Training & Technical Phase-Based Approach to Seasonal Planning Series

with with Ruqayya Gibson,
University of Alabama Assistant Track Coach;
former University of Houston Assistant Coach;
Coached nine NCAA Outdoor Championships qualifiers (2021);
Coached two NCAA Indoor Championships qualifiers (2020);
former Cypress Springs High School (TX) Girls Track Head Coach;
Coached 6 Texas State Champions;
Vype Girls' Track Coach of the Year (2018);
2014 Female Coach of The Year (Texas Track & Field Coaches Association);
2014 Brooks Running Most Inspiring Coach finalist;
winner of 5 consecutive Region III-5A Championships;
Coached Two New Balance Indoor National Champions;
University of Iowa graduate and member of the track & field team (captain in 1996, 1997 and 1998);
Earned the University of Iowa Student Leadership Award and the Lou Ginsberg Humanitarian Award in 1999 and the AMHA Community Leadership Award (2009)

When coaching athletes in the sprints and relays, the ability to create an effective training program can make a tremendous positive impact on your team's success. In this video, Ruqayya Gibson walks you through a step-by-step guide to constructing an effective annual sprinting plan, using single and double macrocycle programming. She also covers relay selection and development before proceeding to the track to demonstrate ways to enhance athletic performance through a variety of drills and coaching points.

SPRINTS

Organizing the Annual Plan

Coach Gibson breaks down how to structure a training year using the single peak method for teams competing in outdoor track, and the double peak method for teams with indoor and outdoor seasons. She shows coaches how to break down each macrocycle into phases while outlining the types of work and emphasis that must be performed in each one. Gibson also addresses common misconceptions about the type of conditioning work that sprinters need to prepare for the season. Part of Gibson's approach has been to avoid longer distance interval training in favor of more focused, event-specific work.

Designing Speed Development Workouts

There are many factors to consider when designing speed development workouts. Gibson shows how to organize the timing of the three different types of speed development: acceleration, max velocity / absolute speed, and speed endurance. Additionally, she breaks down the exact distances, volumes, and specific details that are critical to making these workouts as effective as possible.

You'll learn how to effectively manage training volumes for technical event athletes by combining speed workouts with hurdle and runway development work. By splitting or combining these activities, athletes can enhance their speed, within the contexts of their events.

Organizing Practice

In this segment, Gibson breaks down an example of a daily practice session from warms-ups through drills and into speed progressions. She lays out a drill-by-drill instruction for every part of the workout.

RELAYS

Selecting and Positioning Runners

The 4x100 relay is one of the sport's most exciting events and Coach Gibson's athletes never hold back. She breaks down her philosophy for assembling lightning fast relays and details what type of athlete she looks for when creating her teams. Once she has identified the "warrior spirit" in her athletes, it's time to place them into one of four legs for the event. This is where Coach Gibson clearly defines the roles and expectations of each leg and what is expected from each athlete in each position.

Improve Speed Development

In order for relay teams to run fast, each athlete must also be able to run fast as an individual. To accomplish this, Gibson demonstrates two types of sprint practices, including warm-ups and theme-specific sprint development drills to enhance both acceleration and max velocity mechanics. Throughout the segment, Gibson addresses the "why" and "how" for each exercise, pointing out common errors and their corrections.

Develop Fast and Effective Baton Passing

Next, Coach Gibson demonstrates some of her favorite drills for helping athletes make crisp, clean passes. One of the best drills is the Go-Go Drill, in which two athletes, staggered just a couple of meters apart, begin sprinting simultaneously to make a high speed exchange. This drill is a great pre-meet warm-up and an excellent plan B workout when space or weather do not permit longer work. Gibson then closes this segment by showing you how her team can incorporate relay passing into speed development work, in order to maximize practice efficiency, without adding unnecessary volume to the workout.

If you're looking for help creating dangerously fast sprinters and relay teams, look no further. This video offers plenty of insights, drills and demonstrations that will help your athletes succeed as individuals and as a team, both on and off the track.

185 minutes (2 DVDs). 2018.

with Richie Mercado,
St. John's High School (TX) Head Track & Field Coach;
34 years of coaching experience;
USATF Level 2 Coach in Jumps and Combined Events;
Jr. Coordinator for the USA Heptathlon; Head Coach for Team USA Heptathlon in the 2008 Thorpe Cup USA-Germany dual;
has coached several SPC state championships for Girl's Track & Field, Boy's Cross Country, and won 2 of last 3 in Boy's Track & Field.
Numerous SPC champions in sprints, jumps, hurdles; coached the USATF Junior Champion runner-up and Pan Am Junior Champion silver medalist in decathlon.

