Vince Anderson Track & Field Training 5-Pack

with Vince Anderson,
2025 USTFCCCA George Dales Award;
Texas A&M Sprints & Hurdles Coach - 2004 through 2019;
while there, Aggies won 9 NCAA Outdoor National Championship titles (5x for the Men's team, 4x for the Women's team) & one NCAA Indoor National Championship title (2017 Men's team);
trained Phyllis Francis (2017 400 meter World Champion & World 4x400 Gold Medalist in 2017 & 2019) and also trained Jessica Beard (4x400 double Gold Medalist at the 2019 World Championships - 4x400, mixed 4x400);
University of Tennessee Sprints & Hurdles Coach from 1988 through 2004 (Jumps Coach from 1996 to 2004);
while there, the Vols won the 2001 Men's NCAA Outdoor National Championship title and the 2002 Men's NCAA Indoor National Championship title;
started his coaching career as a volunteer for Tom Tellez at the University of Houston in 1986

You will learn the importance of implementing speed training early, the five most important traits for 400M athletes, and the goals of general preparation in this great video from former Texas A&M and Tennessee assistant coach, Vince Anderson. Throughout the presentation, Anderson discusses the training components that are essential to successful early season development in sprinters, all to help you improve your track & field coaching.

Implementing Speed Training Early

Speed is the most critical skill a sprinter can possess. Coach Anderson begins his presentation outlining the importance of training speed before endurance and its positive effect on sprinter development. In addition to outlining its importance, Anderson discusses the role endurance plays in "sealing speed in place" and its value later on in the season after an athlete has fully developed their speed profile and skill set.

Five Most Important Traits

400 meter runners are first and foremost sprinters. However, many coaches prioritize aerobic capacity early as the key to success. In this segment, Coach Anderson discusses the aerobic demands of the 400 and offers insights as to what skills should be emphasized in place of general endurance. When speaking on specific endurance, Anderson discusses the importance of having athletes run at race pace or faster to build their tolerance most effectively for the demands of the event.

Goals of General Preparation

General preparation is the initial building block of the training year. However, it is not "so general." Coach Anderson describes general preparation as a specific skill installation phase where traits that are important throughout the training year are first introduced. Skills such as proper posture, large ranges of motion, and high power outputs are critical to athletic success during the year. In this segment, Anderson discusses how these skills can be implemented and taught in a safe and effective manner.

This video is packed with important information for any coach looking to create effective training plans for their sprinters. Coach Anderson expertly lays down the foundation for early season development, while touching on the skills that are important throughout the year and the best ways to introduce them on day one.

51 minutes. 2021.

with Vince Anderson,
2025 USTFCCCA George Dales Award;
Texas A&M Sprints & Hurdles Coach - 2004 through 2019;
while there, Aggies won 9 NCAA Outdoor National Championship titles (5x for the Men's team, 4x for the Women's team) & one NCAA Indoor National Championship title (2017 Men's team);
trained Phyllis Francis (2017 400 meter World Champion & World 4x400 Gold Medalist in 2017 & 2019) and also trained Jessica Beard (4x400 double Gold Medalist at the 2019 World Championships - 4x400, mixed 4x400);
University of Tennessee Sprints & Hurdles Coach from 1988 through 2004 (Jumps Coach from 1996 to 2004);
while there, the Vols won the 2001 Men's NCAA Outdoor National Championship title and the 2002 Men's NCAA Indoor National Championship title;
started his coaching career as a volunteer for Tom Tellez at the University of Houston in 1986

Vince Anderson provides years of track knowledge and success to explain the how, what, and why of a proper warm-up for sprinters. In this video, Anderson presents over 15 well-planned warm-up drills that he uses every day, depending on the specifics of that training day. His drills are mindful, and he is conscious of progressing from a big range of motion, to dynamic movements, to sprinting.

You will learn the specific "must have" drills that Coach Anderson uses for his basic, day before competition, and competition day warm-up. He provides variations for each warm-up that fit the requirements of that day. Anderson also explains the importance of a proper warm-up that will hopefully provide the athletes and coaches with more productive training sessions, fewer injuries, and faster sprint times.

Basic Warm-Up

Coach Anderson thoroughly breaks down all the continuous drills that you can scale to your unique situation. His preference is for 30-meter movements on grass, down and back, that progress from heel-toe walk to 50-meter accelerations. He emphasizes the importance of building power levels by incorporating three central exercises twice throughout the warm-up. Additionally, he encourages the athlete to choose an exercise of their choice that helps to aide in their warm-up.

