The Track and Field Performance Podcast

For the past 10 years, Coach Nic Petersen has led the University of Florida jumps program to so much success that it is widely regarded as 'Jumps University.' 

Coaching an array of high level athletes with varied experience and skills has given him a level of wisdom that is on full display in this episode. 

Coach Petersen discusses how he builds a foundation with his athletes; physically, mentally, and technically. 

In addition, he describes the three pillars of the approach run as well as working on other components like the flight and landing in order to build the whole system.

Available on all major streaming platforms

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Sport is chaotic. During an athletic career, athletes are tasked with making a lot of decisions that compound over time and will dictate their trajectory.

Dr. Brian Zuleger, is a Mental Performance Consultant who has worked with Track and Field athletes, both as a Coach and Sports Psychologist. 

In this episode, Dr. Zuleger explains how Mental Performance Training can equip athletes to navigate the chaos and remove the often self-imposed barriers that separate them from their better selves. 

Affiliated with TrackBarn | Promo code: TNF10 

As expected, Stuart McMillan provided a deep-dive like others can only dream of. His contribution towards the lives of athlete and coaches across the world is growing by the day -- and it's no surprise why.

Stuart provides a comprehensive overview of how the constraints of training in a variety conditions can improve learning, and thus creating a more adaptable athlete on all fronts. 

If you want to re-think what you're chasing on a day to day basis when you're out on the field (or in a coffee shop), then this is a must listen.

University of Iowa's coach, Jason Wakenight has guided an impressive number of All American in the Long Sprint events. 

Before we got on air, he described his approach as 'Fluid' and believes that he is not married to one entire system. Coach Wakenight discussed his training methods; like how he moves from a foundation that of more aerobic tempo and acceleration work to specific speed and endurance workouts where metrics, recovery, and athlete characteristics influence the prescription of training. 

If you are a Track and Field enthusiast, you are going to love this one. 

Thank you, Coach Wakenight

Affiliated with Track Barn: TNF10

In this episode, High Performance Director of Israeli Athletics, Renaud Longuèvre provides a detailed overview of his coaching philosophy for the horizontal jumps. 

Renaud highlights the importance of the landing position and how he builds the technical model from that position. He also mentions how the double hitch kick provides the necessary coordination to combat over-rotation and maintain speed  through takeoff. 

Thank you Renaud for sharing your wisdom!

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Lead coach of Leap Squad Track Club, Keinan Briggs speaks about his holistic approach to developing high school jumpers.

Coach Briggs discusses how he methodically implements and pivots his progressions and priorities to improve each individual athlete from their freshman to senior year.

Thank you coach Briggs! 

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In just under two hours, Coach Cliff Rovelto provided a masterclass overview of the combined events. We spoke about the physical, mental, technical, and tactical aspects of designing and managing training and competition. 

Coach Rovelto begins by providing his background in coaching and then moves towards his coaching philosophy; there, the conversation extends into topics like the compatibility between multi-event disciplines, coaching verbiage, and transitioning between events. 

-Commonality
-Complementary
-Compatible 

I hope you enjoy it and thank you coach Rovelto!!

This podcast is affiliated with Track Barn: Use promo code TNF10 at https://trackbarn.com/
for 10% off. 

Personality traits, attitudes, habits, skills - this one had it all. Dr. Lennie Waite spoke to me about her beliefs and strategies that she uses within her practice. These methods help athletes and coaches cultivate healthier behaviors to  enhance their performance.

Australia's lead High Jump coach Alex Stewart has many impressive accolades on his resume, he was the 2018 National Coach of the Year after guiding Brandon Starc to an Oceania Record of 2.36m, but perhaps his most impressive accomplishment was having two athletes (one male, one female) in the Olympic finals -- both in the High Jump.

The road to the Olympics is often bumpy; Alex shares how they overcome some of the complex problems that have guided his thinking regarding training prescription and athlete management.

Track Barn Promo Code: TNF10

Topics:
-The coaching journey w/Brandon Starc and Eleanor Patterson
-Exploring technical faults
-Athlete lifestyle management
-Remote coaching
-Program expansion 

British Athletics Pole Vault coach "Scott Simpson" speaks about the factors he considers when outlining his training throughout the year. Scott provides his stable yet individualized program for Olympians like Holly Bradshaw and Harry Coppell.

Scott illustrates how he assesses his athletes' current physical and technical abilities. Doing so allows him to identify the area that needs more attention. 

If you're interested in Track and Field gear and equipment, head over to 'Track Barn' and use promo code 'TNF10' for sitewide discounts.

Coach of Irelands fastest female, Phil Healy, and 2019 All-Ireland Hurling Champions, Tipperary; Shane McCormack has 20 years of coaching experience and is an IAAF Level 4 accredited sprints and hurdles coach. Shane came on the podcast to discuss all of the moving parts within his system that has seen Phil Healy go from an International caliber athlete to World Class.

Phil competed in three separate events at the Tokyo Olympics and was 4th this year's European Indoor Championships. Her rise has not been without its roadblock, but it's been methodical, and I believe we all have something to gain from hearing this one. Thanks for the insights, Shane! 