Hurdling is an activity that is speed- and power-based. The athlete must be aggressive, competitive and willing to trust in a training system. A successful hurdler must learn to adapt to training requirements and also needs to possess mental toughness.

In this video, Richie Mercado aims to provide coaches with a complete training system to plan, organize and develop athletically-competent short and long hurdlers. He's created a blueprint covering the technical aspects, profile, training philosophy and training science proven to mold average athletes into above-average hurdlers.

Mechanics and Patterning

Coaches must learn how to enhance their hurdlers through training to develop better speed, power, coordination, patience and rhythm. Hurdlers who can three-step will always outperform athletes who take more than three steps between hurdles. Coach Mercado's system teaches how to get hurdlers to eliminate faulty mechanics and establish proper neuromuscular patterning for improved speed, power, body control and angles to consistently run faster times for both short & long hurdles.

Training Philosophy for Hurdlers

Coach Mercado shows how to combine all of the different training components to make a complete program specific to hurdlers. You'll see how to factor the following segments into your overall hurdling program:

• Weight room training
• Biomotor elements
• Mental toughness and adaptability
• Speed and coordination

As a coach, the ability to troubleshoot mechanics and analyze, test and establish key performance indicators goes a long way toward helping hurdlers reach their potential. Troubleshooting requires specialized knowledge to encourage proper patterning, speed mechanics for attacking the hurdle, hip usage through the hurdle, and foot placement following the hurdle. Coach Mercado outlines all of his hurdling knowledge to help you be confident in your abilities as a coach.

This video will help you learn the training and planning secrets for the short and long hurdles used by a successful high school coach. Richie Mercado explains how he creates great hurdlers season after season. This is a must-have for any hurdles coach looking for that "championship edge!"

174 minutes (2 DVDs). 2018.

with Tim O'Neill,
Assumption High School (IA) Boy's & Girl's Head Track Coach, Boy's & Girl's Head Cross Country Coach;
2x USTFCCCA High School Girl's Track & Field Iowa Coach of the Year (2014, 2017);
8x Iowa Track and Field Coaches Association (IATC) Coach of the Year; 5x Girl's Track & Field State Championships;
coached the 1600 M Medley Relay National Champions at the 2017 New Balance Indoor National Championships;
USATF Level I Certified Instructor; USATF-Level II Certified Coach (Sprints/Hurdles/Relays, Throws, Jumps & Endurance)

Tim O'Neill, the head coach at Assumption High School (Davenport, IA), begins this excellent presentation by explaining his philosophy regarding middle distance training. O'Neill diagrams each week of his in-season and pre-season programs, including individual workouts for each session along with how to progress volume and intensity throughout the season.

Coach O'Neill gives you several types of workouts, including long & slow distance, long intensity, short intensity, recovery runs, anaerobic threshold, and aerobic threshold training. You'll see how he alternates high volume and high intensity in order to build the fitness level of every athlete. Additionally, O'Neill shows how to tailor each workout to each individual on your team.

In-Season Practice Plans & Strategies

You will learn how to plan workouts for the competitive season. O'Neill's in-season workouts build on the athlete's level of fitness established during the pre-season phase. He explains how to plan workouts around your meet schedule to maximize the training effect and explains how he tapers his workouts in order to help athletes peak for championship meets. Altogether, you'll learn to:

• Program in-season workouts to avoid over-training and burnout.
• Utilize the competitive meet schedule as part of the training schedule.
• Taper volume for post-season peaking.

Strength Training

Coach O'Neill concludes by describing his philosophy on strength training and how to fit it into your overall training schedule. He also demonstrates the dynamic warm-up exercises, sprint mechanic drills, weight lifting exercises, and plyometric drills that make up the strength training portion of his program. You'll see several lifts demonstrated in the weight room using proper techniques, supplemented with coaching points, including:

• Warm-up drills
• Core strength exercises
• Sprint mechanic drills
• Plyometric drills

This video is a great addition to any track coach who wants to boost the performance of distance and middle distance runners. Coach Tim O'Neill, who has coached his middle distance and distance runners to great success over the past 18+ years, does an excellent job in this video of describing and demonstrating the methods he uses to produce championship athletes.