Mobility & Flexibility

Coach Anderson demonstrates the dynamic mobility drills used to increase the range of motion in the hips and create balance, stability to ensure the athlete is ready to move freely and at their best. He emphasizes the position an athlete should be in when completing hurdle drills and highlights effective techniques.

Next, you'll learn Anderson's stable flexibility sequence used to prepare the athlete to sprint. These exercises are done on the ground and are based on the premise of yoga that requires stable strength.

Warm-Up Etiquette

Coaches must work together in the warm-up area so the hundreds of athletes in large races do not endanger the themselves and others. As Anderson explains, if you are the race host, it is your responsibility to provide hurdles, and make sure athletes run with the flow.

This video from Coach Anderson will provide you with great insight into years of mindful preparation that is necessary to allow your athletes to be at their best, whether it is a training day, pre-meet, or meet day.

50 minutes. 2021.

with Vince Anderson,
2025 USTFCCCA George Dales Award;
Texas A&M Sprints & Hurdles Coach - 2004 through 2019;
while there, Aggies won 9 NCAA Outdoor National Championship titles (5x for the Men's team, 4x for the Women's team) & one NCAA Indoor National Championship title (2017 Men's team);
trained Phyllis Francis (2017 400 meter World Champion & World 4x400 Gold Medalist in 2017 & 2019) and also trained Jessica Beard (4x400 double Gold Medalist at the 2019 World Championships - 4x400, mixed 4x400);
University of Tennessee Sprints & Hurdles Coach from 1988 through 2004 (Jumps Coach from 1996 to 2004);
while there, the Vols won the 2001 Men's NCAA Outdoor National Championship title and the 2002 Men's NCAA Indoor National Championship title;
started his coaching career as a volunteer for Tom Tellez at the University of Houston in 1986

Long-time collegiate assistant coach Vince Anderson gives you everything you need to develop an explosive start and acceleration ability in your sprinters! This video, produced at the Championship Virtual Track & Field Coaches Clinic, will provide you with wall drills for effective posture, the pointers you need to set up the start, and instruction on effectively coaching the tape drill.

Wall Drills

Acceleration mechanics are a learned skill, emphasizing aggressive pushing. Coach Anderson demonstrates a wall drill designed to help athletes feel the proper required pushing technique. The drill begins with in-place marching against a wall, progressing to a pushing jog to help athletes move from leaning to upright posture. As his athlete advances through the series, Anderson breaks down the technique and important coaching points necessary to help her progress.

Setting up the Start

This segment begins with a discussion of the "on your mark" position and its impact on the set position and ultimately the start itself. Using video analysis, Coach Anderson breaks down the three important keys to correctly establish the mark position. Anderson also shows you how to cue athletes to raise up from the mark to set position, by using the angle of their front knee as a guide.

Effectively Coaching the Tape Drill

A main goal of acceleration is forceful projection away from the block. It is also one of the areas that athletes struggle with the most, failing to develop the momentum required to be successful as the race progresses. Coach Anderson discusses the tape drill that he uses to help cue athletes to properly push from the start. He expertly deconstructs the drill to help you understand important body positions to look for.

Throughout this video, Anderson shares his insights and goals for coaching acceleration in all of his athletes. Of this presentation's features, one of the most important is the use of the 100 meter acceleration pattern and its adaptability to all of the other sprint events, up through and including the 400. In this discussion, Coach Anderson shares his views on how breakdowns in the long sprints are typically an acceleration problem and not endurance related. With a change in acceleration mechanics, you may be able to see improvements in your long sprinters faster than with longer work intervals.

This video is full of useful information, coaching anecdotes, tips, and cues to help sprinters maximize the most important skill in their event. It's a must-watch for coaches of all levels. Coach Anderson is an expert on acceleration and you'll gain plenty of insight from this presentation!

61 minutes. 2021.

with Vince Anderson,
2025 USTFCCCA George Dales Award;
Texas A&M Sprints & Hurdles Coach - 2004 through 2019;
while there, Aggies won 9 NCAA Outdoor National Championship titles (5x for the Men's team, 4x for the Women's team) & one NCAA Indoor National Championship title (2017 Men's team);
trained Phyllis Francis (2017 400 meter World Champion & World 4x400 Gold Medalist in 2017 & 2019) and also trained Jessica Beard (4x400 double Gold Medalist at the 2019 World Championships - 4x400, mixed 4x400);
University of Tennessee Sprints & Hurdles Coach from 1988 through 2004 (Jumps Coach from 1996 to 2004);
while there, the Vols won the 2001 Men's NCAA Outdoor National Championship title and the 2002 Men's NCAA Indoor National Championship title;
started his coaching career as a volunteer for Tom Tellez at the University of Houston in 1986

In this video from the Championship Virtual Track & Field Coaches Clinic, former Texas A&M and Tennessee assistant coach, Vince Anderson, teaches you how to program for the 400 meter sprint and 400 hurdles. Coach Anderson touches on three main topics: important training components, determining proper pacing for workouts, and creating spine workouts.

