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A Coaches Roundtable
Discussing Speed Development and Sprint Training
The Hall of Fame coach facilitates a wide-ranging discussion of speed development and sprint training by leading coaches in the United States in Part 1 of a written roundtable forum.
The old cliché about knowing what you know and what you don’t know certainly rings true in track and field. Chinese philosopher Confucius stated it well: “To know what you know and what you don’t know, that is true knowledge.” Track and field training is very seldom black and white. There are very often a lot of gray areas. An excellent quote by American author Emily Giffin that pertains to the gray areas: “Life is about gray areas,” she said. “Things are seldom black and white, even when we wish they were and think they should be.” The bottom line is there are many different ways of training to achieve success in track and field. It is imperative that coaches understand what they know, build on that, and constantly search for new knowledge and information from coaches and authorities who have had repeated success. Coaches need to not only understand the “what” of training, but the when, why, and how. It is critical that coaches understand the why of training. Shelia Burrell, the head track and field coach at San Deigo State, says it best: “Those who know “why” will always be victorious over those who only know the how,” noted the twotime Olympian.
KIRBY LEE IMAGE OF SPORT
The objective of this article is to present information and knowledge from a survey conducted on a wide range of topics and questions posed to coaches related to the training of sprinters and sprint development. A number of coaches, many from my orbit, but new coaches as well, young and old from three different NCAA divisions, were asked questions in a written version of a coaches’ roundtable forum. Our panel of coaches were all asked the same eight questions, and they were free to select what they chose to answer. The questions were submitted by both coaches and athletes. There were so many questions submitted that it was exceedingly difficult to narrow down which ones we were going to pose to the coaches. As a result, we will do part 2 of the coaches’ roundtable article at some point in the future. Before we get into the topics, a quick look at our panel.
Curtis Taylor, University of Oregon Coach Taylor is in his ninth season with the Ducks and sixth as associate head coach. He’s in charge of both sprinters and hurdlers. Taylor is an 8 -time West region assistant coach of the year and three-time national assistant coach of the year. Taylor was a highly successful high school and junior college coach prior to arriving at Oregon in 2014 from Laney College in Oakland where he was the woman’s head coach. Taylor has an impressive list of standout athletes he has tutored, including Micah Williams, Kemba Nelson, Cravon Gillespie and 2015 Bowerman winner Jenna Prandini. Coach Taylor has been a part of 10 national championship teams at Oregon.
Cale Korbelik, University of Mary (ND) Coach Korbelik, who took over the head coaching position at Mary in 2022, has continued the storied success that the Marauders have grown accustomed to throughout the years. Korbelik, a graduate of Northwest Missouri State, came to the University of Mary as an assistant coach in 2020. He assumed the interim head coaching position in 2021. He had prior coaching stops at Whitworth (WA) and Buena Vista (IA) prior to coming to Mary. Korbelik, a football and track standout at Northwest Missouri, specializes in the sprints, hurdles and relays. He is also the recruiting coordinator.
Kyle Grossarth, BYU
The men’s and women’s sprint/ hurdle coach at BYU, Grossarth was the 2021 Mountain region assistant coach of the year. During his time at BYU, he has had a great
deal of success, developing 16 first team All Americans. His athletes have set numerous school and conference records. Grossarth, a conference champion 400 meter hurdler for BYU, competed in the 2000 Olympic trials as a 400 hurdler. Grossarth was a volunteer assistant at BYU from 2000-2007.
Andrea Blackett, Azusa Pacific (CA)
Blackett is the sprints/hurdle coach for the Cougars. She arrived at Azusa in 2017 from UCLA. A 1997 graduate of Rice, Blackett was a two-time Olympian for Barbados. She coached at her alma mater, Rice, for 10 years, the first five years serving as a volunteer coach. Blackett, the 2021 national assistant coach of the year, had an 11-year professional career. She coached her native Barbados in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Armando Payan, University of WisconsinPlatteville (WI)
A successful track and field and football athlete from Graceland Iowa, Payan is an assistant coach specializing in the men’s and women’s short sprints. He is in his third year of coaching the Pioneers after a two year coaching gig at the University of Mary where he was both a sprints and hurdles coach. His athletes have rewritten the record books at Platteville since his arrival in 2022.
LaRon Bennett, University of Virgina
A three time all American in the 400 meter hurdles at Georgia, Bennett joined the University of Virginia in 2021. Bennett was the director of track and field and cross country at Belhaven in Jackson, MS from 2019 to 2021. He spent 2012 to 2017 at Drake University in Des Moines, serving as co-head coach during his last season. Bennett coaches the sprints, hurdles and relays for the Cavaliers, with his athletes obtaining considerable success at the conference, regional and national levels. Bennett competed in four Olympic trials and was the bronze medalist in the 2007 Pan American Games in the 400 meter hurdles.
Kebba Tolbert, Harvard
The associate head coach at Harvard is nationally recognized as a sprints, hurdles and jumps coach. He has been at Harvard for 14 seasons, 13 as the associate head coach. A Colby College (ME) graduate, he is a many times Northeast Region assistant coach of the year. He has had many top athletes and has the distinction of coaching Gabby Thomas at Harvard. Thomas was the recent Paris Olympic Games champion in the 200 meters. His coaching career began at Iowa Wesleyan, and he has had coaching stints
at McKendree (IL), Syracuse, Portland State and UTEP. He is a widely sought after clinician and has been involved in coaching education for many years.
Tommy Badon, University of Louisiana Badon, a widely known and extremely popular coach, took over the head coaching duties at his alma mater in 2024. He served as the interim coach in 2023. The 1981 graduate of Louisiana had been an assistant for the Ragin Cajuns since 2018 before accepting the interim tag. He also was an assistant coach at Louisiana from 1989 to 1997. Badon is well known for coaching Hollis Conway, one of the top high jumpers of the 90’s and the American indoor record holder in the high jump at 7-10 1/2. Badon has been an active clinician and a level 1 and 2 instructor for 20 years.
Chris Parno, Mankato State University (MN) Parno has led the Mavericks to unprecedented success in the sprints and hurdles in his 12-year career at Mankato State. The associate head coach is a five-time national assistant coach of the year and a many-times regional coach of the year. He has created a powerhouse in Division 2 sprints and hurdles, with hurdlers Denisha Cartwright and Myles Hunter holding Division 2 national hurdle records. A graduate of Minnesota Duluth in 2010, Parno was at Augustana (SD) for two years, 2010 to 2012, prior to arriving at Mankato. Parno serves as a USATF lead instructor for the level 1 coaching certification programs and is an instructor in the level 2 and 3 certification levels. The Mavericks have won 34 conference championships and one national championship during his tenure.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Let’s get into the questions and answers from the nine-member panel. Not all coaches answered all the questions, and responses have been edited for brevity, clarity and grammatical correctness in some cases.
Q: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON FRONT SIDE MECHANICS AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU EMPLOY TO TEACH THE CONCEPT?
Bennett: In our fall training phase, we spend a lot of time building and implementing exercises that promote proper sprint mechanics, front side mechanics included. Hurdle mobility drills and mini hurdles are foundational drills that promote proper
sprint mechanics.
Korbelik: I will spend a lot of time on front side mechanics throughout our weekly program. The most intentional day is our Thursday max velocity days. We do a lot of flying work from 10-30 meters, so that is a great time to work on those mechanics. We will always do wicket/mini hurdle runs on Monday and Thursday. Sometimes even in our Tuesday intervals. Doing these drills in our warmup and primer for the workout has been key to our development. Another aspect of improving our front side mechanics is a lot of hip flexor strength and mobility, along with core/hip work to make sure our hips are neutral and not at an improper tilt.
Taylor: Most of our practices are based on the execution of proper sprint mechanics, including efforts focused on front side mechanics. I feel we get the most bang for our buck by utilizing straight leg bounding
and resistance band loading as a sensory application.
Parno: All technical work involving posture, balance and front side mechanics are focused into the daily warm-ups. I have 8-10 warm-ups that I rotate based on the theme of the day. The more neuromuscular driven warm-ups employ a variety of sprint drills, posture drills and technique focused drills for better front side mechanics.
Blackett: I work on front side mechanics in some form almost every day. Our warmup drills emphasize front side mechanics. In the fall we try to do as many things as we can to emphasize those positions. Wickets are a useful tool along with high knee action drills and dribbles.
