Speed of the Stick: Building High Performing Relays

with Chris Parno,
Minnesota State University Associate Head Men's & Women's Track & Field Coach / Recruiting Coordinator - Sprints & Hurdles;
2025 NSIC Outdoor Champions for Men's & Women's teams- 13th in a row for the Men's team and 4th in a row for the Women's team;
2025 USTFCCCA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year;
2024 NSIC Outdoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year;
2024 USTFCCCA National Indoor Women's Assistant Coach of the Year;
2021 NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track & Field National Assistant Coach of the Year;
5x USTFCCCA Indoor Assistant Coach of the Year - Central Region;
5x USTFCCCA Outdoor Assistant Coach of the Year - Central Region;
USATF Mid-American Level 1 Regional Education Coordinator ;
2011 USATF Level 1 Certification;
2015 USATF Level 2 Sprint/Hurdle/Relays Certification;
2016 USATF Level 2 Jumps Certification;
2017 IAAF Level 5 Sprints Certification;
2011 USTFCCCA Technical Certification;
2013 USTFCCCA Sprint, Hurdle, and Relay Event Specialist;
2017 USTFCCCA Short Sprints Masters Endorsement;
2018 USTFCCCA Hurdles Masters Endorsement

Minnesota State University associate head coach Chris Parno provides a phenomenal balance of relay theory, logic, and drills to progress through during the season to ensure your team is successful in all relay events. Coach Parno's golden rule of "get the stick around the track as fast as possible" allows for you and your athletes to focus on three critical components:

• Timing the stick
• Athletes being "stick transporters"
• Creating a plan around maintaining the "speed of the stick"

The faster the stick moves, the lower the time, and the greater your success!

Hand-Offs

Coach Parno provides detailed descriptions for every type of hand-off that can be incorporated into each specific relay, then gives you a structured way to practice these concepts in low impact, highly repetitious format. His system will provide your athletes with confidence to execute when it matters most - the meet!

In addition to hand-off descriptions, each segment in the video specifically addresses the incoming and outgoing runners' responsibilities to ensure the "speed of the stick" never slows down.

Increasing Stick Speed

Next, Parno incorporates over 20 drill varieties that will give you and your athletes the essentials to maintain stick velocity around the track. Starting with low impact, highly repetitious drills and advancing to full speed, all-out practice, these drills instill the backbone for relay success.

Coach Parno's 4x100 Zone Running Drill without the stick allows for easy evaluation and establishment of "go" marks for the outgoing runner, while also identifying the outgoing runner's preferred technique to get to max velocity. This single drill will allow you and your athletes to evaluate the timing of the baton exchange to maintain "stick speed" throughout the race; the critical component for success.

Coach Parno's theory and drills will undoubtedly improve your team's relays by providing context to set-up, practical drill application, and simple cues that all of your athletes can use to maximize the speed of the stick throughout their relay event. This video is a must-have for all relays coaches!

88 minutes. 2020.