In 2012 I spoke at the MF athletic All Star Track and Field Clinic in Atlantic city. I roomed with Tony Veney. If you’ve ever roomed with Tony Veney, it is quite the experience! (Don’t be mad at me Tony!) During one of my breaks, I had the opportunity to sit in on a lecture being given by Caryl Smith Gilbert. I knew she was a Tony Wells disciple, but I didn’t know much else. What I did know was how fast her sprinters were running and I was interested in what she was doing. One thing she did spend a good deal of time on was the elastic strength / strength endurance / straight leg bound progression she did in the fall. The main…
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My Favorite Sprints, Hurdles, & Jumps Programs to Steal From
There are only a few days left before Christmas and we’re having a ‘Last Minute’ sale. All digital programs are 30% off through the end of the day on Christmas Eve. Click here to see our full catalogue of track and field programs. (Use coupon code XMAS30 at checkout.) We have a lot of programs here at Complete Track and Field. It can be confusing and even overwhelming trying to figure out which resource/s best suit your needs. Well I’m a coach, too. I thought it might be helpful to list and talk a bit about some of the programs I’m referencing, studying, and/or stealing from in my season right now. Just some quick background: I have around 40 boys and girls in my group….
Multi-Sport Athlete Transitioning to Track & Field
Often, at the high school level, it is common for coaches to persuade their athletes to join the track and field team after finishing up their preferred fall or winter sport. Likely, the main goal for encouraging an athlete to go out for the track team – or the objective for an athlete transitioning to track & field – is to “stay active,” “develop speed/power,” or “get stronger for the next season.” Though not as common at the collegiate level there are times when individuals express interest in becoming dual sport athletes. Participating in two sports in college is not impossible but it takes a special type of athlete to accomplish this, especially at the professional level. Indoor track & field programs…
Discounted Hurdling Drills
As many coaches prepare for the start of their outdoor seasons they start to wonder what drills they have in their coaching inventory and what level of experience their athletes have in the hurdles. A drill that we use at the Complete Track and Field Clinic that we find most useful for beginners and experienced hurdlers is called “Discounted Hurdling Drill or Shortened Hurdles Drill.” This drill allows an experienced hurdler to work on the rhythm of the race, and a beginner to learn what it is like to three-step in a hurdle race. Discounted hurdles can be spaced as far apart as you want but should not exceed the normal competition hurdle spacing. Early season spacing can start at 6.5m for girls, and 7.5m…
CTF Holiday Sale
Our ’12 Days of CTF Holiday Sale’ will begin on Monday, December 12 and will run through Friday, December 23. Here’s how it works: From MONDAY 12/12- FRIDAY 12/23, every Complete Track and Field program is on sale for 20% off when you use coupon code: 12DAYSCTF. HOWEVER: Each day of the 12-day sale we will be featuring a specific program where you can save 30% on this season’s popular programs BUT ONLY ON THAT DAY. This time of the year can get hectic, so I recommend bookmarking this page and scheduling a reminder in your phone so you don’t forget to come to the site to grab these holiday offers. In the meantime, you can plan…
Summer Training Ideas for Sprints, Hurdles & Jumps Part II
Summer Training Ideas for Sprints & Hurdles & Jumps Part II “Summer, summer, summertime… Time to sit back and unwind” Related Article: Summer Training Ideas for Sprints, Hurdles & Jumps Part I A longer season is a successful season… Each championship meet your athletes attend has the potential to be a qualifier for the next. Some athletes survive and advance while others start their summer early, which means a longer break. I have athletes that end their season when finals have ended and others that stick around for quite a bit more time. For this reason, I seem to think the first phase of my training theory for the summer is simple: Stay active Do things you enjoy that are NOT track & field related…
Summer Camp Registration Deadline is This Friday!
