Hello People!

We (Dorcas & Tim) recently took the USAFT Level I Coaches class.  Not only did we sit the 22 hours of lecture,  but we also sat the exam and now both carry our certificates.  

We also invited Rick Currier to join us, but he told us that he just finished his certification in December (out in front of us - leading the pack!)"

Why did we take the class?

Tim:  One of the main reasons I took this class was because I take the athletes of UVRC seriously.  I know you guys are out there logging long miles and many hours and you take yourself seriously.  “Seriously” doesn’t mean you are somber, I’ve heard a lot of joking and bantering while on the rail trail, or while warming up around Occum Pond.  “Seriously” means it is important in your life.  So as a coach I want to give you good advice, workouts which will help you improve, and plans which will get you ready for your best races and finest runs.

The class covered all aspects of Track & Field,  which meant a lot of time on-field event technique and training for sprinters, which we might not get to apply to UVRC.  But it also spent a great deal of time on sports psychology and physiology.  

Dorcas: The impetus for taking this course was my high school xc running team. Over these last couple of years, several of my runners have taken their interest and dedication to the sport to the next level. It was time for me to take my coaching to the next level to support them. 

Secondly, I knew that although I’ve been studying exercise, physiology, and coaching since 1984, the science and methodology of sport is always changing - another reason to refresh my understanding of the sport. 

Next, my own studies aside, I had not taken a formal coach’s running course, and I also wanted to provide support and coaching for high school runners outside of their season. So with UVRC and Kristine Flythe at Lebanon Arts, Parks, and Recreation Department,  we created the UVRC Next Gen membership option, so high school runners could sign up for out of season training - TNT, Thursday hills, and Saturday distance from Omer and Bob’s.

Finally, as Merlin tells the young King Arthur-to-be, in T.H. White’s 1958 retelling of the Arthurian legend, Once and Future King, and this is pertinent as we come out of our COVID isolation: “The best thing for being sad," replied Merlyn, beginning to puff and blow, "is to learn something. That is the only thing that never fails.” Tim and I committed to 22 hours of Zoom over three days with other amazing coaches, and we learned from the best of USA Track and Field and Cross-country coaches. A happy place to be.

Did I learn anything new?

Tim: A lot of what I saw I either already knew, or at least thought I knew.  In fact I think that the most important takeaway from the course was giving me assurance when coaching.  There are things which I do in my training which I have been hesitant to advise others to do.  For instance, how do you balance hard workouts and recovery?  Or the idea that not every race is equally important and that you can plan a season to build up to a goal race.

Actually, there was also some new information.  I had not understood that eating protein soon after exercise helped it uptake.  Or that your “dominant” foot is your more coordinated foot, but not necessarily your strongest foot.  When I ran the steeplechase I led with my right/dominant foot (necessary to guide my flight and touch the top of the water barrier), but it was my left foot, my stronger foot that I actually launched off of.

Dorcas: Often what is not new, but explained in an updated context and vocabulary, is extremely important, as we coaches relay information to our athletes that supports and correlates with what they hear from other coaches. And athletes. A good teacher/coach is able to explain a concept to a student/athlete in a way that they can understand. So we must know how to convey it auditorily, visually, kinesthetically, with different metaphors and images. That is my favorite part of a coaching discussion - hearing the different ways/words that others use to teach the same concept. 

Like Tim, I am now more cognizant of the stronger vs. the more mobile side of the body. And I have a new-found appreciation for the physics of sport - for the hurdles, sprints, vertical and horizontal jumps, and the throws. Track and Field is truly a democratic sport, where people of all types can find an event in which they can excel. 

Any side effects?

Tim: I actually enjoyed learning about some of the finer points of field events, and now when I watch them I see things I wouldn’t have noticed before.  For instance, what is “blocking” in the shot put? (a transfer of momentum) What is the “hinge” motion in the pole vault and high jump?  (parts of the body moving in different directions) Why the cross-step, which is not really a cross-step,  in the javelin?  (it allows the rotation of the shoulders and so a longer time and distance for the arm to accelerate the javelin).

Dorcas: In just two weeks of coaching Spring Track, I am so impressed with what my xc runners have learned in terms of technique warm-ups and drills, accelerations, and sprints. And to note that they are not bored with running around in circles - they love the new perspectives and opportunities and see the benefits of running on the track with people they might not otherwise have valued for their specific skills. 

How will this class affect the way you coach?

Tim: I think I want to take a longer term view of training.  I am not training for the next race, rather I am training for a big race at the end of the season.  As a coach, I want to encourage that view.  If athletes tell me their goal race is in August or November, I want to work with them to peak at that race.

Actually, a lot of people just want to do pretty well next week, and that's okay too.  I just want to work with athletes to get them to where they want to be.

Dorcas: I appreciate the time spent on the non-aerobic/anaerobic work - dynamic warm-ups and drills done correctly that prevent injuries, identify and address balance and imbalances. And drills that break down a movement into several parts, parts that must be practiced with attention and focus, then synchronized. And as a high school coach, I appreciate this time to encourage those who identify as runners, to try a field event. This is a time in their development to work on athleticism, rather than specificity. 

Tim and I are excited to bring this to our club members. And we encourage others to pursue USATF membership and courses. Each of us has something to bring to the club. Thank you!

Check out the UVRC new High School Athlete program “UVRC Next Gen” on our website and here: https://secure.rec1.com/NH/city-of-lebanon/catalog?filter=c2VhcmNoPTE5NTkxMjg=

And see the attached flier for all our club activities!