Payan: We start day one, focusing on up-right sprinting. We do a lot of intensity manipulated training. We also do a lot of sprint mechanic drills to enforce front side
mechanics.
Badon: Front side mechanics are a key to top end sprinting, but also an extension of good acceleration. Posture is conserved through the acceleration portion of the sprint and front side mechanics are enhanced by preserving that postural integrity. Wickets done correctly are a great way to train this concept, and we spend a great deal of time working on this movement pattern. We start the first week of practice and continue throughout the training year.
Tolbert: We don’t spend an inordinate amount of time on it – not in the traditional way, at least. The ability to execute “front side” mechanics at top speed is really dependent on a few key variables – posture and position of the pelvis, foot strike mechanics and power capacity. Recently, in coaching development and sports science conversations, there’s been big discussion
on front side mechanics. It’s important, but I don’t believe it’s the thing to chase. I should also add that there’s this idea out there that any backside mechanics or backside is a symptom of poor sprinting technique. I wholeheartedly disagree. Excessive backside mechanics are certainly a problem that should be addressed. By focusing on techniques and approaches that influence good posture, good foot strike, ground contact patterns, and by addressing strength and power needs, you can solve these issues. Ideas like vertical pushing, correct shin angles, “whip from the hip” (Ken Clarke), and feeling tall and stacked all contribute to correct front side mechanics. Our technical work addresses all of this.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DO AS A COACH OR PROGRAM TO ASSIST ATHLETES IN THE MENTAL ASPECTS OF THE SPORT(MENTAL SKILLS AND MENTAL RESILIENCY)?
Bennett: Throughout workouts I present my athletes with hypothetical situations(some realistic and some unrealistic) to see how they would navigate the situation. With guidance, they learn how to build mental skills and resilience.
Grossarth: I feel that the mental aspect of track and field is crucial. We are fortunate enough to have a mental strength coach on campus that we meet with weekly. He discusses the science behind the mind and how it works in performance, and then gives them skills to help navigate their days. He has journals that each student-athlete utilizes daily. The number one focus is knowing your strengths, creating self-belief and being deliberate.
Korbelik: A big part of our program has turned to having more intentional meetings on mental skills/resiliency. Our mental strength correlates with a lot of success that our athletes have had. The ones who lack mental resilience often have the talent but can’t get it done when it matters the most. We emphasize meetings with the team, individual meetings and consistent emails on several articles/examples that can help them develop these mental skills.
Taylor: The mental aspects of the sport are addressed by cueing, rehearsal and imagery/ visualization. We have technical models for sprinting that are taught on the event/race model. We spend time walking through these and visualize what needs to be done and executed in a competitive environment.
Parno: We are fortunate to have a sports psychology center on campus through one of our graduate programs that will do weekly to bimonthly sessions with the athletes. I have also done “theme” meetings through fall training to focus in on key aspect of being a successful student athlete (i.e., motivation, goal setting, competition, preparation).
Blackett: I believe that every training session is an opportunity to learn tools that will help the athletes with mental training. As we are going through tough situations daily, I emphasize the importance of being resilient and how this will help in competition situations. I would love it if we had a mental health professional or performance coach on staff, but budget constraints don’t allow that so we do the best we can with our daily interactions with our athletes. We let them know that open dialogue is the best way to go in overcoming mental challenges.
Payan: We have implemented various strategies to enhance the athlete’s mental skills and resilience. This includes regular mental conditioning sessions that focus on visualization, goal-setting, and self-talk techniques. A couple of my favorite things to say are, “Be mentally bullet proof,” and have “ tunnel vision.” They both go hand in hand, but it technically means focusing on your lane, every step, blocking out the noise and understanding that nothing else matters at that moment. It’s a way for them to relax and help them manage stress and maintain focus.
Badon: I think making practice mirror competitive challenges is a must. Having competitive inter-squad training groups helps with that. I believe preparation in a competitive environment helps with the mental aspects of the sport.
Tolbert: Sprinting is by nature a highintensity activity. You’ve got to get a lot done in a short amount of time. However, there are several general mindsets that permeate the culture (among coaches, athletes, announcers, and general fans) that really represent roadblocks to high achievement. One of these, a key one, is around starting and acceleration. The idea that you’ve got to “get out,” or be in the lead early gets in the way of good acceleration. It also produces a lot of unnecessary anxiety. There are several ways to rob Peter to pay Paul in starting – but they ultimately lead to compromised performance. In acceleration, there’s certainly a lot of power being produced and expressed, and there’s intensity in action and in rhythm development. But it’s just as important to balance that with patience. Developing
patience in the sprint events, not being overreactive, and having a sense of the race being more than just “the start,” is a crucial mental skill. I’ve had so many athletes tell me that they can’t be good short sprinters or hurdlers (60m, 60H, 100H, or 100m) because they’re not good starters. They’ve been convinced that because they’re not able get themselves in the lead in the first 10-20 meters, it means they can’t develop into top-level sprinters and hurdlers. All the research shows this to be untrue. So, approaching sprinting with the right paradigm is essential. In addition, we work with our athletes on self-talk, imagery and confidence – both formally and informally. We practice these skills. We debrief on these skills, and we point out when we see them being used and when they’re being neglected.
Q: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU SPEND ON SPRINT MECHANICS AND HOW MUCH DO YOU ALLOW FOR INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES?
Bennett: From day one with drills, we establish good sprint mechanics. Being that we have time constraints, I may not be super picky on “perfect” execution, but I always make sure drills and mechanics are sound. No two sprinters are the same, so I try to adapt common and proper sprinting mechanics to what they already do. We have some athletes where their mechanics worked at the younger levels of competition, but evolution must be made to continue to be successful at more elite levels of competition.
Grossarth: I have a sprint model that I am always working toward with my athletes. We are constantly working towards that model in everything that we do. Within that, there are some variations that you might find from athlete to athlete, but I believe the model will give you your best opportunity for success. I look at sprinting like a golf swing. The most important part is the 4-6 inches before impact of the ball, and the 4-6 inches after impact of the ball. Same thing with sprinting, and the 4-6 inches before and after impact with the ground. I feel like the more you can get closer to the model with mechanics, then the more consistent you can be with each stride.
Korbelik: I would say we are a very technique focused sprint group. Fall training really emphasizes proper sprint mechanics. As we approach the season, you learn individual differences and try to build from there with them. I have learned not everyone will move the same, but our desire is to make
their technique as efficient as possible so that they can get the most speed from their efforts.
Taylor: We spend a large amount of time working on sprint mechanics. Each athlete has a personal technical model that they are trying to replicate, which addresses some of their current technical challenges.
Parno: Early and often. We have 2-3 neuromuscular drive days within our weekly plan. They are coach-led and involve all the educational pieces to introducing and reinforcing proper mechanics and positions. There is always a model we teach to backed by biomechanic research, but there will be individualization allowed as long as it’s not directly detracting from desired outcomes (force production, proper race models).
Blackett: Sprint mechanics are a big part of my program. We work on that 2-3 times a week. It is important to assess each athlete individually and decide which habits or inconsistencies are worth working on and which ones are not. Some athletes cannot handle a lot of change, and it can actually hold them back. It may slow some athletes in the short term, but produce huge gains in the long term.
Payan: We address the skill of sprinting day one. Starting with general preparation, we are emphasizing posture, mechanics, rhythm and making sure everything looks smooth and effortless. Everyone’s running form is different. We are not trying to change the athlete completely. We are trying to put the athletes in a better position for performance and to minimize injury.
Badon: Mechanics are a core component not only to faster sprinting, but also in the prevention of injury. Proper mechanics tied to proper postural positions enhances improvement, so mechanics are an integral part of our sprint culture.
Tolbert: We spend a fair amount of time on sprint mechanics and movement expression. Our technical models are meant to enhance not only race outcome, but also to maintain sport health. All our movements, from warmup to cool down, pass through this lens. I try to make sure we’re covering the big rocks first, and then within that, allow for and tolerate individual expression. I should point out that a lot of technical sprint errors come from poor posture, incorrect pelvic position, fascial misalignment or restrictions and other issues related to sport health. Developing an understanding of body balance, kinesiology and fascia can be
very helpful in evaluating sprint technique. I think it’s also important to understand that the way things look and feel at slower speeds don’t necessarily always transfer to high speed movement – so many of the drills I see performed aren’t really enhancing technique in the way we commonly think.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS OR CONCEPTS YOU HAVE USED THAT HAVE WORKED WELL IN “PEAKING” YOUR ATHLETES?
