acceleration zone 

(Tanner & Gore, 2013). 

Video analysis of technique 

including posture, foot 

strike, foot recovery and 

swing phase (Bosch & 

Klomp, 2005). 

Questionnaires 

and professional 

conversations to assess 

coachability, work ethic, 

competitiveness, selfcontrol, 

mental strength 

and focus (TOPS;EASDQ; 

POMS) (Thomas, 2012). 

Event Requirements 

The 100m sprint requires the athlete to have a quick reaction time to an auditory signal, 

explosive starting and acceleratory strength, high velocity stride frequency and the 

power to generate maximum force in the right direction to generate both vertical and 

horizontal propulsion (Bird, 2002; Young 2007). 

This requires technical training in efficient sprint mechanics as well as physical training 

for speed, strength and power. Sprinters do not require any tactical decision making 

skills within the event, however having a detailed and specific warm up and call room 

routine could be seen as tactical in achieving desired race outcomes. 

The psychological strength of the athlete is tested through the rigors of training and 

competition. As the athlete moves forward through the rounds (heats, semi-final and 

final), it is my experience that this has a significant role in the success of the athlete. 

Psychological strength is required in the training leading up to a major event, in the call 

room, behind the start line, and in the maintenance of composure by staying relaxed 

through the event. 


41

Conclusion 

Research that has been conducted on elite 

performances in the 100m sprint highlights 

the important training factors for success 

as: i) sprint mechanics, ii) strength, iii) 

power, iv) neuromuscular conditioning 

(speed and speed endurance), and v) 

psycho-behavioural tools. 

Physical 

Technical 

Tactical 

Psychological 

List of Training Factors 

Lower and upper body strength 

Speed & power 

Speed endurance 

Flexibility & mobiity 

Core strength 

Body composition LMM 

Block start & clearance 

Acceleration 

Transitation to maximum velocity 

Foot strike to toe off & swing phase 

Athletic posture 

Arm drive 

Warm up and call room routine 

Process orientated race plan 

Commitment 

Goal setting 

Imagery 

Focus 

Confidence 

Reference List 

Abbott, A.J. (2006) A multidimensional and dynamic approach to talent 

identification in sport. University of Edinburgh, UMI Dissertations Publishing. 

Bird, S. (2002) Sports Performance Analysis: 100m Sprint. Retrieved 

from PT on the net website: http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/sportsperformance-analysis-100m-sprint- 

March 28, 2015. 

Bosch, T. and Klomp, R. (2005). Running: Biomechanics and Exercise 

Physiology Applied in Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier. 

Clark, K.P., Ryan, L. J., & Weyand, P.G. (2013). Human Sprint Running 

Mechanics: Do Right and Left Legs Apply Equal Ground Forces?. 

International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 2: 

Iss. 5, Article 15. 

Coh, M., Babic, V. & Mackata, K. (2010). Biomechanical, Neuromuscular 

and Methodical Aspects of Running Speed Development. Journal of Human 

Kinetics Vol 26 pp. 73-81. 

Dweck. C.S (2007) Self Theories the mindset of a champion. In Morris, 

T., Terry, P., Gordon, S. Sport and Exercise Psychology: International 

Perspectives; Fitness Information Technology 

Mackata, K. & Mero, A. (2013). A Kinematics Analysis of the Three Best 100m 

Performances Ever. Journal of Human Kinetics. Vol 36 pp.149-160. 

MacNamara, A., Button, A. and Collins, D. (2010) The Role of Psychological 

Characteristics in Facilitating the Pathway to Elite Performance. Part 1: 

Identifying Mental Skills and Behaviours. The Sport Psychologist. V24, 1:52- 

73. 

MacNamara, A., Button, A. and Collins, D. (2010) The Role of Psychological 

Characteristics in Facilitating the Pathway to Elite Performance. Part 2: 

Examining environmental and Stage-Related Differences in Skills and 

Behaviours. The Sport Psychologist. V24(1) pp.74-96. 

Majumdar, A.S., & Robergs, R.A. (2011). The Science of Speed: Determinants 

of Performance in the 100m Sprint. International Journal of Sports Science 

and Coaching. Vol 6 (3) pp479 – 493. 

Maughan, G. and Gleeson, M. (2004). The Biochemical Basis of Sports 

Performance. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. 

