In this episode, we dive into six essential articles recently published by Australian Athletics—each packed with actionable insights for accredited coaches across all event groups. From resisted sprint training to cueing strategies, this episode offers a toolkit of proven practices to enhance coaching effectiveness, athlete performance, and long-term development.

Find the full articles at CoachAthletics.com.au

00:00 – 11:38
Best Practices for Resisted Sprint Training
Explore how to optimise sleds, hills, bands, and more to target acceleration and maximum velocity. Learn how to tailor load, distance, reps, and recovery for different phases of the season and why resisted and unresisted sprinting should complement—not compete with—each other.

11:39 – 12:48
Reflecting After a Major Competition
Use the “Good, Better, How” framework to reflect on your recent coaching at the Australian Athletics Championships. A practical tool to drive continuous improvement.

12:50 – 15:48
Planning for Youth Athletes
Understand the five foundational principles (Progressive Overload, Specificity, Variety, Planned Recovery, and Individualisation), athlete monitoring, and long-term development. Align your training plans with both the training age and biological maturity of young athletes.

15:50 – 17:58
What All Coaches Need to Know About Hamstrings
Find out why most hamstring injuries occur mid-air, not on contact, and how eccentric strength, pelvic control, and trunk stability are key to performance and injury prevention.

18:00 – 20:31
Lessons from the World’s Best Distance Runners
Discover why 80% of elite training is low intensity, how individualised periodisation trumps one-size-fits-all plans, and why managing load with precision is a competitive edge.

20:31 – 22:49
Attentional Focus: Your Secret Coaching Tool
Shift your cueing from internal to external focus to enhance learning and execution. This segment offers examples of metaphors, timing, and cue design to embed new skills more effectively.

22:49 – End
Reflection Question
What’s one principle from today’s episode that you could test in your very next training session?

Join us for a deep dive into the paper "An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise" by Côté and Gilbert . Forget just focusing on finish times; this episode explores what truly makes a coach effective and an expert.

Source: An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise

We unpack the authors' groundbreaking definition, revealing the three essential pillars of coaching success: coaches' knowledge, encompassing not just your understanding of drills and training programmes (professional knowledge), but also your ability to connect with athletes (interpersonal knowledge) and reflect on your own practice (intrapersonal knowledge).

Finally, discover how effective coaching goes beyond performance outcomes to shape athletes' competence, confidence, connection, and character – the four crucial 'C's that lead to holistic development both on and off the track.

This episode explores the impact of mental fatigue on athletes, particularly in track and field, and the crucial role coaches play in both mitigating fatigue and promoting recovery.

Source:

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Mental fatigue affects performance: 96% of practitioners agree it has a major impact on training and competition.
🔹 Signs of mental fatigue: Decreased session quality, loss of focus, slower reaction times, hesitation under pressure.
🔹 Mental recovery is key: Athletes who prioritise it adapt better to training, regulate emotions more effectively, and improve performance.

Action Items for Coaches

Assess Mental Fatigue & Recovery

• Only 23.7% of practitioners assess recovery—start including subjective and objective measures!
• Use quick check-ins like energy-level surveys, mood tracking, or training log reflections.
• Leverage technology (e.g., heart rate variability monitoring) to track fatigue levels.

Integrate Mental Resilience into Training

• Introduce mental load in drills:
  • Add time constraints or decision-making tasks to technical sessions.
  • For sprinters: Vary reaction times in starts.
  • For distance runners: Simulate pace changes under distractions.
  • For jumpers and throwers: Add 'chaos' drills that ask athletes to make adjustments to their technique mid-action.
• Thi can also support athletes to meet mental demands in competition.

Offer Recovery Options

• Encourage self-selected recovery strategies: Mindfulness, guided imagery, restorative breaks.
• Explain the benefits of different techniques and allow athletes to choose what works best.

Foster Collaboration

• Communicate with athletes, sports psychologists, strength coaches, and nutritionists.
• Regularly check in on training loads, sleep patterns, and mental state.