Bennett: I use a “triangle” philosophy. The wider the base, the higher the peak; the peak being the championship meets. We want to be strong in the fall and fast in the spring.
Grossarth: The basic one that I stick to is the principle of beginning with low intensity and high volume and working my way to high intensity and low volume at the end of the season. It is obviously more detailed than that, but that is the basic foundation. I generally train through the majority of the season with little exception, keeping my focus on the months of May and June. We don’t really touch any speed endurance training until the last eight weeks of the season.
Korbelik: What I have found the most helpful is to deload the week before I want to peak. This allows the athletes to not be flat during the week of a peak performance meet. I have found too much rest on big meet weeks leaves them flat. I usually think a peak period can last two weeks, so I really have to emphasize what part of the season I want them to be at their best. National caliber athletes are always the toughest to peak.
Taylor: I feel that one of the most important aspects of peaking is to determine what exactly you are peaking for and working backwards from that. We make sure that everything, including workouts, events and meet selection supports that specific goal. “Less is more” is the key phrase as you go down the stretch.
Parno: We are always looking to peak for a period of time in our championships phase. We build over a 38-week season, so there really aren’t any secret workouts. In the peak phase, there is more recovery put in, lower volumes with high quality work efforts, and we mentally ensure that athletes know what is ahead of them.
Blackett: In my program we gradually ramp up the intensities and decrease the load in training as we get closer to our big competitions. I also find that working on race
modeling during peak season is very effective.
Payan: In addition to progressing slowly and intensifying over the course of the season, rest and recovery as an integral part of training has helped our team achieve greater success. I used to think training hard four times a week would make my athletes perform well at meets, but in reality, I was doing them a disservice by not allowing their bodies to recover. Though it might be weird for an athlete to not train and just focus on recovery, we could see now how our athletes were better prepared, rested and excited to compete.
Badon: Race-modeling and building in rest/recovery/rehab modalities.
Tolbert: Intensity, rest and playing to athlete’s strengths. When you’re peaking or in extended periods of high performance (typical of the conference through NCAA period for collegiate athletes or the summer season for post-grads) a few things tend to help: 1. – Waiting to take your shots until the athlete is ready. Often, we get stuck to a calendar or a certain density of training various abilities (especially maximum speed, specific endurance, power and max strength). In high performance periods, it’s normally better to be patient and give the athlete more rest until they’re truly ready to train these qualities. So, where intensity is the key to development and maintenance of abilities, proper rest in between is what allows us to express these abilities. 2. – We make sure we have a steady diet of recovery work. We’re employing training means to recover from intense training and rebuild the body – and we’re using training means to prepare for the next big intense effort. All our general work, in a sense, becomes more important (i.e., medball, general strength, intermittent use of auxiliary and bodybuilding lifts, and other balancing, prehab, restorative work). The stimulatory work we do here, as well as between competitions and big training sessions, is essential.
Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS OVERSPEED AND ASSISTED SPRINT TRAINING IN YOUR TRAINING PROCESS? WHAT ARE YOUR TRAINING PROTOCOLS THAT YOU IMPLEMENT TO TRAIN EACH (OR THE ONE THAT YOU USE)?
Bennett: We use overspeed training-- especially bungee pulls--late in the spring season. We also may have a couple of sessions two weeks from our championship meets.
Grossarth: I kind of go back and forth with overspeed. I’ve tried a couple of things in the past but was always a little nervous because it seemed inconsistent. We do have a downhill track that is about a 3-5% decline that I use at times. That seems a lot safer than being towed, but I’m not sure that you can reach the speeds downhill that you can while being towed. We used to have a coach here (Craig Poole) that had a car that he would tow athletes with. It was really cool because he would have them hold onto a pole on the side of the car and run along. It wasn’t my favorite because you couldn’t use your arms with it, but I liked it better than most because at least he had complete control over the speed. I was fortunate enough recently to get a 1080 Sprint, so I did a little more this last year since I felt better about the consistency of the towing. Any time I tow, I just really want to make sure that the athlete understands what we are trying to do, and they feel comfortable with it.
Korbelik: I find overspeed and assisted running to be beneficial, but the way we usually do it is to take advantage of the strong winds in North Dakota. I find this to be the most consistent for overspeed training and the safest.
Taylor: Overspeed is an important training tool for us. Our objective is to make sure the velocity achieved over the selected distance is approaching or equal to their current maximal velocity plus 2.5 %.
Parno: With the size of my training group, we don’t do assisted sprinting on a regular basis. If I did employ it, I would use a pully system or find a slightly graded downhill to do reps on. I will say, to me, the assisted sprinting is one of the end-training modalities. We put a big emphasis on technically sound sprinting, and I feel like it’s not until we are at an advanced level that we put an emphasis on assisted sprinting. Assisting a sprinter with poor mechanics may very well exasperate technical issues.
Blackett: We do use overspeed pulleys in the spring, but no one is allowed to use this tool unless they have demonstrated good consistent hamstring health. In an overspeed session, we will do 2-3 intense sprints after a thorough warm up and then about three overspeed runs with full rest( about 10 mins or more if needed). We will end the session with another 2-3 intense sprints. Cool down and stretching is carefully monitored on overspeed days.
Payan: I don’t do a lot of overspeed or assisted training because my athletes are not
that advanced. We will do some downhill sprints, bungees, and light speed treadmill workouts as a means to do overspeed.
Tolbert: It’s not very important. I’ve used it, I like it, and employ it at times. But it’s not an essential element for true speed development. When we use it, we’ll use the wind, the downhill bank on our indoor track and a pulley system.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT YOU USE TO TRAIN “PURE SPEED” OR “ABSOLUTE SPEED?” WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY EXERCISES/DRILLS THAT YOU USE TO TRAIN SPEED?
Bennett: Bungee work, “flying” sprints and short sprints under 50 meters are elements we use for pure speed. Examples: 4 x 30m drive sprint (superset), 4 x 50m bungee sprint.
Grossarth: There are probably two main things that I use on a very regular basis to train absolute speed. I know almost everybody uses wickets for something and I’m no different. I will use them for multiple reasons, and working on absolute speed is one of them. The way I use them to develop absolute speed is by manipulating the spacings where the athletes have to work on frequency. I adjust them to each individual so they must increase frequency as they navigate the wickets. Sometimes we will use some timing on the wicket drills to give them instant feedback. The other method that I use is sprint-float-sprint runs. This helps athletes to feel those top- end kinds of speeds without having to hold it for a long distance.
Korbelik: Parameters would be between 30-60 meters of max effort and max rest in between. We will do a lot of drills/exercises to prime them for these intense max efforts. I enjoy flying sprints the most to emphasize the pure speed factors.
Taylor: To train maximal or absolute speed, the key is to choose exercises that directly and positively affect stride length or stride frequency that are compatible with your current training design and are specific to the individual being trained.
Parno: Maximal velocity training in my world means sprints over 30-70 meters with a focus on the fastest 10 meter segments we can attain. It’s aggressive, its purposeful, and involves good bouts of rest. I don’t tend to get too fancy…I spend time teaching and advancing knowledge of sprint mechanics, and then we do a phase of acceleration work, and the rest of the season we are involved in
some type of maximal velocity training.
Payan: We keep it simple. We progress intensity, theme and category. We go from extensive tempo to intensive tempo. Then GSSE to short speed endurance training, and lastly, long speed endurance/special endurance. We don’t do much fancy stuff. We use in and outs, flys and speed runs.
Badon: Velocity-based training where the athlete is training at or near 100% capacity is key. Improving power output abilities, mechanics and the use of plyometrics can enhance the ability to train at a high level. We utilize sprint-float-sprint workouts along with flys, timed runs to 120 meters for speed endurance, wickets etc. All must be within the athlete’s capacity to train at a maximum effort (i.e., train fast to race fast).