Morin, J., Slawinski, J., Dorel, S., Saez de villareal, E., Couturier, A., 

Samozino, P., Brughelli, M. & Rabita, G. (2015) Acceleration capability in 

elite sprinters and ground impulse: Push more, brake less? Journal of 

Biomechanics V48(12) pp.3149 – 3154 doi:10.1016/j.jbiomech.2015.07.009 

Morin, J., Bourdin, M., Edouard, P. et al. (2012) European Journal of Applied 

Physiology V12(11) pp.3921-3930 doi:10.1007/s00421-012-2379-8 

Smirniotou, A., Katsikas, C., Paradisis, P., Zacharogiannis, E. & Tziortzis, S. 

(2008) Strength-power parameters as predictors of sprinting performance. 

Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness. Vol 48 pp. 447-454. 

Tanner, R.K. and Gore, C. (Ed.). (2013). Physiological Tests for Elite Athletes. 

2nd Edition. Australian Institute of Sport. Human Kinetics. 

Thomas, P.R. (2012) Using psychological tests to enhance skills in sport and 

performing arts. In Psych (December). Australian Psychological Society. 

Uth, N (2005) Anthropometric comparison of world class sprinters and 

normal populations Department of Sport Science, University of Aarhus N, 

Denmark. 

Weyand, P. G., Sternlight, D. B., Bellizzi, M. J., & Wright, S. (2000). Faster top 

running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg 

movements. Journal of applied physiology, 89(5), 1991-1999. 

Winkleman, N. (2009) A model of Periodisation: optimising performance 

and recovery in the elite 100m sprinter. UK Strength and Conditioning 

Association. 13: 14-18. 

Winkleman, N. (2013) Elite speed development workshop. ASCA 2013 

International conference on Applied Strength and Conditioning. Melbourne 

Australia. 

Young, M. (2007). Maximal velocity sprint mechanics. Track Coach, 179, 5723- 

5729. 

Article by Ranell Hobson, published with permission. 


42


Makda Haji after crossing the line as the second 

fastest Australian in the Women's Zatopek:10. 

43

SOARING WITH SUPER 

BROOKE STRATTON 

In 2016 Brooke Stratton firmly 

established herself as one of 

Australia's finest ever Long 

Jumpers. Under the care of 

father and Level 4 Coach Russell 

Stratton, Brooke broke the 

National Record at the Perth 

Track Classic with a jump of 

7.05m (+2.0) and went on to finish 

an impressive 7th at the Rio 

Olympic Games. 

Brooke has started getting 

into coaching at the Knox Little 

Athletics Centre and took the 

time to share her experiences 

with us as a developing athlete 

and competing at the top level of 

the sport.

Athletics Australia: What do you love about Long Jump and how have coaches 

encouraged you to stick with the sport? 

Brooke Stratton: I absolutely love the feeling of being able to 'fly' through the air when 

I jump. When I was younger it was the event that I showed the most potential in, but it 

was also the event that I found the most fun. I didn't just love long jump because I was 

good at it, I loved it because I found the jumping aspect of it fun. My coach and dad 

always made training enjoyable and there was always a lot of variety involved. 

The gradual improvements over the years, having the goal of making an Olympic team 

and most of all, my love for long jump have all made me stay in the sport for the long 

term. 

AA: How has your coach fostered your 

love of the sport and supported you to 

achieve your great results? 

BS: My dad has been my coach since 

I was 10 years old and he has allowed 

me to reach the level I am at today by 

protecting me along the way. Both my 

dad and my mum have given me every 

opportunity under the sun to follow my 

dream of reaching the Olympics. My dad 

has shown a huge amount of support 

throughout my career and has made a 

huge amount of sacrifices to ensure he is 

putting my training first. 

Brooke Stratton's Long Jump 

Senior Progression 

YEAR PERFORMANCE WIND 

2008 6.06m +1.7 

2009 6.13m +0.4 

2010 6.30m +1.0 

2011 6.60m +1.1 

2012 6.56m +0.8 

2013 6.53m +1.8 

2014 6.70m +1.4 

2015 6.73m 0.0 

2016 7.05m +2.0 

"My coach always made training 

enjoyable www.athletics.com.au and there was always a lot 

of variety involved." 

Brooke Stratton competing 

against Michelle Jenneke at the 

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2011 U20 National Championships 

in the 100mH

AA: Leading into the Olympic Games you mentioned that you were feeling the 

pressure due to the expectation of being ranked number 3 in the world coming into 

Rio. How did you manage those nerves and expectations before your competition? 

Was there anything Russell or other coaches/sports psychologists were able to do to 

assist? 

BS: Leading into Rio I had a lot of people with very high expectations of me due to 

my world ranking after producing a 7.05m jump during the Aussie domestic season. 

