Coaching blog 

hi everyone why arent the other sites working ie amys banter

My questio is regarding how I can find out the up coming program for Athletics Meets. At present on the website it seems every thing stops in June 08 - where do you find out the pathway to qualify for 2009?

hi,can i check what type of training would help one to improve the 800m timing, if one's best is 2.24s?and is it necessary to do high altitude trng in order to cut down the time? because in the country i am living, there is no altitude. thank you very much!

Sam Clemmey's question is not simply answered on this BLOG. However if he has a look at the Australian Track & Field Coaches Association website www.atfca.com.au he will be able to locate a coach in his area. That coach is usually associated with a club where he will be able to train and the coach he has chosen will provide him with the information he needs to achieve his personal best. At the recent 2007 Australian U18 titles his age group was won in a time of (w: 1.0) 10.72. I hope this helps.

Sam Clemmey's question is not simply answered on this BLOG. However if he has a look at the Australian Track & Field Coaches Association website www.atfca.com.au he will be able to locate a coach in his area. That coach is usually associated with a club where he will be able to train and the coach he has chosen will provide him with the information he needs to achieve his personal best. At the recent 2007 Australian U18 titles his age group was won in a time of (w: 1.0) 10.72. I hope this helps.

Hey Mick, well i'm 17 yrs old and i love the 100m and 200m sprints but have never done any sprint training before. My best in the 100m is 12 flat and the 200m is 24.8 and i was wondering what sort of training i could do to try and improve those times. Thx keep up the good work!

Where are we on the world scale?

A colleague of mine recently undertook an interesting exercise. He wanted to see where Australia featured in the world rankings per event. He is the sort of person who enjoys playing with statistics, as many good athletics folk do, and the research revealed some very interesting results.

Here is a taste of Australia’s world rankings – by event, as at the end of the 2006 year:

Women:
1st in walks
2nd in steeplechase
3rd in pole vault

Men:
2nd in long jump
3rd in 1500m and 200m
4th in 100m

The complete results can be viewed below.

The results are derived from a model that looks at the number of athletes per event in the world’s top 100 at the end of the 2006 season and are actually published in the IAAF world rankings year book. The distinction needs to be made here between the  IAAF world rankings and the IAAF ‘top list’. For example, we clearly do not have the three best results in men’s 1500m, though we do have the third most number of athletes ranked in the IAAF world rankings top 100.

What is interesting about this approach is that it considers the year’s results. It tells us more about our depth at the elite level, an area where previously we have perhaps not acknowledged sufficient credit, and further, it highlights those areas where we have some work to do in combining talent identification with talent development.

Tiger Woods does not become the world’s best golfer by winning the masters, he is ranked No. 1 following the accumulation of points scored based on all his tournaments. When Venus Williams won Wimbledon, she could not claim the title of the world’s best tennis player. To earn that right she needs to consistently perform over a full season – or more.

So if an athlete breaks a world record, should that make them world No.1? Maybe not. The athlete who consistently achieves world best results over the length of the season should be recognised as the world’s leading athlete.

The challenge for our sport and the IAAF is to use the language that ‘Joe Blow sports fan’ can understand.  So that those who open the newspaper from the back page first understand world rankings. Roger Federer is clearly the world No. 1 male tennis player, though the sports fan does not necessarily understand the uniqueness of how that ranking is determined.  

Our sport is different as we are distracted or at least preoccupied by world best results and rankings take on a lesser importance. In a world championship, Joe Blow sports fan is more likely to recognise the gold medallist rather than looking beyond the individual result and saying who, by virtue of their world ranking, is the best in the world. Sadly, the culture and language of our sport does not allow us to have an alternate view.

Perhaps let us consider the alternative. Let our sport talk the language of world rankings, determined by their accumulated points, rather than put so much attention on individual medals that come with an Olympic or World Championship. Individual winners at this year’s World Championships and next year’s Olympics should be lauded, though not at the expense of the athlete who is ranked world No. 1.

When Tiger Woods did not win the US Masters, no one doubted he was still the world’s No. 1 golfer.

Mick Poulton
National Coaching Coordinator

I was just wondering how you get into prefessional coaching. Thats my ideal dream job, but im not sure where to get information about it. Thanks :)

I'd like to say how fantastic the National hammer camp on the 15th - 18th of June was. Having that many athletes and coaches in the one place was invaluable. We have gone home with many new things to try and I've seen some crucial things that I was missing thanks to the video analysis and the eagle eyes of all those coaches, particularly Mike Edwards - so much experience! Stuart Rendell's contribution to the panel and gathering was marvellous, insightful and hilarious! We must do this again soon.Many thanks to Sara, Nicky and Sean for making it happen.

The coaching clinics by Peter Sneary were fantastic. I benefitted enormously from them. It's also a great idea to put these clinics on the website so that other coaches not able to attend can also benefit. Hopefully there will be more such opportunities in future, which not only add to our knowledge base but also are excellent motivators for coaches and athletes alike. It would be welcomed by many I am sure if the material of the recent throws conference in Canberra could be put on the website. Knowledge sharing is an essential aspect of developing our sport. Jörg Probst

As part of the National Coaching initiatives, Athletics Australia is building a series of video resources designed to assist coaches and athletes.