Tolbert: I don’t know of any drills that train speed, in and of itself. We use drills and partial exercises to hone in on particular aspects or sensations of sprinting, and then try to apply them to all-out sprinting. We use drills and exercises that work on thigh angular velocity and switching, foot contact patterns, vertical shin angles, vertical force application, femoral displacement, posture and rhythm. We can create situations with exercises that allow the athletes to focus and be more aware. But the drills themselves don’t do the actual teaching — you have to coach, and they have to really be dialed in. Many times, people will ask about drills, or they’ll say I do this drill to work on “x” and then I’ll watch. There’s no teaching or coaching going on. The coach isn’t demanding change. Putting out tape marks or mini hurdles isn’t doing speed development if you’re demanding a certain technical execution that fits your technical model.
Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE WEIGHT ROOM IN YOUR TRAINING PROGRAM AND WHAT HAS WORKED BEST FOR YOU AS FAR AS A STRENGTH PROGRAM FOR TRAINING SPEED AND SPEED DEVELOPMENT. DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE LIFTS OR EXERCISES THAT YOU FIND REALLY BENEFICIAL? DO YOU EMPLOY ANY FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH TRAINING IN YOUR PROGRAM?
Bennett: We believe the weight room is vital to the success of sprinting. It helps with force application and integrity of muscles. Olympic lifts and exercises that enhance core stability/ time under tension are cornerstones for our program.
Grossarth: In my program, if work on the track is priority #1, then work in the weight
room is priority #1A. You can’t run fast if you are not strong. My personal opinion is that it doesn’t need to be super fancy in the weight room. My main objective is to build strength and power. We have a great strength coach that works with our team and we communicate regularly about what we need to do to help the athletes. The foundational lifts of the program are the Olympic lifts, which take up the majority of our time in the weight room. Our Olympic lifts are heavy, with the athletes hitting 90% plus of their maxes at almost all sessions. Our strength coach does a great job of developing the athletes over their career and consistently increasing their strength and power.
Korbelik: I used to be into fast cleans, squats and presses. But I have moved more towards the hex bar deadlift, squat jumps, single leg movements and a very fast push press. I have also enjoyed the front squat to push press exercise because it really teaches triple extension better than cleans. Plyos have become a huge part of our strength program, too.
Taylor: To keep it brief, the exercises being chosen and work done in the weight room
should be as specific as possible to the positions, movements and tasks required to be a successful sprinter. The two major goals from the chosen lifts should be maximum strength progressing to increased bar speed. Everything else is support for those two things.
Parno: The weight room is of clear importance. Looking to increase functional strength with the goal of producing more force into the track…functionally! We lift after our more neural driven speed days (2-3 times per week). Usually, some sort of static strength lift, one Olympic lift and 3-4 supporting lifts. We do a fair amount of pairing plyometrics with lifts and our total lifting session time is 35-50 minutes. Track training always takes precedent. There will be times where new lifts and certain cycles may bring some fatigue in the weightroom. That is why we always lift after training, with appropriate rest between lifting sessions.
Blackett: The weight room is very important in my sprint program and we lift 2 or 3 times a week. My favorite lift for sprinters is power cleans followed by the deadlift.
Payan: For us, weightlifting plays a role in
the beginning of the year to build strength and explosiveness. Once the season starts, weightlifting becomes more maintenance, but we are still working on progressing. We taper down for championship season. I do like a lot of single-leg weightlifting exercises such as SL Bulgarian split squat, SL RDL, SL Box Jump, and the SL Glute bridge. I don’t feel like it’s the most important factor. I feel like recovery, nutrition and rest are more important once the season gets rolling. At the beginning of the year, we don’t do a lot of functional strength because we have weight room training sessions with the strength coaches. They take care of that in the weight room. But a few weeks before championship season, we taper down and focus less on weightlifting and more on general strength.
Badon: Weight training is a key component to our overall sprint program. Done in a compatible/complimentary sequence with what we do on the track, weight training can enhance force production abilities and power output, which are two essential elements of speed improvement. We sequence power/static lifts with speed/power training on the track and circuit type training with
more general work outdoors. Like Olympic lifts, complex lifts, eccentric lifts, etc. on power days and bodybuilding exercises and circuits in the weightroom to enhance the endocrine system.
Tolbert: It’s very important for us. We’re able, of course, to build strength and power. We use it to augment and compliment what we’re doing on the track. We also use it to establish and address balance throughout the body. But most importantly, our weight room work enhances the nervous system and endocrine development. For the main parts of our program, we use Olympic lifts and their variations – this is a regular feature of our training. We also use a static lift for upper and lower body development. With these, we get the biggest bang for our buck. We also feel these lifts serve as the core of our functional strength work. On our non-speedpower days, we’ll do auxiliary or bodybuilding type lifts. These are assorted, regional type lifts that work small muscle groups and help to enhance and foster recovery. We organize these into circuits and will normally do about 24 sets of these in a session.
Q: HOW OFTEN DO YOU TRAIN SPEED IN THE FALL PRESEASON PHASE AND DO YOU BELIEVE YEAR-ROUND SPEED TRAINING IS BENEFICIAL? PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY OR WHY NOT.
Bennett: Each year as my athletes develop, the demand for the athlete to be faster increases. Consequently, I have implemented more speed work into my fall training. Depending on what kind of speed training one is doing, it can be done year-round. But every athlete needs a base, especially if they want to run fast over longer distances. It’s very difficult to do that when your base is more speed than speed endurance.
Grossarth: No matter the training cycle, we are always training speed. In the early phases there is more of a technical focus with more drilling, but I will have my athletes do at least one day of hitting speeds approaching 100% of max velocity. As the season progresses, that turns into two days of hitting fast speeds on a consistent basis. I usually don’t do more than two true speed days a week, so the body has time to recover from that high intensity. It’s just hard to be fast if you’re not training fast.
Korbelik: We spend the summer months doing speed development once a week. Then in the fall, it is twice a week. In season with competitions, it is three days a week. We emphasize a 75% day once a week in the
summer, along with 85% and 95-100% days. We have good recovery between these days. I have considered having every day be a speed day in the summer and focus on the fitness aspect of the races when we arrive on campus. “Race your way into shape” works for some people. But I have seen firsthand that if you can’t finish the back half of a sprinting race, then it doesn’t matter how fast you are in the first half. We try to develop the full sprint athlete, recognizing that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses.
Taylor: We train some form of speed at every practice year-round. Sometimes it’s nontraditional forms of speed like hurdle hops, bounding, technique work, acceleration training, hill work… if you know what you’re looking for, it’s all speed work. And why? Because if someone is not already genetically fast, they’re not going to get faster by running and moving slower. Task specific training...train speed and aspects of speed to get faster. And if we’re not running fast to get faster, then what are we really doing?
Parno: Yes, we build the body concurrently. We start sprinting (acceleration training) day one, while also involving various intensities of tempo work on other training days. Complimenting those themes with the appropriate recoveries between sessions is done the entire season. In every sprint-type event...SPRINTING will be one of the main determining factors of success...so we must start early and often!
Blackett: In the fall we train speed from the first week of practice. Speed training is beneficial year-round. Making sure sprinters sprint is important in every block of training. In the fall, sprinting may look like 30-60 meters on the grass, but it is still sprinting, even though it is not in spikes on the track.
Badon: Mechanics play such a huge part in not only speed gains, but also injury prevention. Regular doses of speed related activities are a must for neural adaptation to take place. We start doing speed work week one and continue some form of speed development work throughout the training year.
Tolbert: We start training speed and power development from day one. We may address these qualities up to three times per week. It’s the most important quality for a sprinter, so why waste time getting to it? Having said that, it’s important to program speed in an intelligent, safe and balanced manner.
SUMMARY
There were certainly a lot of commonalities amongst the coaches, but It was remarkably interesting to discover how different
some of the methods were that the coaches employed. It is very apparent that there are many ways to obtain success. This project certainly confirmed that sprint training/ speed development is not black and white and there are indeed a lot of gray areas. I have always felt a coaches’ roundtable is an excellent way to exchange and share information and ideas amongst the coaching fraternity. It can also stimulate coaches to reassess, reimagine and reconceptualize training and different training concepts. It only works, however, if coaches are willing to contribute to these kinds of projects. A lot of coaches participated and contributed to our roundtable, and we are very grateful they were willing to partake in our project. Anne Frank, a Jewish victim of the Holocaust, had a very applicable quote to our objective in the roundtable: “No one has ever become poor by giving,” said the young German girl.