However, I tried to just block out the expectations as much as I could to reduce the 

pressure that I put on myself. 

I always expect such high standards of myself and the last thing I wanted was to be 

drowning in unnecessary pressure and nerves at the biggest competition of my life. The 

one thing I find that helps me manage my nerves is to be confident in myself and to 

think positively. Before my 7.05m jump in Perth this year I remember telling my coach 

that I was going to jump 'big' because I was so confident! I went into Rio with the same 

mentality but unfortunately wasn't in the shape I was hoping to be in. Focusing on no 

one else other than myself and ensuring I stay relaxed during competitions definitely 

helps settle the nerves. 

Brooke Stratton at the 2012 

World Junior Championships in 

Barcelona where she finished 7th 


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"The most important tip...is to make training enjoyable because 

when the athletes enjoy it, they will keep coming back." 

AA: What did you do between your successful qualifying round and the final? 

BS: With the qualifying round being at 9.05pm at night by the time I got back to the 

village and hopped into bed it was almost 1am. I was absolutely buzzing after making it 

through qualifying rounds so I found it very hard to sleep. 

After I competed I had a massage to flush out the body to ensure that I recovered as 

well as I could for the final. It is very important to be able to back up after a day of 

competition. 

AA: What has been the most important lesson that you have taken away from these 

Olympics for the future? 

BS: My biggest lesson is to believe in yourself and you can achieve anything. I have 

learnt that I can now match it with the best in the world and this will give me the 

confidence I need in future competitions. 

AA: Have you got one tip that you would like to share with beginning coaches or 

teachers when introducing athletes to Long Jump? 

BS: Make it fun for the athletes. The most important tip with coaching athletes is to 

make training enjoyable because when the athletes enjoy it, they will keep coming back. 


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ATHLETICS 

YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT 

Click to watch the video 


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New Running Groups & 

The New York Marathon 

Raquel Holgado is an Accredited Athletics Coach, 

Personal Trainer, Triathlete, Runner and Fitness 

Coach. Originally from Spain, Raquel is now based 

in Sydney and took the time to share her passion for 

running and the experience of competing at the 

New York Marathon. 

I started competing in triathlons six years ago, and my passion for running began just 

before that. Running makes me feel healthy and fit, and it allows me to strive for and 

beat goals – distance, speed, race, and personal. I believe that running is addictive 

in the best way: I started out running 3km, then 5km, and now I run half and full 

marathons. It's a form of exercise that is motivating, and it allows me to push myself to 

achieve and maintain an excellent level of fitness. 

Two years ago, I went on a road trip from Port Douglas to Sydney. Throughout the entire 

trip, I ran every morning – not only to feel great and get exercise out of the way for the 

day, but to explore the coastline in a unique way. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to run 

along routes around Australia and the world, experiencing different places with my own 

two feet. 


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Not long after I started running, I decided to add ‘run a marathon’ to my list of goals. 

I knew it would be tough, but I trained hard and got there. My first marathon was 

in Sydney in 2014, and after I crossed the finish line I said: “This is my first and last 

marathon. I love running, but not for 42km!” But then, this year I had the opportunity to 

run the New York Marathon – and there was no question about whether or not I would 

do it. This time around, I realized that although it’s incredibly tough, nothing beats the 

feeling of completing such a massive task. I’m looking forward to the next one! 

Right now, my long-term goal is to complete the six most popular marathons in the 

world: New York, Berlin, London, Boston, Chicago and Tokyo. I’m also very interested 

in the Great Wall marathon in China, because it’s such a fascinating landscape and a 

challenging route. I would also love to complete the Athens marathon, because that’s 

where it all started. I’m hoping to get to the Great Wall marathon in May 2017. 

I currently run my own personal training 

business in Sydney, helping clients across the 

city and suburbs work towards a healthier 

lifestyle. I am a member of Fitness Australia, 

Triathlon Australia and Athletics Australia. 

After many years working as a personal trainer 

and running corporate programs, I recently got 

my accreditation as a running coach to start 

new running groups in Sydney. 

Throughout my career, I have been sponsored 

to represent Spain in ITU events, featured 

on the covers of sport magazines, and have 

written several articles about fitness for 

publications. 


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The New York Marathon is the most popular and iconic marathon in the world, and 

getting the chance to run in it was an honor. It was also a birthday present to myself: I 

ran the marathon two days after my 35th birthday, and my family travelled from Spain 

to meet me in New York. It was a very special few days, and running the marathon has 

given me a huge boost of energy and motivation. 

