Coaches education is one of my passions. I love it both for my own ongoing professional development and giving back to the sport I love. I just finished up my first coaches education talks of 2009. I went down to Orlando to do a Level 1 school on the campus of UCF. The school was awesome. Personally, I think I was a little too sleep-deprived to be on my “A game” but the combination of the location, the school’s organization (thank you Andrew Alden!), the presenters and the student interaction was great and made it quite possibly the best I’ve ever been to. I taught Physiology, Biomechanics, Biomotor Development and the Jumps Curriculums. Andrew Alden taught the Philiosophy and Endurance curriculums, Ron Grigg taught the Training Theory and Sprints, Hurdles, and Relays curriculums, Glen McAtee taught Psychology and Throws. Because I had to leave a day early I didn’t get a chance to see Andrew’s talks but I had some great conversations with him and the guy obviously knows his stuff. I did get a chance to see some of Glen and Ron’s talks and I was impressed. These guys are ROCK STARS! I’ve taught plenty of schools with Ron (in fact, I’ve probably taught more with him than without him) and I always pick up something new. This is true even during his Level 1 talks. Glen’s psychology talk was the best I’d ever heard and I wished I had a chance to have heard his Throws lecture as well. The reason I thought it was important to blog about this is so all those who haven’t gone through USATF’s Coaches Education program realize what they’re missing out on. Regardless of whether you’re a newbie coach just coming to the sport for the first time or a seasoned vet with loads of experience you’ll find it valuable. Equally important is the fact that attending USATF’s Level 1 school allows you to attend a Level 2 school which, as good as Level 1 can be, is exponentially better. So if you haven’t gone through a school and are looking to advance your knowledge at a bargain basement price ($125 for about 20 hours of classes) then check out the next Coaches Education school in your area. To find out more about USATF’s Coaches Education schools check out the official website. Here are 3 upcoming schools I’ll be teaching at:
- Level 1 Chapel Hill, NC (6/21-23)
- Level 1 & 2 Colorado Springs, CO (7/18-25)
- Level 1 Spartanburg, SC (7/31-8/2)