For high school coaches, managing multiple event groups at the same time (as well as managing training for athletes who compete in multiple event groups) is a significant issue that can drastically impact the individual and group success of your team and program. It’s one of the most consistent and popular questions I get. And…
All posts by Latif Thomas
The most effective way to improve your coaching during the pandemic?
Organized coaches are successful coaches. All coaches could be more organized. And the foundation of every successful coaching system, from sprints to distance, is the specificity and compatibility of their Training Menu / Inventory. With the spring season being cancelled, the #1 thing you can do to guarantee you come out of the pandemic a…
Advanced Coaching Systems: What Really Drives Successful Programs [Zoom Seminar]
On Thursday (4/23) and Friday (4/24) we’re running the 2nd (and final) round of our CTF live Zoom webinar. The first time we ran it, we opened it to the first 100 coaches who signed up and it sold out in less than 21 hours. This time, we’re once again making it available to the first…
How to Modify Sprints Workouts When School is Cancelled
For this type of thing my philosophy is to keep it simple. I’ve come to that over years of trying to be too cute with my offseason and summer training programs. But, it’s impossible to know what equipment and spacing options every kid has so trying to design training for every scenario is impossible and…
Wicket Drills for Distance Runners
It’s no secret that modern training strategies for middle distance and distance runners have evolved toward using more speed training and speed development workouts and progressions typically found in sprints programs. But your strengths probably aren’t in your understanding of not only how to teach efficient sprinting mechanics to your distance athletes, but also how,…
Those drills don’t actually teach speed
I remember it like it was yesterday. It was 2011 and I was attending the first USTFCCCA Event Specialist Certification school (sprints, hurdles, and relays). We were getting deep into the max velocity / top end speed curriculum when it happened. You have to understand… …this topic impacts me greatly because my high school and…
How to Set Up the Wicket Drill
The “wicket drill” is the best drill on the planet for developing maximum velocity mechanics and technique. The problem is that most coaches don’t know how to set them up properly, let alone instruct them in a way that maximizes the effectiveness of the activity. If they’re set up wrong, especially the run in, the…
What We Learned Shadowing Boo Schexnayder and the LSU Track & Field Program
In October (2019), I went down to Baton Rouge with my good friend David Cusano (Head T&F Coach – Colby College) to shadow Boo Schexnayder and the LSU track and field program. During the time we were there, the team was starting their second cycle of GPP. They were coming off a recovery week and…
Get Free CTF Programs When You Purchase Freelap
A couple of years ago I invested in a Freelap timing system and man oh man. What a game changer. That thing is a perfect example of ‘once you have it you don’t know how you lived without it’. If you’ve been kicking the tires, but don’t have a system yet OR you have a system and are…
How To Improve Your 4×100 Meter Relay “Differential”
Want to improve your 4×100 meter relay times, consistency, and/or team culture? Shoot… what sprints coach doesn’t? No other event in track and field has the power to elicit the extremes of highs and lows… season to season… meet to meet… exchange to exchange… practice to practice… like the 4×100 meter relay. Anyone who isn’t…
5 Ways to Approach Summer Training for Sprinters
What to do when the summer months are upon us? You’ve got a number of options, so here’s my take on getting the most out of summer training for sprinters (or any athlete in any sport, for that matter): 1. Consider Not Training At All. Summer competitions are more popular in some places than…
Long Sprints Training with NCAA D1 Northeast Region Coach of the Year Marc Mangiacotti
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) just announced their regional awards for the 2019 Indoor Season. Three Harvard University coaches affiliated with Complete Track and Field won Northeast Regional Coach of the Year Honors: 🔥Marc Mangiacotti (Men’s Assistant) – CTF Clinic CoDirector, Hurdles Group Lead Instructor & author of…