In the lead up to the marathon, I was worried about an injury I had contracted while 

training back in Australia. I was building up my distances, and unfortunately managed 

to twist my ankle while trail running – which meant I had to stop training for two 

months. Up until that point, my longest distance was 22km, a far cry from the 42km of 

the NY marathon! After my ankle recovered, I had a few weeks to train up again, but I 

was sure that I wouldn’t be able to finish the marathon without walking the last 10km. 

However, on the day, the cheering from the thousands of spectators along the route, 

the energy and motivation of the other participants, the music and atmosphere, and 

the incredible views throughout the New York districts inspired me to complete the 

full marathon – running! You can take a look at a video of my experience – and the 

incredible city – here. 

If you are thinking about starting up running, or already have a few kilometers under 

your belt and would like to join a group, get in touch. I’m starting up new running 

groups in Sydney in 2017, and will be offering personal training to those who want to 

achieve their running goals! 

Raquel Holgado 

www.raquelholgado.com 


51

FOURTH WORLD JAVELIN 

CONFERENCE REPORT 

On the 4th of November, 

Athletics Australia Apprentice 

Coach Mike Barber and star 

athlete Kelsey-Lee Roberts 

received the great honour of 

being asked to present at the 

4th World Javelin Conference 

in Kuortane, Finland. Mike kindly 

shared his experience with us 

and the lessons he learnt from 

the international conference. 

"I attended the previous edition of the World Javelin Conference in 2014 as an 

inexperienced coach looking to learn from the world’s best. This year I was honoured to 

be asked to present, with Kelsey-Lee Roberts, at the conference alongside some of the 

world’s best coaches and athletes. 

I was the first presenter and discussed the motion of the hip and shoulder in throwing, 

with a focus on understanding the demands of the event on these joints when designing 

a training program for performance and injury prevention. Kelsey and I presented 

on her development from a 45m 18 year old to Olympian at just 24 years of age. We 

stressed the importance of a multi-sport background, developing athleticism and 

patience in developing a world class thrower.

Next up was Terseus Liebenberg, coach of Sunette Viljoen and Marius Corbett, who 

is one of the nicest people in the javelin world. Terseus stressed the importance 

of developing athleticism in young throwers by encouraging them to participate in 

multiple events and not specialising early. The importance of speed in javelin was also 

emphasised and the importance of developing power in the weight room, with med 

balls and through plyometrics to transfer to throwing training. 

“Boxing has really helped my javelin. The way I box with force and 

speed helps my arm speed, which aids the release of the javelin. We 

all need to find that extra edge in training and, for me, boxing works 

well.” 

- Sunette Vilijoen, 2016. 

Tero Pitkamaki and his coach Hannu Kangas presented on their 20 year partnership. 

One of the most pertinent messages came from Hannu when discussing the years 

between ages 28-30 that Tero spent injured. Hannu said he wished he had been brave 

enough to reduce the volume in training, however at the time they were comfortable 

with their system and didn’t want to change. The result of his reflection was that he 

stressed the importance of recovery and reducing training volume whilst maintaining 

quality as an athlete ages. 


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Rio gold medallist Thomas Rohler and coach Harro Schwuchow were the headliners 

and provided a very entertaining and thought provoking presentation. Rohler is not your 

average javelin thrower. He came from a jumps background and specialised in javelin 

at 19. Rohler’s physique resembles a decathlete and his training is non-traditional. He 

trains Monday to Friday and rests on the weekend, believing that two days away from 

training allows him to mentally recharge. Rohler trains at a sports high school in Jena 

and stressed the importance of developing athleticism and constantly challenging 

the athlete in training with new skills – the current one being slacklining. Rohler’s 

strength is his elastic power, and so they train him accordingly with less traditional 

lifting and most power and strength development coming from gymnastics, medicine 

balls and jumping. The areas that shocked most of the audience were that he doesn’t 

throw a javelin until April, instead throwing weighted balls indoors and that they 

stopped strength training in May – 3 months prior to Rio. 

Rohler’s athleticism was demonstrated in the practical demonstration with a series of 

medicine ball and weighted ball throws. The most important coaching tip was to always 

pick a target for ball throws. Harro suggested that the athlete sets up with the target in 

mind and this provides a sense of connection to the throw. 