85 minutes. 2018.

with Chad Gunnelson,
Augustana Director of Track & Field and Cross Country;
University of Dubuque Director of Track & Field and Cross Country from 2011 to 2023:
2022 USTFCCCA Midwest Region Men's Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year;
2022 American Rivers Conference Outdoor Track & Field Coaching Staff of the Year;
2018 USTFCCCA Central Region Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year;
2018 Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Association (IIAC) Coaching Staff of the Year;
2017 USTFCCCA Central Region Men's Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year;
2017 IIAC Track & Field Coach of the Year;
2013 IIAC Outdoor Track & Field Coach of the Year;
Has mentored 4 NCAA Champions, 100+ NCAA qualifiers, 76 All-Americans,160 Conference Champions;
His athletes broke 85 school records;
USTFCCCA Division III Track & Field Executive Committee;
IATC College Coaches' Representative;
USTFCCCA Specialist Certifications in jumps, endurance, and strength & conditioning;
USATF Level 1 certification & Level 2 sprints, hurdles, relays certification;
USA Weightlifting Certified Performance Coach

The high jump is one of the most complicated jumping events. As a highly specialized event, it can be intimidating for high school coaches to put together a successful training program that meets their jumpers' needs, especially under the scheduling challenges of a typical season.

In this video, Chad Gunnelson helps alleviate that fear by showing how to break down every aspect of the event. From annual planning to weight room progressions and over an hour of on-track instruction, Coach Gunnelson shows you how to get the most out of your athletes and create dynamic, explosive jumpers.

Developing an Annual Plan

With only 12 weeks per season and two meets per week, the high school track & field season has a unique set of challenges that aren't seen in other levels of the sport. To help you navigate these issues, Coach Gunnelson breaks down his organizational method for meso and microcycle development.

By placing a performance emphasis on meets at the end of each week, Gunnelson shows how to fit in the important sections of training, including technical days, speed and power days, and weightlifting sessions. He also shows how he organizes technical training days to add variety to high jump practices and provide the best learning environment possible.

Designing Weight Training

High jumpers put several times their body weight in force into the ground. As a result, a well-organized weight training program can make the difference between a good high jumper and a great one. However, in a short season, weight training can be difficult to implement and teach.

To help organize an efficient and effective lifting program, Gunnelson discusses various progressions for bilateral and unilateral squats. When combined with his progression for hip thrusts, he shows a simple way to help athletes safely and effectively use the weight room to build explosive strength and power. For coaches with advanced athletes, Coach Gunnelson also shows more advanced lifts like rep split jerks that take advantage of the stretch shortening cycle to help jumpers leave the ground more powerfully.

Assemble and Develop the Approach

The high jump approach is the key to success in the event. A properly executed approach can help athletes reach new heights and gain confidence in their ability to attack higher bars. However, errors early on in the approach can lead to problems at takeoff and prevent athletes from reaching their potential. In this segment, Coach Gunnelson spends over an hour breaking down every aspect of the approach, from the drive to the transition and curve, to the takeoff. By pointing out common errors and corrections, Gunnelson expertly uses various drills and progressions to help you troubleshoot issues and streamline the approach.

This video is especially great for coaches under the restrictions of a typical high school season. Coach Gunnelson provides great ideas that will be sure to help your jumpers improve!

90 minutes. 2018.

with Bryan Stith,
Capital High School (ID) Head Track & Field Coach;
2015 Idaho State Champions;
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) 2015 Idaho High School Track & Field Coach of the Year;
USATF Level 2 Certified Coach

Ever wonder how to create effective training plans for jumpers in a condensed high school season? Or how to differentiate instruction during practice for athletes with a wide range of skills? With this video, you can join Bryan Stith for over two hours of instruction that tackles the major problems associated with developing training programs for both beginner and advanced high school athletes.

Developing an Annual Plan

Coach Stith addresses the problems many coaches face when designing training plans for their athletes. Among them are setting up themes for each practice, structuring the volume and intensity loads per week, and ways to ensure the multi-event athlete can meet their technique needs without being overloaded.

From the first day of practice through the state championship, Stith breaks down the annual plan into four mesocycles that build upon each other to prepare athletes to compete at their best in the most important meets of the season. Additionally, Coach Stith provides his insights for navigating spring break week and shows coaches his plans for side-stepping one of the trickiest weeks in the training calendar to help athletes continue to progress.