Important Training Components

There are many ways to organize 400 meter training. Coach Anderson details the critical components required to help long sprinters excel at their craft. In this segment, Anderson shares the critical components that coaches should include in all phases of training. He includes sample preseason and in-season training weeks, plus ways to include competitions into the overall developmental model.

Determining Proper Pacing

When training for the 400, pacing in practice is a critical component to help athletes excel. Coach Anderson breaks down his three training zones and how to craft paces for training at each one. By sharing his formula and absolute threshold for training, Anderson will help you break down a variety of workouts with proper pacing to help athletes run the times needed to improve from week to week.

Creating Workouts

How do you know when your athlete is improving, or when it's time to make a change? By creating workouts that are performed at biweekly intervals throughout the year, coaches can monitor their athletes' improvement each training cycle. Coach Anderson shares a couple of his favorite workouts that he weaves throughout the season to periodically monitor his athletes' progress.

Throughout this video, Coach Anderson shares his insights and formulas to create the ideal training program for your quarter milers. He also provides his views on extensive tempo workouts and concerns about how high volumes of non-descript training is both ineffective and actually limits athlete progress.

This is a high-level schooling of how to prepare and train your long sprinters and hurdlers for high performance. Coach Anderson uses mathematical calculation, science, and many years of experience to demonstrate to coaches of all levels how to bring their athletes to their best performances in the 400M sprints and hurdles.

54 minutes. 2021.

with Vince Anderson,
2025 USTFCCCA George Dales Award;
Texas A&M Sprints & Hurdles Coach - 2004 through 2019;
while there, Aggies won 9 NCAA Outdoor National Championship titles (5x for the Men's team, 4x for the Women's team) & one NCAA Indoor National Championship title (2017 Men's team);
trained Phyllis Francis (2017 400 meter World Champion & World 4x400 Gold Medalist in 2017 & 2019) and also trained Jessica Beard (4x400 double Gold Medalist at the 2019 World Championships - 4x400, mixed 4x400);
University of Tennessee Sprints & Hurdles Coach from 1988 through 2004 (Jumps Coach from 1996 to 2004);
while there, the Vols won the 2001 Men's NCAA Outdoor National Championship title and the 2002 Men's NCAA Indoor National Championship title;
started his coaching career as a volunteer for Tom Tellez at the University of Houston in 1986

In this video with Coach Vince Anderson, you'll learn how to emphasize a program design philosophy around three key concepts:

• Train Rhythm and Timing Most Importantly
• Train for the Future; Not Just for Today
• Thrive, Not Survive

Coach Anderson lays out the approach and essentials of what training sessions should look like to accomplish these objectives to develop middle and high school athletes into potential elite hurdlers.

Hurdle Training

To accomplish the stated objectives, Coach Anderson states to "Not sweat the heights and distances" of hurdles for training and development purposes. Hurdle height and spacing can increase as the primary focus of rhythm and timing become more stable. To quote Coach Anderson: "Great hurdlers learned to hurdle on small hurdles set close. Great hurdlers, including world record holders, continue to train over small hurdles set close. What works for elite, works for everyone." This statement is indicative of the core philosophy of Anderson's developmental process and thoughts; lower, tighter hurdles allow for fast and aggressive development.

Hurdling Absolutes

From a technical stand point, Coach Anderson has two absolutes in hurdling and what successful hurdling should look like. Essential number one is the trail leg mechanics. Using his Wall Drill and cues provided allow for proper hip rotation of the trail leg essential for success in the hurdles. Anderson's second essential is focus on the take-off leg, not the lead leg. He provides descriptive images and video of what the take-off leg should look like to be aggressive over the hurdles and how to develop the take-off in younger hurdlers.

Focusing on Coach Anderson's five key tenets of hurdle program design will allow for coaches at all levels to bridge the gap and stop the regression of middle school athletes who compete in the hurdles prior to the high school level. Through a continued developmental bridge, hurdle development and technique can advance for athletes from the time they start hurdling in middle school until the time they conclude hurdling when their career is over. This video contains a grounded, fundamental, essential, and logical sequence that will promote success over years of competition for all hurdlers.

70 minutes. 2021.