Rio Gold Medallist, Thomas 

Rohler's Unique Training Routine 

"He trains Monday to Friday and rests 

on the weekend, believing two days away 

from training allows him to mentally 

recharge" 

"He doesn't throw a javelin until April, 

instead throwing weighted balls indoors" 

"They stopped strength training in May - 3 

months prior to Rio" 

The conference theme was “Long term skill development in javelin throw” and an 

unofficial theme of individualising training and technique to suit the athlete that 

you have emerged from the presentations. Sami Kalaja, a skill acquisition scientist, 

discussed the importance of constraints based learning. He suggested that it is 

important to allow athletes to make mistakes and find their own solutions rather 

than over-analysing and over-coaching. 


54

Petteri Piironen, coach to Julius Yego, presented on identifying and nurturing talent. 

An important message was that javelin throwers take time to develop. He suggested 

that the most important aspect of coaching a developing thrower is to build the physical 

attributes to handle the demands of throwing progressively from 16-21 years of age 

while resisting the urge to chase results. His final message was “Do something every 

day that makes you a better javelin thrower”. 

The other highlight of the conference was spending time sharing ideas with other 

coaches from around the world. There seemed to be a shift in mindset emerging from 

the coaches I spoke to at this conference. Gone are the days where coaches try to fit 

athletes to technical models or develop physical capacities based on testing tables. 

On reflection, there were three main points that I took away from the conference. 

1) Be athletic. Train athleticism – running, jumping and throwing in multiple 

planes with different implements from a young age all the way to the elite. 

2) There is no one perfect technique in javelin. Coaches must look at each 

athlete individually and fit the style training to the athlete, not the athlete to a specific 

style of training. 

3) Velocity is king. Javelin is the highest velocity event in track and field and 

athletes must be FAST and POWERFUL, so training must reflect this. 

You are able to find videos of the conference by clicking here. 


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Four time Olympic medallist and multiple 

400m World Champion Christine Ohuruogu 

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will lead the England Nitro team

Managing the Team at the 

2000 Olympic Games 

Since joining the Australian Institute of Sport in 

1984, Athletics Australia life member Carol Grant 

has been a prominent and widely loved figure in 

the sport. After joining the athletics support team 

in 1985 at the request of Head Coach Tony Rice, 

Carol has gone on to support our development and 

performance athletes for over 30 years including 

in the role of Assistant Team Manager at the 2000 

Olympic Games in Sydney. 

Carol met with us to share her experiences and the 

lessons she has learned from the many talented 

performance coaches she has worked with over her 

career. 


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Athletics Australia: How did you get involved as a National Team Manager leading 

into the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games? 

Carol Grant: My first foray into team management for Athletics Australia came in 

1994 as the Assistant Team Manager at the World Cup in London. It was my first trip 

overseas, my first big team and it was an incredibly exciting period of my life. From 

there I did a number of other events and competitions and this culminated in my 

appointment as an Assistant Team Manager for the four year build up into the Sydney 

Olympics. There’s nothing better than being in your home environment for such a big 

competition. It was a special time for everyone in the team and there was an enormous 

excitement from the athletes, coaches and other support staff. 

AA: What was your role at the Sydney Olympics? 

CG: The assistant team manager was responsible for managing the logistics, 

ensuring that the athletes were where they needed to be in the build up to the games 

at competitions and training camps and on the day of the events. In preparation 

of the games this included general administration such as organising flights and 

accommodation. On the day of competition I had the role of being the first point of 

support for the competing athletes immediately after the completion of their events. 

Some athletes had a great experience, and that was easy to manage as they were on 

a high and in great spirits, but more importantly it was the ones who felt they hadn’t 

reached their full potential and were disappointed with their performance who needed a 

little more support. I think this was especially the case in Sydney for the home Olympics 

where the athletes would have their grandparents, aunties, and whole extended family 

in the crowd and the athletes would have felt a much greater weight of expectation. 


58

AA: How did you provide effective support to the athletes immediately after the 

event? 

CG: Immediately after an athlete finished an event they would come through the 

mixed zone. The mixed zone has several strings to it – first the media from all around 

the world gets the chance for photos and interviews and if an athlete has done well 

obviously everyone wanted to talk with them. Once the athletes came through the 

media, was where we would normally wait for the athlete to ensure they had someone 

there to support them emotionally or to be there for them if they were required to do an 

in-competition drug test. 

If an athlete felt they hadn’t achieved what they hoped to achieve this would often be a 

well-being situation for me offering them comfort or physical support, or just walking 

them back to the warm-up track to pick up their gear or see their coach. I was the 

first support staff the athlete would see after competing, usually before their personal 

coach, so it was important that there was a member of team management there to 

support each athlete after they finished competing. As team managers we had to 

ensure that there was always someone to assist all athletes after they finish competing, 

for example when Catherine Freeman won Gold we had someone there but I was also 

there when Tatiana won Silver later on in the night. Of course, it isn’t just about being 

there for those who achieved success, we had to ensure we were there for all athletes. 