Two new series have recently appeared on the Athletics Australia website. 

The first features a number of 'chapters' devoted to Javelin throwing. They follow the work done in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland recently by the visiting UK Coach, Peter Sneary.  Given the technical nature of the Javelin, some of the skill details and progressions may be debatable.  If you have an opinion, why not share it with the rest of the throws community and raise your thoughts here on the Coaching Blog !

The second features a recent interview with Benita Johnson.  BJ goes into detail about the unique issues facing female distance runners.  She talks training, racing and of her experiences over the many years that she has enjoyed the demanding discipline of distance running.  Again, if you have some ideas and experiences you would like to share, post them for all to see here on the Coaching Blog.

Finally, a great way to keep in touch with all that is happening in athletics is through the great podcast, called "Higher Faster Stronger".  This is like a radio show, but it allows you to listen to any episode when you want to hear it.  Unlike traditional radio shows that you must tune into when they are programmed, podcasts allow you to listen at a time that suits you. Its great to have a podcast playing through your computer whilst you are doing other work.  Try it !

If you have any issue in coaching you'd like to raise, please do so on the Blog that is Coaching !

Mick Poulton: National Coaching Coordinator, Athletics Australia

Mick, I took my daughter (12YO) along to the Australia Cup at QSAC. She wanted to watch the womens 1500m. Whilst she was pleased to get to see Patrick Johnson run, her interest was in watching athletes she 'knew'. Once the girls had run the 1500M her interest passed quickly. That is to say, spectators need more to hold their interest - no disrespect to the athletes - but a carnival atmosphere needs to accompany the on track entertainment. My sons go the cricket & rugby as much (if not more) for the off field entertainment. I go to rugby & cricket because they go. But back to athletics - encourage the kids to come along to the A-Series meets by giving out performance awards at National Schools Championships for medalists or finalists - performance awards in the form of tickets to the meets. I think you'll find an initiative like that will produce a win/win/win with sponsors, spectators and your grass roots.

Thanks to all those who have contributed to the blog regarding the Athletics Australia Domestic Season. I'd like to take up points made by Dave and Mark in relation to the competition format. The new sensation is Australian sport, A League Football, the Super 14 Rugby, NAB Cup Football, the NRL and years ago World Series Cricket, all had an incredible amounts of money to spend in 'freshening up' their approach. Athletics Australia is constantly searching for similar ideas that can be backed by the dolars needed to make new initiatives work. We are constantly dealing with a sport that is so diverse it makes it a very unique being ! A recent example of success was the 50 km walk held in Geelong in December that resulted in a new world record. In setting this record, Nathan Deakes did the equivalent of smashing an Ian Thorpe type dominance in the world of race walking. His performance was amazing and the venue, the waterfront at Geelong, where specators could enjoy this remarkable achievement, was a perfect backdrop Taking the walk to the people ensured it gained a profile that otherwise would not have been possible outside of a major championship. It worked. Playing around with the very basis of the sport is complex and there a few easy answers. Be assured, Athletics Australia is keen to do what it can to make the competition schedule more entertaining for Joe Public, whilst maintaining the integrity of the sport. Not always an easy thing. What will be on show in Melbourne on Friday 2 March is most of the countires best athletes against some of the worlds best. All will be out to impress and assert their own dominance, so why not get along and watch them FLY !! Mick Poulton: Athletics Australia National Coaching Coordinator

Re: Athletes going to the US. I was one of those. Its a fantastic experience and has influenced my life for the positive. The challenge that is perhaps not understood, is the importance of School selection to an American. Its a lengthy, emotional process, and the culture and environment is key to academic success. When I was recruited, Universities in Australia were located mainly in major cities. Most Australians lived in major locales. In the US, some of these universities are located in very small towns, hours from civilization. I got used to it, but it came as a shock. US student athletes have the option of a visit. That is difficult for an Australian student athlete due to distance and cost. Of course if you are just an athlete, like I was, then it was all about the racing and the experience. And I was older - 22. I did get my degree in 4 years. Its important that all of these factors are aligned before you send off your kids to college.

It is good to see interest from our American friend. As a parent I would support my daughter's decision to attend a US college if she had the opportunity and she was comfortable with the program. I would hope her coach or coaches would support her decision and continue to act as mentors to her. Coaches don't own athletes, especially young athletes.

Hi, Just scrolling thru the website & came across this Blog. The last comment by David sums up my thoughts re athletics. I;ve been involved in aths as an athlete, coach & employee over many years now and have become even more convinced that athletics does need a major overhaul to re-establish its relevance in the market place. There are many examples in our crowded sporting / leisure market where sports have re-invented themselves and in so doing have significantly increased their profile & participation bases. Examples range from fun runs like City to Surf, cricket thru 20-20, beach volleyball, lawn bowls & the transformation from aerobics to group fitness. There are many lessons there which could indeed be helpful for the athletics community to consider in laying the blueprint to reignite interest in the sport. Athletics is still a wonderful sport to be part of, we just need to make sure it is delivered in a manner more appealing to the wider audience.