It is no secret that the best coaches are the ones that continuously seek to further their knowledge and explore and test new ideas and systems. They are constantly evaluating and revising how to improve training for their athletes. The successful coaches understand how hard success is and they are constantly looking for a pathway to continue that success. The great coaches understand there is no substitute for continuing to learn. That is really the only way a coach can move forward and grow. An old Chinese proverb sums up our article best: “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere,” says the ancient adage. There is no truer statement for coaches to heed. We will have a panel of coaches considering another set of sprint training and speed development questions in our second installment of a coaches’ roundtable that will be forthcoming.
A special thank you to Ann Thorson and Amelia Sherman for editing and technical assistance!
MIKE THORSON, FORMER DIRECTOR OF TRACK AND FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY IN BISMARCK, ND
I’ve spent most of my 16 years as a coach trying to figure out the optimal way to train my combined-event athletes (pentathlon, heptathlon and decathlon) and athletes who compete in multiple events. Thanks to the USTFCCCA Convention and the Track & Field Academy I’ve gained a surplus of helpful knowledge; however, one topic that was rarely covered: how coaches choose to balance the multiathlete or combined event athlete through training and competition.
At Northern Michigan University, we have six to seven competitions scheduled both indoor and outdoor, including our GLIAC Conference Championships, so our athletes have 12 to 14 opportunities to compete in their given events. It is unreasonable to expect them to compete in all their events at every meet. On top of that, outside of the NCAA Championships, only one to three meets per season actually give the athletes the opportunity to compete in a combined event (pentathlon/heptathlon in indoor, heptathlon/decathlon in outdoor).
So my question is, how to balance the athletes’ competitions and training so they get enough experience without burning them out in each of their given events (with the limited opportunities)?
To help answer this question, I’ve gathered some of the top combined event coaches across the divisions to give their perspectives. I have included my own answers to the questions to offer some contrast. Answering prior to obtaining the information from the other coaches, my hope is to provide some additional viewpoints. We will discuss: 1. How often during a season to do a combined event; 2. Considerations for planning a combined event season; 3. Planning events for combined event athletes when a combined event isn’t offered; 4. Considerations for planning for competition; 5. Typical multievent combinations; and 6. Planning for meets.
Before we get into the different topics, here’s a brief introduction of the coaches who will be providing insight.
JH- Jack Hoyt is the Director of Track and Field at Azuza Pacific University. Coach Hoyt won the Women’s Coach of the Year award in 2021 and led his team to NCAA National Titles in 2021 and 2023. Three female heptathletes on the top 20 All-Time DII Heptathlon list were coached by Coach Hoyt. He was an All-American decathlete himself and competed at the 1992 US Olympic Trials.
KIRBY LEE IMAGE OF SPORT
CS- Chip Schneider is the Head Men’s and Women’s Coach at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. During his tenure, his team has 29 top-10 NCAA finishes, including five team National Championship titles. Coach Schneider’s athletes hold three of the top 10 NCAA DIII Decathlon marks and the all-time number one women’s Heptathlon mark. During his time in university, Coach Schneider was a two-time NCAA National Champion, and eight time All-American.
RB- Ryan Baily is the assistant coach at Georgia, coaching the multis, pole vaulters and jumpers. He held the same role at Colorado State, where his athletes swept the indoor combined events at the 2023 Mountain West Championships. The seventime RMAC Coach of the Year, Coach Baily led Colorado State to one of the most successful stretches in the combined events for the program. His athletes set 19 school records, 23 conference titles and eight AllAmerican honors.
MD- Mike Dellemann coaches the jumps, hurdles and combined events at Northern
Michigan University. He has coached college for eight years, and high school for eight years prior. During his competitive days, he was a decathlete earning four NCAA bids in the hurdles and combined events.
The questions and coaches’ answers are listed below. Some answers may have been edited for the sake of clarity and grammar.
Q: HOW OFTEN DURING A SEASON DO YOU DO A COMBINED EVENT?
MD- We typically strive for doing two multis each season for both indoor and outdoor.
CS- For both indoor and outdoor, we like our athletes to do one multi to qualify for our conference meet and then the second multi to be at our conference meet. If the athlete qualifies for nationals, they would get a third competition for that season.
JH- With an All-American level multi, I want to do two — a qualifying and the National Championship multi. With a beginner that might not get into Nationals, I would probably try for three. The first one would be early season to get the athlete
experience and as an assessment tool to build out the rest of the season’s training.
RB- For indoor, I strive for two to three, with the third being the NCAAs if applicable two weeks out. I like to do one fairly early to allow at least three weeks prior to the second indoor multi. For outdoor, I typically strive for two decs/heps allowing for at least four weeks out from conference to allow another training cycle to occur. A third would be NCAAs if applicable. I typically taper the volume down around 7-9 days out for the women and 9-13 days out for the men, depending on the meet and time of year. I try to rest the tendons but keep them sharp with mechanics and speed during their taper.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS YOU HAVE FOR PLANNING YOUR COMBINED EVENT SEASON?
MD- One consideration is talent level. This past year we had two female freshmen with limited experience in the event. Indoor we had the ability to do three pentathlons in the regular season with plenty of time
in between to give them more experience. Depending on the ability level, if we had a very talented multi we may only do two, one to qualify and one at the NCAA level. Another consideration is availability. Indoor we had the ability to do three, but outdoors last year we only had the ability to do one based on the meets we attended.
CS- If we have a very good multi, we may sit them at the conference meet if we are confident their score will qualify for nationals, thus making their second multi the national meet. However, if we are not confident their score will qualify for nationals they possibly get three competitions if they do score high enough at the conference meet for nationals. Occasionally, we will also do a meet after conference to still qualify for the national meet if conference goes bad (e.g. no height or triple foul in an event). In this case, an athlete could potentially get four competitions in a season. It’s not ideal but sometimes necessary. If we know the conference meet is not going well, we may pull the athlete mid-event to not overwork them knowing they will be doing another multi very soon to qualify for the national meet.
JH- Everything is geared toward the two multis. First, the athlete has to be ready for the qualifying meet. There will be meets that we train through and treat like competitive practice. We want to peak at the Bryan Clay Invitational to get our NCAA qualifying mark. We back off on training 10 days prior to make sure the athlete is really fresh. In some cases, we might compete low-key the weekend prior to the multi in a couple of events. We have a very light week following a multi and then start a new training cycle building toward NCAAs.
RB- Experience in the combined events is important simply for athletes to gain an understanding of the event itself. The demands of the event need to be fostered with a keen understanding of the proper emotional state and expectations. It is wise for athletes to gain understanding of their AGD (Any Given Day) and have expectations to achieve those marks during the competition. If they hit a PB in an event – enjoy momentarily and feed off that energy into the next. If they perform under their AGD mark, they must forget it and get back to an emotional homeostasis quickly to perform properly in the next. Teaching this understanding and reinforcing this theory is critical for the development of these athletes.
Q: HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING WHAT EVENTS YOUR COMBINED EVENT ATHLETE DOES WHEN A COMBINED EVENT
ISN’T OFFERED DURING COMPETITIONS?
MD- Typically they always hurdle, do one of the jumps and sometimes another event. Hurdles are such a rhythmic event that the more they do it, the better they become. Then, they do one of the jumps and switch week to week. Depending on where we are in the year and the meet schedule, they might do another event like a throw, a relay or running event.
CS- A lot of this depends on the schedule of the meet and what field events work with the running event we would like to do. Usually we are doing at least one running event and one field event, with the option to do a second running event or field event if we feel it works in the schedule and the athlete needs to work. Events we tend to do less often are throwing and pole vault because we feel we get more out of just practicing these events and that competition doesn’t always help as much. But this can depend on how good the athlete is in these events. For example, if they are a good pole vaulter they will vault in meets. If they are not, they will just practice more. I also like the athlete to have a say in what they want to do. I want them to gain confidence in all their events, so they are often the ones who know what they need on a personal level.