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It takes a special kind of person to be a coach. It takes time, 

dedication and commitment and when it all comes together 

it's an incredible experience." 

AA: What advice would you have for coaches in supporting their athletes after an 

event if they don’t achieve what they hope to in the competition? 

CG: From my experience when an athlete is disappointed in their performance the best 

thing is to have the athlete walk back to the warm up track and give it a little time for 

that initial disappointment and hurt to soften. As a coach it is important to remember 

that this isn’t a time for berating or anything like that, but time for the athlete to get it 

out of their system so they are able to let it go. This is especially the case for athletes 

who will be competing again at the same competition or another upcoming event – 

they need to let that disappointment go so they can focus on their next performance. 

Coaches play a big role in this and sometimes it’s not what you say, sometimes the best 

thing the coach can do is say nothing at all if the athlete is unhappy and just be there 

to support them. From my experience this is something that the best coaches are quite 

good at – they know their athlete better than anyone and are able to support them after 

an event whether it is a good or not so good outcome. 


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AA: You have worked with some very famous and talented coaches in your role as 

a Team Manager including Craig Hilliard, Alex Parnov, Pat Clohessy AM, and Chris 

Wardlaw – what is it that you believe makes the best coach at a High Performance 

level? 

CG: It takes a special kind of person to be a coach. It takes time, dedication and 

commitment and when it all comes together it’s an incredible experience for the 

coach and the athlete. For some coaches, especially those who have brought these 

athletes right through from a very young age it takes a very special sort of person to 

give that time and energy to help someone else achieve at the highest level. It also 

usually requires a big personal commitment from the coach. As we know, only a small 

proportion of coaches are full-time, so they have to make compromises in other areas 

of their life such as work or family and that requires an incredible dedication to their 

role. 

I think patience is the most important 

quality I have seen across the best 

coaches in the sport. Patience in lots 

of different ways, patience to commit to 

the learning of their athlete, patience 

to commit to their own learning and 

development and patience to not 

push the athlete before they are ready 

physically and or emotionally. That takes 

experience and an understanding of your 

athlete to get right and is something I 

have seen in the best elite coaches. 

AA: How was High Performance 

coaching evolved over your 30 years in 

the sport? 

CG: I think it is much more professional 

now than it was when I first came into 

the sport. It was good then, but it is like 

everything in that you improve as you 

go. Our current HP structure is very 

professional covering so many different 

areas that we didn’t before. For example 

sports science and sports medicine is 

really important and has been an area 

where coaches have needed to upskill to be able to best support their athletes. I think 

along with the professionalism that is coming into our sport, coaches and athletes have 

learned a lot from the experience of the senior staff and will one day pass on a lot of 

experience to the next generation who hopefully will improve even further. 


61

COACHING IN SCHOOLS 

We are now looking ahead to 2017 and beginning 

another year of the Sporting Schools Program. It has 

been a massive year to say the least for the IAAF Kids’ 

Athletics Program. We finished off the second half of 

the year by delivering the program in 157 schools in 

Term 3 and 72 schools in Term 4. This took the total 

up to 618 schools experiencing our program across 

Australia with 54,200 students participating in the 

program in 2016. This has been largely thanks to the 

great effort of our Accredited Athletics Coaches who 

have been fundamental in running a great program 

that so many schools want to be part of. 

Variety Children's Christmas Party 

Through Athletics Australia’s Partnership with Special Olympics Australia we had 

the opportunity and privilege to be a part of the 2016 Variety Children's Christmas 

Party on Thursday 1st December at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre. Since 1986 the 

annual Variety Children’s Christmas Party has been spreading the joy of Christmas 

and touching the lives of kids in need right across Victoria. We were able to provide joy 

to those children in need by getting them to come and try some IAAF Kids’ Athletics 

activities. It was a great day for the children and was even more rewarding for us 

involved to see the smiles on the kids’ faces. Thanks to IAAF Kids’ Athletics coaches’ 

Ronnie Kasirye, Michael Beltrame, Rupert van Dongen and Special Olympics’ Simon 

Rodder for helping out on the day! 



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2016 Victorian Disability Sport & Recreation Festival 

On Friday 2nd December, Athletics Australia in conjunction with Special Olympics 

Australia were involved in the 2016 Victorian Disability Sport & Recreation Festival 

held at Crowne Promenade. We occupied a shared marquee on the day with Special 

Olympics in which we able to provide information to a number of special schools about 

our IAAF Kids’ Athletics Program while Special Olympics provided information about 

their club programs on offer. Our ‘Come Try’ section was well received on the day 

with a number of special needs students getting involved in some IAAF Kids’ Athletics 

activities. 