If you’re still debating whether or not to come to the clinic this summer, search #ctfclinic on Twitter to see what past attendees said during and after the event. So, every year we get a flood of last minute registrations and countless sad stories from coaches, parents, and athletes who waited too long and get locked out. If you want to take advantage of the $50.00 ‘Early Bird’ discount and NOT have to pay full price, you MUST register by the end of the day this Friday, May 27. ⇒ Register now for the 2016 CTF Summer Clinic (click on the event groups in the menu for their individual pages.) Coaches: Remember, if you send three athletes from your program, you can come for free. If you coach high school…
Gift the Top Selling Programs of 2015 to Your Favorite Coach!
Here’s an easy way to get the coach/es in your life (or yourself) a quality last minute Christmas present…without leaving your couch. I’m doing a Beta test with a new system that allows you to purchase one of our digital programs for someone else. Once you pay for it, they’ll get an email with instructions for completing the registration process. To set it off, I’m making 7 of the top 8 best selling programs available through Christmas Day. You can get 30% off your order on these programs when you use coupon code COUNTDOWN. (The Best Selling program of 2015, Complete Speed Training 2, isn’t available digitally, but the coupon code will work.) Click on the links below to go to the Registration Pages for the…
Latif Thomas: Speaking Events in 2015-2016
Latif Thomas Schedule and Appearances Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT) Connecticut High School Coaches Association Coaches Clinic November 15, 2015 Mastering Your High School 400m Training Program Montini High School (Chicago Area: Lombard, IL) Track-Football Activation Consortium December 11-12, 2015 Specific Strength Progressions & Acceleration Complexes Teaching and Progressing Acceleration & Top Speed Complexes Block Starts and Acceleration Hilton- Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort (Daytona, FL) Florida Athletic Coaches Association Track and Field Clinic January 7-10, 2016 Visit the website for speaking topics Sheraton Hotel (Indianapolis, IN) Indiana Association of Track & Cross Country Coaches Association T&F Clinic January 28-30, 2016 Blocks, Starts, & Acceleration Teaching & Progressing Top End Speed (Max Velocity) Mastering Your High School Short Sprints (55-200)…
Summer Sale Sneak Peak – Massive Savings
Our Summer Super Sale will begin on Thursday, July 20 and run through Sunday, July 23. So here’s how it works: From Thursday 7/20 – Sunday 7/23, every Complete Track and Field program is on sale for 25% off when you use coupon code: CTFSUMMER. HOWEVER: Each day of the sale we will be highlighting a specific event group/category where you can get up to 50% off our most popular individual programs and program bundles ON THAT DAY ONLY. For example, all Middle Distance programs will be 25% off all week. But, on Thursday, July 20, all Middle Distance programs will be 40-50% off for that day only. On 7/21, sale prices go back to 25%. If you’re in the market for programs addressing 600m – 1600m,…
How to Create an Annual Plan for High School Sprinters
Where I live, the indoor track season starts the Monday after Thanksgiving. And if I expect to have a good season, I better have already spent some serious time planning and creating the annual plan for my short and long sprinters. (As well as my ‘super long sprinters’ who run the ridiculous 600m race here in New England.) Taking the time to create a simple, but flexible, annual plan outline helps me focus in on the various training and competitive goals I have for the season. As the years go on, I’ve found that the more energy I put into my general annual plan, the easier it is to write highly effective workouts, as well as make adjustments once the pandemonium of the season starts. If you’re not familiar with…
Coaches Purpose Statement
Educational policies in America are rife with contradictions and ironies that make it almost impossible to have a personal coaching philosophy that one can feel comfortable with. On one hand, school administration directs that a teacher be transactional in the classroom in regard to student learning. What matters to the administration is the students standardized test score at the end of the course, and that is about it. In fact, teacher evaluation (and their job) is now heavily linked to these performance scores. On the other hand, that same teacher walks a few yards to the locker room and is directed by the supervisors to be a transformational coach in their approach to sport. Relationships must be the focus is the cry. This means that…