Jump Drills and Approach Basics

In the practice section of this video, Coach Stith switches from the classroom to the track, showing demonstrations of everything from jump-specific warm up drills, to short and full approach jumps. As the athletes progress from one sequence to another, Stith points out common errors and their corrections for athletes of varying skill levels. Stith also breaks down his Box Take-Off drill to help athletes work on their timing and in-flight mechanics.

Weight Training for Jumping Events

For high school programs, the weight room can often be an under-utilized tool to help athletes reach their potential. For coaches that are unsure of which exercises to include in their weight training program, Coach Stith takes viewers into the school weight room, where his athletes demonstrate some of his favorite lifts. You'll see Stith break down several major lifts, including back squats, deadlifts and power cleans, as well as in-season progressions and teaching regressions.

One special feature at the end of this video is Coach Stith's presentation on triple jump phase distribution. He breaks down the phase distributions of a typical high school triple jumper and shares his insights on helping coaches adjust these percentages to maximize their athlete's potential within the event.

With over two full hours of classroom instruction and on-track demonstrations, Bryan Stith breaks down everything you'll need to confidently create a yearly training plan for your jump event athletes. Due to the organizational nature of this video, you'll also be able to easily adapt workouts for various talent levels or age groups. Gain confidence in your ability to write training plans and see them translate to more success for your horizontal jumpers!

134 minutes. 2018.

with Mike Judge,
Kennesaw State Assistant Coach - Throws;
Coaches the Owls to a 1-2-3 finish in men's shot put at the Indoor ASUN conference championships;
USATF Level 5 Coach;
USATF Coaching Education Executive Committee;
Throw 1 Deep Club Founder and Head Coach;
2024 GATFXCCA Hall of Fame inductee;
Coached the American Junior record and National HS record holder in the hammer throw;
2013 National High School Coach of the Year;
National Junior Pan American Coach of the Year (2013 );
Atlanta Track Club High School Coach of the Year (2012);
USATFGA Club Coach of the Year (2011)

In this video, throws coach Mike Judge showcases his approach to training discus and shot put throwers at the high school level. He explains his approach to linear periodization and how he utilizes these principles to ensure that his athletes continuously make progress during the competitive season. Additionally, Judge explains how he approaches peaking for championship meets.

You'll learn how to structure workouts during the pre-season, competition season, and championship phase of a full track season. Judge also explains the science behind "peaking" and how to apply this knowledge to create an advantage for your athletes.

Strength Training

Coach Judge explains the overall training emphasis during the pre-season, competitive, and championship phases of the season and demonstrates several exercises that he uses in the weight room with his athletes. You'll learn:

• How to apply the principles of linear periodization to your strength training program and how to link the strength training program to the technical training for the throwing events.
• Proper technique and coaching points for various exercises performed in the weight room.
• How to modify exercise selection and set/rep schemes for the peaking phases.

Drills and Technique

Judge, with the help of some of his athletes, demonstrates several drills that teach proper fundamentals in both the discus and shot put. He also explains how to adjust for volume and intensity of drill work so that practice is planned in a manner that ensures athletes can make progress the entire season. You'll get:

• Discus drills such as: arm strike, stand throws, wheel drill, and full throws from various positions.
• Shot put drills such as: arm strike, reverse stand throws, A drill, stand throws, and full throws using a glide technique.

Coach Judge does an excellent job of presenting a technical approach to training high school shot put and discus throwers. This video will provide what you need to give your athletes an edge on the competition in the seasons ahead!

42 minutes. 2018.

with Richie Mercado,
St. John's High School (TX) Head Track & Field Coach;
34 years of coaching experience;
USATF Level 2 Coach in Jumps and Combined Events;
Jr. Coordinator for the USA Heptathlon; Head Coach for Team USA Heptathlon in the 2008 Thorpe Cup USA-Germany dual;
has coached several SPC state championships for Girl's Track & Field, Boy's Cross Country, and won 2 of last 3 in Boy's Track & Field.
Numerous SPC champions in sprints, jumps, hurdles; coached the USATF Junior Champion runner-up and Pan Am Junior Champion silver medalist in decathlon.