Term 1 2017 

funding for the 

Sporting Schools 

Program is now 

open! 

We encourage all our coaches to 

spread the word about our program 

and to get schools to sign up for the 

funds in time. 

For more details head to 

www.sportingschools.gov.au. 

A massive thankyou to our IAAF Kids’ Athletic Coaches without your hard work and 

assistance this program wouldn’t be the success it is today. Special mentions to 

Andrew Byrne, Danielle Henderson, Greg Coombs, Ryan Bidner, Shane Danaher, 

Patricia McHendrie, Yiota Carabourniotis, Garnet Rodda, Manny Dalla Costa, Jim 

Poussard, Daniel Sneyders, Ronnie Kasirye, Michael Beltrame, Duncan Large and 

Allana Wignall who conducted a great number of programs across Australia in 2016. 


63


Working with Children with Special Needs 

Level 3 and IAAF Kids' Athletics Coach Manuela Dalla Costa recently delivered 

Sporting Schools Programs at Eastern Ranges School and Coburg Special 

Development School. Manny reports on what worked, what didn't work and offers 

her helpful advice for teachers and coaches working with beginning athletes with 

special needs. 

Prior to my coaching roles, my only exposure to children with autism or special needs 

had been through contact with my relatives’ twin boys. One of the boys has severe 

autism whilst his twin has Asberger’s Syndrome. What I am acutely aware of is that no 

two days are alike - the child with Asberger's syndrome is often happy and articulate 

however his brother may show little recognition and minimal attention span. That 

is what attracted me to the coaching role at Eastern Ranges School and now to the 

Coburg Special Development School. 

The month at Eastern Ranges School showed me there needs to be many alternate 

ways to try to engage the children in order to deliver a successful session. After 

trialling a 'gentler' and slower version of our Sporting Schools Beginner session, I 

knew the approach needed to be a little different. I had a fabulous teacher’s aide, who 

suggested using a format similar to what the children are accustomed to on a daily 

basis. 

At Eastern Ranges School, they utilise a structured schedule, 

which helps the kids understand what they should be doing 

and what to expect in each class. When the kids normally 

come out for PE, they start off with a solid warm-up in the 

Cardio Room. The school uses little visual displays velcroed 

to the wall (pictured) so the children are aware what the 

activities will be and in which order. This room was fitted out 

with various types of equipment – Swiss balls, treadmills, 

stationary bikes, a mini trampoline, steppers and balance 

circles. The children are visually shown that the cardio 

room is always before the structured activities they do in the 

general PE hall. 



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The picture to the left shows the Cardio Room fitted 

with the equipment described and the picture below 

demonstrates the order the children progressed 

around the Cardio room. Whilst the aide prepared 

each child’s schedule, the child would take that list 

from activity to activity and attach it to the wall behind 

their nominated timed activity which went for 6 

minutes. 

So the children would be accustomed to the format 

that was being followed for our Sporting Schools 

activities, it was decided to use the same coloured dot 

structure that is used at the school. Hence, I set up 

activities following the coloured squares set up around 

the hall as per the red square. 

Once we moved to the general hall, the children were all undertaking the same activity 

so the schedule given to all of them was the same as they progressed from activity to 

activity in order. 

Signs are displayed all around the school with visual cues that are used to support 

communication. What was obvious is that there were varied levels of attention span of 

the children who took part. The classes I took covered 6-8 year old children. They all 

had 4 children per class and in each class, I had at least one child who did not respond 

at all. Having tried to engage them on several occasions, the aide suggested leaving 

them to entertain themselves – often they just lay on or behind the high jump mat. 

Physically, they are more demanding 

than your regular, healthy child 

as the instructions needed me 

to literally lift them for jumping 

exercises etc., holding their hands 

and running together for a type 

of slalom activity, as an example. 

Sound was important to make it 

more fun as well - a loud, smiling 

face and making a “choo-choo” train 

noise, or a “vroom-vroom” sound for 

a motor car etc. 


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"The priority when coaching children with autism is to make the 

session safe and as much fun as possible." 

Whilst we have many coaching tips in our manuals, many of these could not be applied 

in this instance by verbally conveying instructions. From my experience, simply saying 

"stable landings", "eyes forward", and "active arms" was ineffective in getting the kids 

to do what you wanted, so the coach should use visual cues and physical manipulation 

to help the kids understand what you mean and what these actions feel like. 