JH- I try to build their confidence in their weak events at small meets. Decathletes need to compete in hurdles, pole vault and discus as much as possible. Those are the events that can kill a decathlon. With both decathletes and heptathletes, I like to finish a meet in either a 200m or the 4x400. Heptathletes will hurdle in 90% of the meets, either high jump or long jump, and do one of the throws. Those decisions are made after I see the meet schedule and decide what combinations are the easiest to complete.
RB- The events we choose to compete in should be tailored to where they are in the season and if they want to compete in high CNS events during the competition. Athletes must understand that they are “training through” the weekend and the meets are to add adrenal and cortisol (stress hormones) for their events in which they can’t really achieve through practice training. This allows athletes to better practice their “timing” during comps which will be different than in practice. The events always to consider in open meets are the throws/hurdles. Likewise, I am never opposed to a particular jumping event or relay leg to get them in a real “competition mindset.” Also, there are weeks in which training through entirely and not competing may be of more benefit. Their true event must always be the focus.
Q: WHAT ARE SOME CONSIDERATIONS YOU
HAVE FOR PLANNING THESE TYPES OF COMPETITIONS?
MD- I touched on some of the considerations already, but some others are meet schedule, quality of the meet and where we are in the season. If the hurdles and high jump are at the same time on opposite sides of the facility, maybe we’ll do long jump. If the quality of the meet is high and opening height is the same as their current personal best, then it doesn’t make sense to high jump that meet.
CS- Size of the meet is a factor and if we feel like the athlete can be competitive in their events. We are not ever trying to put our athletes in a situation where they are so bad at a meet where they feel embarrassed. We are always conscious to not have events overlap at a meet. While multi athletes are good at learning multiple events, in a multi they are never doing two at the same time, so they are often not good with the stress of juggling two events at once.
JH- Sometimes, I put all of my athletes in the same four events. It makes it easier to manage as a coach to have them together and builds group unity. I am also considering specific needs of each athlete, especially as we get closer to the qualifying multi. The athletes have to be confident in their weakest event(s) or they will be wasting energy worrying about that event prior to and during the multi.
RB- The meets do dictate a lot (especially in the SEC) to determine what events we enter them in like entry limits, opening heights, etc. It is always important to ensure the athlete is prepared for an event in an open meet to compete to their fullest too. I really try my best to set the athlete up for success to keep their mindset “sharp.”
Q: WHAT MULTI-EVENT COMBINATIONS DO YOU TYPICALLY DEAL WITH?
MD- Some of the more popular ones I deal with are typical long jump/triple jump, long jump/short hurdles and surprisingly, pole vault/triple jump. It’s not uncommon for some of these athletes to also be members of the 4x100 relay.
CS- Our multis always have an event that they are proficient at doing even if they were not a multi. However, we try to focus on them being a multi unless we feel they could score in that individual event at a national level. In this case, they are doing that event more regularly at meets, or may be doing that event at the conference meet instead of the multi if they have already qualified for nationals in the multi before conference.
JH- I see the short hurdles/jumps, 4x100/ long jump, and any and all combinations of throws.
RB- I work with triple/long jump/high jump and long jump-short sprints-short hurdles combination athletes.
Q: BASED ON YOUR TYPICAL COMBINATIONS, HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT PLANNING THESE ATHLETES’ MEETS?
MD- We try to do each event at every meet whenever possible. Depending on where we are in the season, we may reduce one of the events. For instance, they may only take three jumps, or only plan on running prelims so we don’t burn out in the beginning. Sometimes it is difficult to do it all depending on the meet schedule or facility layout, so then we just plan on doing what we cut out the following week.
CS- It depends on the week. The weeks leading up to the first multi, we are hoping to have them compete in most of the events so they have some experience. The week after a multi, we may have them not compete or do something very easy. Most meets we don’t allow them to take more than three jumps in the long jump to reduce stress and because they never get more than three jumps in a multi. Again, a lot depends on what the athlete feels they need each week based on their recovery and confidence.
JH-My competition planning is to enter athletes into their best events in big invitationals, and their weaker events in smaller meets. Early in the season, we are training through a lot of these meets and using them like practice. When there is a conflict in the meet’s schedule, I tell the athlete what
we are prioritizing because in most cases, I don’t want them running back and forth between events.
RB- For athletes competing in multiple events, especially the short sprints and long jump combinations, we will plan accordingly to have our approaches dialed prior to the competition. We might do the night before if possible or simply use the first competition jump to dial approach, which is far from ideal. But sometimes, dealing with adversity can be a good thing. If the short sprint or short hurdles are in the middle of the horizontal jumps, we will likely plan to take the first three jumps. In the early part of the season, we will limit their jumps regardless in a meet if they have another event in a short period of time.
Q:
ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS?
MD- Pay attention to how athletes are dealing with training and competitions. It can be easy to try to do it all and burn them out.
CS- Multi athletes need to be treated like the multi is an event and not 10/7/5 events. Often these athletes are shuffled to different coaches each day and don’t feel like they have their own group. We have a large group of multis that have their own specific program. By doing this, they think differently about the event and how it is a special group.
JH- Early season emphasis on gaining general experience and late season focus on specific needs and fine tuning each athlete. It could be block starts for one and working
the last three steps in a jump for another. Throughout this process, it is important to communicate with the athletes what is being prioritized at a practice or a competition. In a group of multis, they will be constantly comparing themselves to each other, so remind them that each one is on their own path that will lead to their best total score.
RB- We are always training with a combined event mindset and relating certain biomechanical principles to each event as a whole. We want combined event athletes to achieve high levels of success in each event while trying to do the events minimally. It can be done, but a focus on always quality over quantity should be a must. We cannot keep doing “one more jump coach” if they are struggling; likewise, we cannot keep going if they are having a great session. We must be smart with their volume. I take account consistently of their volume versus intensity in each event as we train. For instance, I always address the stimulus for each event weekly but adjusting the output as it relates to the CNS to not over train. This allows the combined event athletes to stay healthy and keep them sharp to be able to handle the demands with quality training.
SUMMARY
With so many events in the heptathlon and decathlon, it can be easy for a coach to overcomplicate training blocks or overtrain for multiple events. Taking the time to plan out the season beforehand will pay great dividends in the long run. Pay special attention to each athlete and their unique goals, while weighing in their individual strengths and weaknesses to create a training plan for success across multiple events.
A special thank you to the coaches who helped contribute to this article, Jack Hoyt, Chip Schneider and Ryan Baily. Also, a big thank you to my editor in chief, aka my wife, for her work helping make this article what it is.
MIKE DELLEMANN IS THE JUMPS, HURDLES AND COMBINED EVENTS COACH FOR THE NORTHERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD TEAM
Program Management Certification
Managerial Duties of the Track and Field Coach
FUNDAMENTALS
• Managerial Duties. Many duties of the Track and Field coach fall outside of what many consider coaching. These managerial duties form a large and important part of the coaching profession, and coaching competency is often judged by performance in these areas. In this section we will give an overview of these managerial duties.
• Organizational Skills. Maximizing organizational skills is essential to a successful program. The following are just a few key skills.
• Planning
• Time Management
• Prioritizing
• Filing / Archiving
• Communication Skills. Communicating ideas, problems and/or instructions is dally task for coaches. Clearly communicating ideas, problems and/or instructions is the key to progress.
• Understand All the Events. An understanding of each event, along with its associated equipment and facility needs is imperative.
• Information Storage. Most athletic programs face the problem of being able to accurately track, store and update participant information. In track and field programs, this issue is compounded by varying participation in the cross country, indoor and outdoor seasons.
• Management Systems. A good system of information storage and roster management is necessary. While manual systems suffice, there are many software packages available to handle this process. In any case, a good roster management system should enable the coach to perform these tasks.
• Contact Information Storage. Your system should store and keep readily available basic contact information (such as names, addresses, birthdates, email addresses and phone numbers) for athletes and parents.
• Emergency Information Storage. Your system should store and provide very quick access to emergency contact information.
• Statistics Storage. Your system should store and allow easy editing of statistical information (such as year in school, age group, event, best performances, etc.)
• Equipment Record Storage. Your system should store and allow easy editing of equipment sizes and issuance records.
• Make Roster Changes. Your system should allow easy addition or deletion of athletes within the various sports rosters.
• Importing Rosters. Your system should allow the coach to import rosters from other files.
• Updating Rosters. Your system should allow easy updating of rosters from season to season.