Follow him on social media > Twitter & Instagram: mcwexford

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Track and Field coach and 2x Olympic Shot Putter Amin Nikfar is the current Throws coach at UNC-Chapel Hill. The reason I say "Track and Field coach" is because, throughout this episode, he highlights the knowledge and skills he has gained from coaching a multitude of events.

A common debate is whether being an elite athlete makes a  good coach; it is a complex question however, Amin weighs in on the competencies needed to make a successful transition.

There is a tremendous amount of insight in this episode. Amin is incredibly humble and is worthy of a lot of recognition for his contributions to this episode. I hope you enjoy it!

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Canada's own Glenn Smith sat down with me to explain pelvic and t-spine movement as it relates to efficient upright sprint mechanics. 

Coach Smith details how he observes and cues the athlete to move 'their' model in the right direction. This concept also reigns true in the long jump; the ability to apply force in the run can dictate some of the common errors at takeoff. 

There is a lot of great insight inside this episode here; I hope you enjoy it!

Affiliated with https://trackbarn.com/ - use promo code TNF10 at the checkout!

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00 - 7:35
Athlete to Coach Transition: 7:35 - 16:00
Shaping a coaching philosophy: 16:00 - 24:05
The role of the pelvis and t-spine in sprinting 24:05 - 35:30
Five principles in the long approach run: 35:30 - 50:20
Eureka moments: 50:20 - 53:50
Closing: 53:50 - 57:20

Episode 12 was with throws, youth development, and coach education expert Derek Evely. Derek boasts (although you won't hear it from him) an impressive resume comprising of leadership roles in major governing bodies and global medalists in the hammer throw. 

This discussion had a lot of topics showing just how much knowledge Derek has. The timestamps provided are something I intend to do from now on. They will help people see and access the details of the episode more efficiently. 

1) Coaching Background - People of Influence: 04:00 - 42:54
2) Bondarchuk Philosophy: 42:54 - 01:02:50
3) Testing protocols to measure adaptation using Bondarchuks complex method: 01:02:50 -  01:20:22 
4) Techincal coaching: Off season vs In-season: 01:20:22 - 01:25:02
5) KPI's in Elite Hammer Throwing: 01:25:02 - 01:36:44
6) Barriers to Youth Development: 01:36:44 - 01:53:39
7) Derek's Website and Resources - EvelTrakSport: 01:53:39 - 02:02:52

LSU Jumps Coach and USTFCCCA course instructor Todd Lane came on the podcast and dove deep into his prerequisites for elite high jumping: Approach, Take-off, In-Flight, and Plyometrics.

More importantly, Coach Lane articulated the reality of coaching -- beyond programming. He speaks about JuVaughn Harrison's rise and the difficulties they've encountered along the way.

In conjunction with that, he expressed the importance of self-reflection, critical thinking, and mentorship during the coaching development process. Ultimately, he believes coaches should follow sound principles backed by science to navigate an era where content exposure is at an all-time high. 

If you're looking for customized apparel or equipment for your track facility, head over to https://trackbarn.com/ and enter the promo code: 'TNF10' to get a discount on your order

With over 30 years of coaching experience, Benke Blomkvist has facilitated the success of household names such as Susanna Kallur and Andrew Pozzi. In this episode, he provides a well-articulated overview of his training philosophy. 

Benke emphasizes the various considerations he makes daily to develop the qualities to become an elite hurdler.  

It is little wonder why British athletics sourced his expertise six years ago. During this time he has drastically improved the state of the relays and hurdle events in the UK. 

There is a lot of value in this one, and I hope you enjoy it! 

The Olympic Training Center at Chula Vista, California has been home to the best field event athletes in the US for over a decade. The host of medals and all-time best performances in the jumps has been in no short part down to the work of coach Jeremy Fischer. 

After transitioning from the collegiate system to post-collegiate coaching, he realized that this setup allowed him to do what he loved best. Jeremy shares his insights from working with the likes of Will Claye and Brittany Reese for over a decade. You don't want to miss this one!

Furman College is widely known as one of the NCAA's dynasties for distance running. There is little wonder why that is when you have coaches as knowledgeable and passionate as Coach Chris Neal. 

In this episode, Coach Neal outlines his philosophy on how he enables his athletes to optimize their performance in the long term - in long-distance running events,

Sport Ireland Institute's David Tobin conveys his approach to improving athlete's nutrition - for the benefit of their performance. 

There is plenty of takeaways and scope that athletes and coaches can use to address this area to a better standard. David is a firm believer in creating sustainable habits that will last well beyond the coaching process. 

Some topics include:

-Athlete to Performance Nutritionist
-Coaching Techniques
-Food/Cooking Education
-Lifestyle Traps
-Radical Diet Changes
-Supplements 
-Sleep Hygiene

I was able to sit down with one of Britain's top triple jumpers and Managing Director of RightTracks Sports Jonathan Ilori.

The former Mizzou Graduate and NCAA All-American used his experience in the NCAA to create a service that prides itself on putting athletes - on the right track.

We discussed the reality/expectations of becoming an NCAA athlete as well as the misconceptions about the system - that too often come before the success stories.

Jonathan provided his insights on how students, coaches, and RightTrack can collaborate to ensure students have the best chance of finding the best university - for them.