The priority when coaching children with autism is to make the session safe and as 

much fun as possible. Generally, the age groups I worked with did not understand so we 

(myself and the aide) would run with each individual child to help them with the activity 

and it seems they liked being guided. Many high-5’s when things were done and the 

rewarding side was for those who did understand a particular activity, they then wanted 

to continue the entire session. 

Some final thoughts when working at a school with special needs children – find out 

if there is a class or activities “structure” that they follow in their daily classes as 

this will assist in making it a seamless transition for the children as they like and are 

accustomed to structure. Activities need to be simplified and modified to make it easy 

for them to try and never forget to reward the kids with claps, high-5’s and hugs. 


66


A Teacher's Perspective 

Level 2 Intermediate Club Coach, Registered Teacher, Swim Coach, and Exercise 

Physiologist Kris Hatch shares the lessons she takes from the classroom onto the 

Track and into the Pool as a sports coach. 

After more than 20 years of swimming coaching as my main career, I am now a full time 

high school maths teacher. These days there isn't much time for coaching, however I do 

keep my hand in swimming coaching over the summer season with a school program. 

My teaching career started with physical education (as you might expect), science (via 

exercise physiology) and mathematics. I never imagined that I would become a high 

school maths teacher - despite having done well in maths myself at high school, I 

didn't enjoy it. However, teaching maths does have connections with coaching that 

I didn't anticipate. A classroom and desks keep the students together more like a 

swimming pool's lanes than students spreading out over an oval in a PE class does. 

Instead of motivating teenagers to reach their potential as athletes, qualify for states or 

nationals, I now motivate teenagers to reach their potential academically, from passing 

for the first time, to achieving an 'A'. I like the importance of maths as a subject, and 

the importance of numeracy as a life skill. Instead of aiming to encourage a lifelong 

connection to exercise, I aim to encourage a lifelong interest in learning. 

"Organisational and behaviour management skills greatly 

increase the probability of a successful learning environment." 

However, there are also huge differences between coaching and teaching. In relation 

to group management, the steepest learning curve came very early on in my teaching 

career when I realised that while most teenagers are old enough to be at sport training 

through their own choice, teenagers generally haven't chosen to be sitting in a high 

school maths class. Some of these students have had negative experiences previously 

with maths, and may not even like the subject at all. Whatever the students' attitudes 

are towards maths class, organisational and behaviour management skills greatly 

increase the probability of a successful learning environment. As is the case with 

coaching, I have gained further skills in these areas through mentoring, observations, 

professional development, reading, and of course trial and error. Also like coaching, it 

is a work in progress that I continue to improve upon. Here are a few things I have had 

to think more about in teaching: 



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1. Classroom routines. For example, my current routine with my Year 8-10 classes 

is: class line up, invited to enter classroom, stand behind desks, greet each other, 

invited to sit. The students write the date, lesson topic, learning goals and do a 'quick 

quiz' in their books, while I take the roll and check their homework. I go through 

the homework and quick quiz answers with them, then explain the day's topic. The 

students then do the work I have set, while I continuously walk around the classroom 

providing assistance (or re-focus) where necessary. With a few minutes to go, the 

students write down the homework (small amount, due the next lesson), pack up, stand 

behind their chairs and are then dismissed. I have found that the more rigid the 

routine is, the more relaxed the students are because they know what to 

expect - even more so for students with autistic spectrum disorder or anxiety issues. 

2. Behaviour management. I still find this stressful, although I am very fortunate 

that in general the behaviour is excellent at the high school that I now teach at. Again, 

the key is consistency. Rather than a list of rules, I now relate everything back to 

respect and learning. If their behaviour is not showing themselves and others respect, 

or is affecting teaching and learning in the classroom, they are most likely breaking a 

school rule or two. Eye contact and acknowledgement (eg. a nod or a smile) helps to 

gain attention and retain focus when wanting to speak to the class as a whole. To build 

or maintain rapport, a first step for something minor may be just a friendly reminder of 

the behaviour required. If the behaviour is not adjusted, depending on the situation, the 

student may be moved or given a short detention after class. Ongoing minor issues, 

or a major issue are referred to a deputy principal. I find that building rapport 

with students is key for both reducing behaviour issues and increasing 

engagement - if the students respect you, they are much more likely to want to 

cooperate. 'Catching them doing it right' also helps - I give positive feedback to the 

class or individual when I see behaviour that I would like to continue. 


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ATHLETICS COACH

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