Supporting grassroots coaches in the development of youth athletes
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to see many great coaches in action, whether they be technical coaches or S&C coaches. These have covered a variety of sports such as Rugby Union, Football, Swimming, Volleyball, Weightlifting to name a few… Recently I was reflecting on what are the factors that determine effective coaching and I’ve […]
Read More The 4 elements of an effective CoachThe YSCA Assistant Coach course is an entry level course at the beginning of the YSCA coaching pathway. It is aimed at Coaches and Parents who have an interest in youth fitness and movement, but have no previous knowledge or experience in the area. I think the course is pitched perfectly with a good balance […]
Read More Course Review: YSCA Assistant CoachI’ve been involved in youth athletic development for over 10 years now across a variety of sports and contexts. Unfortunately, I regularly see the same mistakes appear in athletic development programs for young athletes… 1. Going sport-specific too soon I see this one quite a lot. A coach or parent often requests a “sport-specific” training […]
Read More The 3 biggest mistakes coaches make in Athletic Development (Part 1)Imagine you are dining in a nice Michelin Star restaurant. You enjoy a delicious starter, followed by a great main course and a decadent dessert. You have had a fantastic experience and your tastebuds have been sent into overdrive. It’s a brilliant experience and you’ve thoroughly enjoyed yourself. You thank the chef and the service […]
Read More It’s not you, it’s Gordon Ramsay…In this installment of the “Ask the Expert” interviews, we speak with Harry Weatherstone of the Youth Athletic Development Academy from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia!
Read More Ask the Expert – Harry Weatherstone (Youth Athletic Development Academy)Many coaches ramp up loading too quickly, simply because they can!
Read More What to do when loading goes too far: regaining control in the weight room…Use your community coaching experience as a springboard to improve as a coach!
Read More 5 ways grassroots coaching made me better…After the recent post on a 4 Stage model to athletic development, I received a lot of feedback online as to how this might pertain to other movements other than squatting. So I decided to add some more content surrounding the other fundamental movements.
Read More 4 stage model to athletic development – Part 2!Unfortunately, injuries are part and parcel of participating in youth sport. Yes, we can reduce the likelihood of them occurring with a good warm up, sound movement mechanics, tolerable work loads and appropriate strength and conditioning programs, BUT we can never really eliminate them. Sometimes, despite all our hardest efforts, a late tackle or poor […]
Read More “If you can’t fly then run…” Training around injuriesThe cycle of learning…
Read More The problem is you don’t know what you don’t know…