If you are a committed coach in a relationship you are going to want to listen to this podcast. If you are the committed spouse or partner of a coach you are really going to want to listen to this podcast... In this, the first in a two part series of EvelChat, Derek talks to Donna Kaye-Harris, lifelong coach, sport builder & researcher, on interviews she did with 10 Olympic coaches & their partners prior to the 2016 Rio Games. In part 1 we discuss the feedback from the data on the partners of coaches, in part 2 we discuss the data from the coaches themselves.

Welcome to my 2nd EvelChat with US / Georgia throws coach Don Babbitt. This podcast is heavy on the hammer, with some general discussion about Don's former athletes at the beginning. - Reese Hoffa, massage, the Rubik’s Cube & my kitchen - Coaching Adam Nelson & Reese Hoffa - The SuperGroup - Changing faulty “go-to” moves and the relevance of timelines - Drilling vs. the intent to throw - The Hammer & the Pole Vault as cousins - Using drills in hammer training - The importance of single support competence - Balance in turns 3 & 4 - Anticipation of double support & force applications in the hammer - Heel turn entries vs. toe turn entries - Positioning in single support - The importance of the entry as a setup for the throw - Bondarchuk, Sedych & teaching hammer technique - Interpreting foreign cues & instruction - Understanding & interpreting foreign translations in technical writings - Insights regarding Koji Murofushi’s training & technique

John O’Malley began coaching cross country & track at Carl Sandburg High School in 2003. His cross country teams have qualified for the Illinois State Meet every year since 2003 - including State champs in 2015 and runner-ups in 2014. He is the only U.S. high school coach with two different Foot Locker national cross country champions - Dylan Jacobs in 2017 and Lukas Verzbicas in 2009 & 2010. His 4 x 800 meter relay teams have been All-State every year since 2012 - including first place finishes in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and runner-up finishes in 2014 and 2017. His 2016 team holds the 4 x 800 Illinois State meet record with a time of 7:37.36. In this EvelChat John & Derek discuss many issues around the topic of endurance training for high school athletes, including: Objectives and views of coaching at various levels of coaching in the United States Priorities in high school coaching Proper developmental protocols vs. optimal training for success in high school Metabolic vs mechanical / speed approaches in endurance training Volume as a base metric for high school endurance coaches Demands & stresses on the US high school athlete Beginning a grade 9 endurance athlete Polar approaches to training in endurance training Using extended endurance runs Being “fast” vs. being “fit” Balancing being competitive against providing appropriate programming Long term impact of “The Grindfest” vs. prioritizing rest The realities of preparing US distance runners for collegiate competitive demands Culture vs. instruction in the US educational system The realities of child preparation post-COVID The problems with classic stage loaded / metabolic-only approaches in endurance training John’s approach to 800m training 800m training in US high schools Organizing extended runs in training

In this episode of EvelChat Derek and Stu discuss Stu’s approach to sprint training. Topics include: • Tempo running vs. specific sprint training • Dribble progressions as an alternative to tempo training • Intensive vs. extensive tempo training • Competing for specific resources in training prescription • Making technical changes in experienced athletes • Paula Radcliffe & the risk of changing technical models in experienced athletes • The Intensive Tempo Debate • Our single biggest mistakes as coaches…

Legendary US / NCAA (Georgia) Throws Coach Don Babbitt has a resume second to few in the throwing world. Coach of numerous NCAA, World & Olympic Medallists, he is perhaps best known as the guiding force behind Adam Nelson (Olympic & World Champion) & Reese Hoffa (World Champion, Olympic Bronze Medallist). This is an EvelChat for all coaches, regardless of event. Topics include: Captain Azimuth Don’s generalist background Charlie Sheen cheating off him in high school How a Polish Decathlete made a difference in Don’s life Western & Eastern European influences in his coaching Eastern European vs. Western athletes Where weight room strength fits into throwing training Assigning strength loads for athletes at different levels Hanging with Jurgen Schult, Udo Beyer & Ulf Timmerman Athleticism in throwing Differences in coaching Adam Nelson & Reese Hoffa Bondarchuk & strength for the shot put Developing max strength in a throwing program Strength and power vs execution Variable implement weight throwing Periodizing variable weight implements Separation of throwing weights Choosing implements for teaching technique

In this episode of EvelChat Derek gets a few things off his mind & then discusses eccentric training with Dr. Mike Young of AthleticLab a sport training center in Carey, NC that works with athletes from all along the sport development continuum, from novice youth athletes to elite professionals. Mike's experience in Olympic & professional sport is hard to match, having worked with various pro sport teams as performance director, biomechanist & performance coach. Mike's full bio and his sprint acceleration lecture can be found at https://www.eveltraksport.com/courses/2019-icae-lecture-series-with-dr-mike-young-acceleration-mechanics For more information on eccentric training check out Mike's strength lecture at https://www.eveltraksport.com/courses/2019-icae-lecture-series-with-dr-mike-young-developing-strength-that-transfers-to-sport-performance Topics include: Why coaches should avoid insecurity, the definition of eccentric loading, isometric, eccentric & concentric movements & their relevance to sport movements, force-velocity applications in eccentric training, eccentric vs. concentric stimulus thresholds in training, reaching eccentric stimulus threshold vs. risk, dynamic eccentric loading, eccentrics & the F-V curve, eccentric training & its transfer to concentric strength, prerequisites & preparation for eccentric training, introducing shock loads, concentric-eccentric progressions in training, neural recruitment & adaptations from eccentrics, eccentric training & its effect on speed qualities, recovery & programming considerations in eccentric training, tracking measureables in eccentric training and examples of loading parameters.

Our 10th Episode!! In this episode, my 4th with ALTIS CEO Stu McMillan, we discuss what a well-prepared athlete looks like and we begin our discussion on speed. Topics: Stu’s “Embrace the Suck” challenge, Derek’s eye-opening experience, smoothness, fluidity and flow in skill development, the “Adapt or Die” coaching mantra, strength maximization along the developmental continuum, the art of “bring ‘em back from the dead” coaching, the challenge of developmental coaching and the lack of rewards, sport parenting, the effect of COVID-19 and screens on the maturing athletic population, defining speed terms and the problems with sport training terminology, individual needs in speed development, Stu’s principles in loading athletes, how mechanics underpin loading decisions, volume / intensity / density / variability in training prescription and determining individual prescriptions in loading athletes.

This is my third EvelChat with Altis CEO and world class speed coach Stu McMillan and it does not disappoint. In it we discuss different coaching styles approaches to prescribing training for athletes in a number of different contexts. Other topics include: Coaching knowledge and effectiveness, ‘Old School’ vs. ‘Science Based’ coaching, the relationship between a coach’s technical knowledge and coaching practice, less is more vs. paralysis by analysis, approaches to coaching creative vs. analytical athletes, coaching the individual, specialist vs. generalist coaching and systems, which turntable Matt should buy, the evolution of the S&C profession, the coordination of support services in a training program, specific workloads and their introduction in the training process, non-specific approaches to training high level athletes, Jamaican approaches to sprint training, individual beliefs and various approaches to prescribing training, the compression of specific abilities and examples of high volume skill work and the introduction of our new ‘Derek rambling’ critic…