• Media Information Storage. Your system should store and allow easy management of biographies and photos kept available for media requests.
• Reports/Forms Customization. Your system should allow formation and customization of certain program specific forms.
ACADEMIC MONITORING
• Academic Duties of the Coach. Youth and scholastic track and field programs hold a responsibility to develop the athlete in many ways. While not solely responsible, the track and field program should contribute to the development of the athlete as a contributing member of society. For this reason, the coach should create a climate of respect to the academic responsibilities of the athletes in his care, and monitoring of academic performance should fall within the duties of the track and field coach. The athlete’s academic performance should be continuously monitored by formal or informal means.
• Eligibility. In scholastic programs, certain minimal standards of academic performance are usually required for eligibility. Academic monitoring takes on the added role of establishing eligibility, but in no way
should a program create feeling that minimal eligibility standards are sufficient. Class attendance, scholastic honesty and dutiful attention to schoolwork should be fostered.
• Eligibility Standards. To maintain eligibility, scholastic governing bodies typically require minimal standards in some or all of the following areas.
• Grade Point Average
• Credit Accumulation (per term)
• Credit Accumulation (cumulative)
• Measured Progress toward Diploma or Degree
• Special Requirements in cases of Academic Transfer
• Academics and Travel. It may be necessary that athletes miss class from time to time due to athletic-related travel or competition. It is imperative to inform teachers in advance of expected absences due to such circumstances, as well as any other personal, medical or other unforeseen reasons. Athletes should be encouraged to make up work promptly.
• Academic Support Systems. In some situations, there exists some branch of the academic institution that serves as an academic support system for athletes. In this case, the coach should facilitate communication between this system and the athlete. The coach should encourage attendance of study hall, tutorial programs, mentors or any other such activities.
ELIGIBILITY
• Determining Eligibility. At every level of competition some documentation of an athlete’s eligibility to compete must be maintained and provided to some governing entity. The actual system employed to certify the eligibility of student-athletes will vary due to factors specific or unique to each institution. It is essential that the coach establish a system for certifying eligibility that is characterized by communication, organization, documentation and evaluation.
• Eligibility Records. Certifying eligibility typically requires documentation of the athlete’s status regarding one or more of the following factors. Some governing bodies require submission of these records, while other require them to be kept on premises and available for inspection. And some governing bodies have expiration dates associated with documents and must be updated periodically
• Age. Club and scholastic governing entities usually require proof of compliance with age restrictions.
• Academic Standing. Scholastic governing entities require proof of compliance with academic requirements. In addition to documenting an athlete’s year in school, these requirements may dictate a minimum grade point average, a number of credits to be earned in a term or year, or a certain percentage of a degree program be completed in order to compete. The coach should be aware of academic requirements at all levels, as frequently school, league, or conference requirements may exceed those of state or national governing bodies. Transfer students must typically meet additional specific guidelines.
• Physical and Medical Status. Most levels of competition require that an athlete pass a physical examination, performed by a licensed physician, in order to compete. Documentation of that examination must be provided.
• Specific Reports. Most athletic leagues and conferences use and require submission of various reports and documents as part of the eligibility documentation process for each athlete. Schools and clubs themselves might also have additional reports or documents that they require. These might include certificates of insurance, equipment issuance records, participation waivers, policy statements, sports information forms, emergency contact forms, or many others.
BUDGETING AND FINANCE
• The Budgeting Process. Forming a budget is an important step in responsible, ethical management of the financial resources of the Track and Field program. In many programs, a formal budget submission is required by the administration. The method of budget submission differs from institution to institution, and the coach should make the effort to become familiar with the process. Even if this is not the case, a budget should be formed because it provides a needed framework for financial planning and guidelines for spending.
• Budgetary Factors
• Revenue Sources
• Available Funds. These might include funds remaining from the previous year, or budgetary allocation(s) from the administration or other entities.
• Projected Revenue. This includes expected revenue from admissions, concessions, merchandise sales, sponsorships, equipment fees or participation fees. These estimates should be reasonable and based on sound analysis and past performance.
• Fundraising / Donation Expectations. Most programs engage in some type of fundraising activity or solicit donations. These estimates should be reasonable and based on sound analysis and past performance.
EXPENSES
• Deadline to spend. Most programs work within a budgeted fiscal year. Within this year’s time frame deadlines for purchases will exist. Know those deadlines.
• Equipment Costs. These costs reflect the cost of all gear and equipment, and should be established with short term and long term needs in mind.
• Insurance and Membership Costs. Many programs, particularly club programs, must bear the cost of insurance, organizational memberships, and sanction fees. Some scholastic programs must pay league or association dues.
• Expenses Incurred in hosting meets. These costs vary depending on the venue and school requirements and include but not limited to, timers, paid officials, security, ambulance, signage, copier and paper expenses for results and heat sheets, etc.
• Travel Costs. All team travel-related costs should be included. This requires quite
a bit of research into rates and specific costs.
• Recruiting Costs. Collegiate budgets normally contain funds designated for recruiting purposes. Usually this figure includes costs of recruiting-related travel, campus visits, publications, etc.
• Professional Improvement Costs. Many programs spend money on professional improvement opportunities and certifications for coaches, professional membership dues or publications.
• Championship Expenses. In successful years, the possibility of extended seasons exist. This brings added costs which must be accounted for in the budgetary process. Many institutions have separate budgets for championship expenses.
• Financial Responsibility and Ethics. The coach has an ethical obligation to the institution, program and team to make best use of financial resources, and to be sure they are fairly distributed across the program.
EQUIPMENT / APPAREL PURCHASING AND MANAGEMENT
• Equipment Purchasing. In most situations, it is the duty of the coach to purchase needed equipment. In some situations the coach may have the ability to make and
complete purchases. In other situations the coach initiates the purchasing process, which might be handled by an administrative branch of the institution. The coach has several responsibilities in regards to equipment purchasing.
• Quality. Equipment purchased should be of the highest possible quality. However, the most expensive choice may not always be the best nor best fit the needs of the program.
• The Budget. Budgetary restraints set up by administration should be known and respected.
• Vendors. Programs may require approval of vendors before purchasing products. Or a list of vendors may be provided. If needed, sole sourcing a vendor might be available due to the unique nature of the product or in order to match existing inventory.
• Long and Short Term Planning. The coach should have a plan in place to handle annual needs, but also to handle the purchase of major items that are likely to need replacement in the near future. Consumables and clothing must be purchased frequently, while other types of equipment should last years with proper care. Keep in mind also that some articles of
equipment are specific not only to the event, but to a specific athlete. Throwing implements and vaulting poles are not “one size fits all” items.
• Ethical Obligations. The coach should understand the responsibility to the program of obtaining the best value for each dollar spent. Researching before any significant purchase is a must. Also, the coach must be sure that the spending is distributed fairly throughout the program.
• Equipment Management. Equipment management refers to the issuance and tracking equipment inventory. This usually involves these steps.
• Identification. All purchased equipment is identified in some way. Many programs number each item or mark them in some similar way.
• Issuing Equipment. The coach must devise a quick and efficient procedure to issue equipment that will impose minimally upon training time and other obligations. A policy covering equipment damage or loss by the athlete should be devised, and the athletes should be formally informed of it at this time.
• Record Keeping. Accurate records of equipment issued to each athlete should be kept.
• Equipment Collection. Some procedure for efficiently collecting equipment at the end of the season should be in place. Losses
should be noted at this time so that replacements can be ordering in a timely fashion.
FACILITY MAINTENANCE \ UPGRADES
Providing an adequate facility maintenance program is essential for a safe and quality environment for any program to practice or compete.
• Facility Inspections / Preventative Maintenance. Scheduling inspections daily, weekly, monthly and annually is the best form of preventative maintenance. Preventive maintenance is essential in maximizing the life of a facility and equipment.
• Who Does What? Most track and field facilities are owned and operated by some private or public entity, and the primary responsibility for maintenance falls upon this entity. However, know who to contact or who is providing the service in order to communicate basic needs for practice or special or important needs for competition.
• Who mows the grass and/or operates the water sprinklers?
• Who provides sand for the pits?
• Who controls the stadium/field lighting (if applicable)?
• Who cleans the facility (i.e. collects trash, cleans locker rooms, etc.)?
