Darren A Coaching

Coaching is one element of sport, other elements include officials, administrators, supporters and athletes to name four.  All elements need to work together to create harmony and develop the sport.  The sport I am involved in, coaching seems to be the element that is most undervalued, in a support and monetary terms. As a coach, I think it is more important than my day job because, I coach, teach, mentor and provide other help and experience to athletes.  Because of this I take improving myself very important.  How do you I do this? My number one improvement tool, is through my athletes and their feedback.  I also write general overall training programmes in the events I coach, and review these at least annually and change the programmes based on changes over time.  I have programmes for 100m and 400m sprints, I am working on resistance training programme for sprinters and a 800m running programme. Other methods are have mentors, this is probably the most non coaching improvemen

I am a level 3 sprints coach, who spent 20 years throwing hammers and a lot of time reading, learning and trying things in strength training.  This has lead me to be coaching 80% of the athletes I coach are in the gym.  Does this mean I am an expert in resistance training, no - but probably better than a lot of others due to practical experience. What does this have to do strength training and females, nothing. One of my athletes, who is a female middle distance, has been staying I don't want big bulky legs.  My argument is this isn't going to happen due to lower levels of testertone etc...   This hasn't washed due to my inability of being able to provide scientific evidence but also to what this athlete was taught at school.  This led me to read through my books and try and provide more empirical evidence as to why it isn't going to happen. I guess a starting point is to look at what is considered the base for different elements of strength training; Maximum St