Mick, I take your point about athletes and coaches supporting the A Series but from a marketing perspective perhaps the relevance of the product (the competition format) has faded. I've only been coaching for 7 years but to the best of my knowledge the competittion format has not changed, in some circumstances, since the ancient olympics. I don't know of any product that has proved successful over that extended life cycle. The competition format isn't exciting! I'm sorry but spectator numbers confirm this and now it appears that our athletes are agreeing. When was the last time we considered changes that will make the competition more relevant for today's market? Why must we run in our summer - would it not be better for our competition to be winter based and conform with the northern hemisphere season? Why do we need world class athletes - go to the trots or even greyhound racing and both of these sports attract larger numbers of spectators than track and field and I don't think that the quality fields have that much to do with the marketability of the sport. We perhaps need to do a "World Series Cricket" on track and field by asking audiences what they expect from the sport and then re-engineer the sport to better reflect what stakeholders want. I know that this approach will not be accepeted by the track and field traditionalists but we need to do something whilst the sport still has a pulse ... as weak as it is!

Greetings Coaches, I am new to this site. I am a US Coach at the University level. Having come across a few Australian student athletes here in the States, I was curious as to the feelings of these athletes Aussie Coaches who may have or may not have aproved of their leaving home to attend a US school. I too am interested in recruiting student athletes from your continent but also wondering about your feelings

Welcome on board Mick. I am sure that you will make a positive difference to this area of the sport. I would like to believe that athletes and coaches do get behind the Telstra A Series and welcome the assistance that AA provides to suitably qualified athletes to take part. Becoming part of the 'bigger picture' within the sport is always a challenge. especially for coaches and perhaps athletes who are coached by those who have become accustomed to feeling disenfranchised from the central part of the sport- a lack of togetherness so to speak and I hope that the future work i your department along with the great work done by ATFCA, increases the sense of 'Team Australia' over the coming period. But as for athletes not supporting the Telstra A Series - I can not understand why you would not?

780 million is an big number especially when we’re talking money !  It’s the amount the AFL has received for its 5 year TV rights deal with Channel 7 & 10.  It’s an amount that most of us involved in sport are simple amazed at, and probably a little jealous of – OK, maybe a lot jealous !

 What does it mean for Athletics ?  well the Athletics Australia Commercial section will tell you it has made their job trying to attract sponsors that much more difficult.  Seve & Ten need to pay for their TV rights somehow and they have flooded the corporate market place squeezing out every last cent.

In an environment where corporate support is so important to the future of sport, competition for dollars will continue to have an impact on sports like ours.

What we can do though is control the controlables (my favourite of all the coaching on-liners).  That is, we need to do the things we do fantastically well, so that we make it very difficult for potential sponsors to say no to us.  All of us involved in the sport have this responsibility, but let’s talk for now about our athletes and coaches. 

The Telstra A Series kicked off this week in Canberra.  The Telstra A Series is our spring racing carnival, our One Day Cricket Series, or the domestic equivalent of the World Cup if we talk soccer.  It is the highlight each year of our sport; showing off our athletes to the Australian public, to our fans, to our up and comers and importantly our sponsors.  SBS will provide some terrifc coverage giving us critical TV exposure and one thing the World Cup Soccer showed us in 2006 is that if the performances are worth watching, people will switch on – at any time of the night or day in their millions ! 

As athletes and coaches, we have a responsibility to the development of our sport to compete and perform at our best.  Our sport is judge on it performances and unless we get our best athletes running, jumping and throwing against each other this season, then Telstra A Series does not deliver the performances our sport justly deserves and our sponsors and the public ask why ?

Our world rankings from the IAAF in 2006 make impressive reading. My 11 year old daughter wants to see the superstars her dad keeps talking about.  She wants to see them on the tele and live at the meets.  We all want to see the great performances that come when our best athletes show what they are capable of, here in Australia.

The Commonwealth Games showed us just how well Australians embrace Athletics when the top class athletes are on show.  85,000 people cheering for a 5000 m race – almost un-heard of – but in Melbourne night after night this was emulated at the MCG.  Athletics did at the MCG what only the ‘block buster’ footy matches can do and why ?  Because the people just loved to see athletes take on each other in hard fought, quality competition.  And the athletes loved it !   

My point is this.  If we as a sport want more of the success that we tasted in Melbourne 2006, then we need to get out there and show the public just how great our sport can be. To quote a Kevin Cosner moive, “Build it and they will come”. 

This can only happen when we have competitive and talented fields in every event.   Athletes and Coaches, for the sake of our sports progress in a tough and competitive environment, get behind the Telstra A Series and strut your stuff !  We won’t get 780 million next year and maybe we wont fill Federation Square with people watching the Big Screen, but we can show Australia that our sport and our athletes, are among the most impressive in the world.

I’d be interested in your comments.

Mick Poulton

National Coaching Coordinator