Track Coach Clubhouse

Mark, Lewis and Andy set out with great plans of discussing the highs and lows of athletics, both in terms of how they support athletes but also the impact the demands of coaching have on them... they covered about quarter of what they had planned!Part 2 will cover the athlete side of things but in this Part 1 they dive deep into some of their experiences looking at how coaching can be both an escape from ‘real life’ but also a source of stress in its own right.

Mark and Andy sat down to chat about their experiences of the 2020 competition season. It’s been a challenging season, but it’s presented opportunities too. After the success of the Bromley Twilight meet, which Mark masterminded, the pair also discussed what goes into putting on successful meets and what they would like to see more of in future years.

Mark and Andy chat with Luke Gunn about Athletics set up at the University of Birmingham, the challenges around keeping athletes in the sport beyond school age, and his involvement in the England Athletics Talent Hub system, which seeks to provide support to athletes and coaches, who aren’t otherwise able access it through funding programmes or scholarships.

Mark, Lewis and Andy chat with international decathlete Mike Sweeney on his experiences in the early years of his coaching career. Coaching out of Liverpool Harriers, Mike coaches a number of high performing athletes, across sprints, high-jump and multievents, including the current under 20 national champion over 60 metres. Mike discusses how his own career as an athlete influences how he coaches, how he has learned from other coaches and how he manages the demands of coaching a squad of athletes competing in a variety of events.

Mark, Lewis and Andy discuss different coaching styles; how they change over time, in different circumstances; and how different styles impact on their interactions with athletes.

Mark, Lewis and Andy discuss how the culture of a squad is built and some of th challenges of managing the dynamics within the group.Each brings a different perspective: Mark has taken a group of u13s and developed Tonbridge into one of the best distance running clubs in the UK; Lewis has gone from being an athlete in a squad with a long serving coach to taking up the reigns and managing the group himself as a coach/athlete; and Andy has in recent years started a new group from scratch, having relocated and left a previously well established squad.

Mark, Lewis and Andy discuss how they go about planning their groups’ training across the year and the different issues, considerations and constraints that they have to take into account working with distance, multievent and speed athletes respectively.

Mark, Lewis and Andy share their thoughts and experiences about the challenges faced during the lockdown.