Richie Mercado relies on his experiences and understating that a speed and power-based program will ultimately benefit all aspects of athletic development and track & field success. His "Success through planning" approach allows athletes to develop the necessary speed, power, and coordination components that are required to compete across multi-events.

In this video, Coach Mercado lays out a multitude of planning processes that allow for adaptation to the time that the coach gets to spend with each athlete. The use of the multi-event platform provides seamless training and athletic development across all aspects of track & field.

Developing and Implementing a Plan

By utilizing a periodized plan that focuses on speed, power, and coordination before progressing to specifics as the season progresses, Coach Mercado sets up his athletes to meet and exceed their individual expectations. One of Mercado's central themes relates to the Fitness/Fatigue Theory where he introduces skills in small amounts and gradually increases the volume and intensity to further enhance speed, power, and general fitness. Mercado's system incorporates the following elements to help plan for and train multi-event athletes:

• Acceleration
• Max velocity
• Power development
• Recovery
• Rest

You'll get a detailed explanation with drills for each phase of the training progression that leads to competitive success when it matters most: the biggest meets of the season.

Drills and Exercises

Coach Mercado demonstrates 30+ exercises to help build an athlete's power base and coordination through strength training. In addition to simple demonstrations and coaching points for safety, Mercado relates each exercise to the functional component within multiple events. The perfect example of this the Acceleration Step Up versus the Max Velocity Step Up; both exercises are similar in nature, but minor modifications lead to the development of two different necessary skills for the multi-event athlete.

This video shows exactly how a veteran coach handles planning and training year-round, which can be difficult with so many events, different kinds of athletes, and a limited number of coaches. Coach Mercado gives a detailed road map for any coach who needs to be able to teach a variety of athletes simultaneously.

188 minutes (2 DVDs). 2018.

with Johnny Graham,
Wisconsin Lutheran High School Pole Vault Coach (20+ years as a HS coach);
Polebenders Vault Club (WI) Head Coach;
also coached at Wisconsin Lutheran College (D3) and University Wisconsin- Milwaukee (D1);
has coached 25+ conference champions, state qualifiers, a state champion and state champion runner-up vaulters;
His top 2 girls are the top 2 Private school girl vaulters in Wisconsin State history at 12'7" and 11'9";
His top boy vaulter all time is tied for 1st all time for Private schools in Wisconsin at 15' 6"

In this video, Wisconsin Lutheran High School pole vault coach Johnny Graham explains the 22 essential drills that an athlete needs to become a successful pole vaulter. His drills are designed to develop pole vaulters to be dynamic, flexible and fast on the runaway. These three ingredients are the backbone behind an ideal pole vaulter.

Here's a statement from Coach Graham on coaching the pole vault:
"I love the sport of Pole Vault and love coaching kids to help make them into the best vaulters they can be. Not every vaullter has the God-given athletic ability to be a state champ, but every vaulter can set and reach their own goals and have the same feeling of accomplishment.

I coach safety and progression in pole vault practice and through that, my vaulters become more confident and successful. I love having fun at practice and teaching vaulters the importance of having fun vaulting while still being safe.

I have been able to do this for 20 years now and I have been so blessed to have coached so many wonderful kids and meet their amazing families. To me Pole Vault is more than just Pole Vault - these kids and their families become family to me."

Equipment, Planning, and Organization

After explaining how to test pole vault athletes, Coach Graham explains the equipment and facilities you'll need in order to properly train your vaulters. Then, he explains the rules he sets for his team and covers goal-setting on a weekly and yearly basis. Graham emphasizes that planning and organizing, both weekly and yearly, is key to having a great program. Athletes need goals throughout the season to monitor progress and motivation.

Teaching Progression and Drills

Teaching drills in a proper progression is a main point that Graham emphasizes during the video. Event drills start with the grip, then progress to the runway and mat before the full vault. Graham goes into great detail about the carry and approach before giving you a series of pop-up drills that get athletes comfortable with the vault.

Additionally, you'll get a number of drills that double as technique and conditioning exercises for athletes.

To conclude, Graham explains his typical meet day protocol. You'll also get specific instructions for how to handle championship meets as well as the off-season.

Whether you coach a beginning or developing pole vaulter, this video will provide great drills and ideas to help athletes continually improve throughout the season. Coach Graham, an experienced, successful pole vault coach and an excellent instructor, shares his knowledge, and best practices and tips, so you can take your vaulters to the next level in the seasons ahead!

88 minutes. 2018.