• Who does the field markings (and/or track markings if necessary)?
• Who services the bleachers/stands and/ or press box?
• Establishing Facility Usage Practices. Improper usage of the track facility can accelerate its deterioration. Any track program should have a set of rules governing its usage that help to preserve the facility and its surface in good condition. These rules might also identify training locations for various groups or activities. These policies help to preserve the facility by distributing wear, but also help to manage traffic and make the training environment safer. Hours of operation and proper storage of equipment after use should be addressed in these policies.
• Handling Minor Repairs and Hazards. In nearly every program the responsibility for minor equipment repairs associated with normal wear falls upon the coach. Minor, expected maintenance issues like replacing jump boards, removing debris from sand pits, lubricating and maintaining standards and other outdoor equipment, covering landing pits, and proper care and storage of training, meet management and timing equipment all fall into this category.
• Handling Major Repairs and Hazards. While major repairs are typically outside the bounds of the duties of the coach, the coach should take an active role in informing athletic administrations when such repairs are needed. The coach should also help to educate administration on matters of typical track maintenance issues so that they can be more prepared when these repairs are needed. Also falling into this category of duty are maintenance and repairs to non-training or non-competition areas of the facility, such as the stadium, press box, restrooms, etc.
• Planning for Upgrades / New Facilities. Upgrading or planning for a new facility is not a common occurrence for most coaches. However this should not detour from planning ahead. Successful programs are always looking up to five years down the road for opportunities. For any project, generating funds are the hindering factor of time when planning.
SCHEDULING
• Forming the Schedule. In most situations, setting up the competition schedule is the duty of the coach. Schedules are typically set up well in advance. While some late adjustments might occur, collegiate schedules are typically formed as far as six months prior to the start of the season.
High school and club schedules are usually completed a month or two prior to the start of the season.
• Scheduling Resources. When forming the
schedule, there are several sources of information available to the coach. Calling other local coaches for permission to enter their meets is courteous and common practice. These coaches might also give information on other available meets. Nearly all major meets will have websites available, where entry procedures and limitations are posted.
• Scheduling Considerations. When determining a competitive schedule for your team, there are several factors to consider.
• Competition Frequency. The balance between competition and training is a critical one. One competition per week is typical, however there are exceptions.
• Level of Competition. The coach should consider the relative strength of the other teams in the competition. Competitions are usually against teams of comparable strength, however scheduling easier or more difficult competitions might serve some specific purpose at times.
• Travel. Travel distances and costs should be considered.
• Facilities. Consideration must be given to the quality of the host facility. Good facilities should be favored, and unsafe facilities
avoided.
• Scheduling of Major or Championship Meets. Most programs want to be at their best at certain key meets. As the coach schedules, preparing the team for these competitions and making sure the team is at its best at those times of the year is a critical consideration.
ENTRIES
• Entry Submission. Prior to any track and field competition, the meet organizers must fairly assign heat, lane and flight assignments to each competitor using a rule-based seeding process. For this reason, nearly all track and field competitions require submission of entries well in advance of the competition.
• Entry Data. Coaches must usually submit the names of each competitor, the events in which they will compete, and a performance mark that will assist the meet organizers in seeding the competition. In some meets, a scratch deadline is given or a scratch meeting is held just prior to the start of competition to handle last minute changes.
• Entry Limits / Qualifications. Some meets
may have limits to the number of athletes in each event and is usually listed in the meet information. Other meets may also restrict entries based on verified performance marks.
• Entry Fees. Fees are necessary to cover the cost of hosting the meet and should be fair in representing that value. Some organizations restrict schools on how much can be charged. Payments may be required at the time of entry or collected at the venue or mailed ahead of time. Entry fees can help deter teams that over enter and scratch.
• The Entry Process. Normally the meet management will dictate the entry process. Entries might be mailed, emailed, or faxed. Larger meets typically use some online submission system. It is a courtesy and an ethical duty to insure that accurate entries are turned in, entry procedures followed and deadlines observed.
TRAVEL
• Planning. In all track and field programs, arranging for team travel is a responsibility of the coaching staff. Careful planning of all travel arrangements eliminates many
potential problems. For more involved trips, providing athletes (and possibly parents) a written itinerary of travel arrangements and activities is standard practice.
• Supervision. Supervision of athletes while in transit and on the road is a difficult responsibility, and arrangements must be made with this in mind. Policies should be formed governing athletes who may travel to and from competitions alone or with parents, and usually involve some type of signed release form.
• Busses. Policies differ, but arrangements for school district busses typically made a month or more before the season. Charter bus arrangements are made much farther in advance.
• Drivers. While charter bus services will provide drivers, programs that use school district or other busses must arrange for drivers. In many school districts coaches are required to possess commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and handle driving duties themselves. The importance of care and safety in these situations cannot be overstated.
• Air Travel. Air travel should be arranged well in advance. Obtaining large numbers of seats on the same flight is difficult, and fares typically increase and availability decreases as travel dates near. Providing names and other pertinent data to the airline to meet security requirements is an important part of the process.
• Vehicle Rentals. Renting vehicles to transport athletes to and from competitions is an option. It is common practice for teams to rent vehicles locally after flying to facilitate ground transportation. In the case of major meets, vehicle availability is often limited and reservations must be made months in advance.
• Equipment. Traveling with equipment needs advance planning, especially when it comes to vaulting poles.
• Meals. Arrangements must be made for meals in transit, while away and during competition. Planned team meals at restaurants allow good supervision of athletes, but can be difficult, expensive and complicate travel arrangements. Issuing per diem and allowing athletes to make their own eating arrangements is another option. Providing water and snack foods during longer competitions is common practice.
• Hotels. If hotel rooms are needed, arrangements are usually made months in advance. In the case of major meets, hotel availability is often limited and reservations
must be made as far as a year in advance. Most hotels will provide special services to groups, such as shuttles or prearranged checkins. Hotels with free breakfasts and interior corridors can make trip management and supervision easier. The hotel location should be convenient to the competition site and choosing a hotel adjacent to restaurants can minimize transportation issues.
HOME MEET MANAGEMENT
• Hosting. Hosting a track and field competition is a huge undertaking. Much planning and work is necessary, beginning as far as a year in advance, in order to host a successful competition. While a detailed discussion of home meet management is beyond the scope of this course, we will list several general areas of concern for the coaching staff. These include the following.
• Intent of the Meet. Understanding the purpose/intent/type of the home meet is essential in scheduling the meet in knowing who or who not to invite or let attend and or how many teams.
• Scheduling. The scheduling process includes selecting competition dates and making arrangements to use a facility. Also, a schedule of events must be created. This schedule of events and any other policies unique to your competition should be communicated to participating teams.
• Communicating Intent. School administration, facility management and other staff should be informed well in advance of the intent to host the competition and the roles they should play. The duties of these entities and the coaching staff should be clearly defined.
• Sponsorship. Acquiring a meet sponsor is typical practice.
• Officials. Officials must be recruited and duties assigned to each. This includes making arrangements for timing. Many meets manage their own timing with hand timing or self-operated electronic timing systems. Major meets typically contract a firm to provide electronic timing and report results.
• Admission and Concessions. Most meets serve as an important fund raising opportunity for the host, so arrangements are usually made for charging admission, concession sales and merchandise sales.
• Entries. Entry-related duties include establishing an entry procedure, communicating this procedure to participating teams, collecting entries, seeding the meet and providing needed paperwork to officials.
• Packet Pickup. Packet pickup is a great opportunity for additional communication between the meet management and the competitors. For example, collection of entry fees, heat sheet distribution, changes in schedule communicated, updated entries, might all be handled there.
• Amenities. Many meets provide amenities to athletes, coaches, and officials. These may include awards, meals, a hospitality room, etc.
• Facility Preparation. The facility must be prepared for the competition. This includes preparation of the track and field event areas and setting out needed equipment. This also includes attending to other areas of the venue such as the stadium, press box and public address systems, concession stands, restrooms, providing parking, etc.
• Conducting the Competition. The track and field events must be contested in a timely, fair fashion.
• Inclement Weather Plan. For outdoor sports this is required by all administrations
• Cleanup. After the competition, the facility must be cleaned and all equipment properly stored.
2024 CROSS COUNTRY NATIONAL COACHES AND ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
