California Currents
 Coaches Newsletter – Fall 2009

Please provide newsworthy information to Pacific Assoc. coaches chair Dave Shrock at [email protected] for inclusion in the next newsletter due out in the Spring.  For current information refer to: www.pausatf.org

Removal from this server list: If you no longer want to receive this coaches newsletter, please follow the directions at the bottom of this e-mail.

 

Upcoming USATF Coaching Schools and Clinics: 

Level One Schools:  Level 1 Schools, the most comprehensive track and field training in the nation, consist of 21 hours of instruction focused on the events of track & field and related sport sciences.  The course consists of classroom instruction as well as hands-on training.  The Level 1 program covers all events by emphasizing fundamentals, rules, safety/risk management, and instruction techniques in addition to specific event group training of endurance, sprints/hurdles, throws and jumps.  Upon passing the exam, participants will be issued a Level 1 Certificate of Completion.


19-20 December, 2009:  At Sacramento City College, Lillard Hall, room 101.  21 hour school covering all aspects of sports science and specific event groups with a youth emphasis.  Click here for informational flyer. 
 

16-17 January, 2010:  At Chabot College, Hayward.  21 hour school covering all aspects of sports science and specific event groups. 
Click here for informational flyer. 

PAUSATF Level 1 School Scholarships Available:  To facilitate the goal of producing well educated coaches, the Pacific Association of USATF (including San Luis Obispo, San Benito, Stanislaus, Tuolumne counties north to the Oregon border in California, and central/northern Nevada) has made available twenty (20) scholarships to pay the tuition to attend a PA-USATF Level 1 Coaching Education School.  Pacific Association registered coaches who complete and submit the application by Sunday, 28 Nov. at 5:00pm will become eligible to have their tuition fee paid to the Sacramento City College or the Chabot College Level 1 Schools.  Recipients are responsible for their own transportation, USATF membership fees, accommodation, and meals.  Click here for further information and application.

 

13 February, 2010:  USATF Coaching Education Developmental Coach Clinic: In conjunction with the James Logan (Union City) Willie Davenport Learn-by-Do Clinic.  Five-hour clinic covering the basics of age appropriate training, setting up training sessions, and safety concerns for beginning coaches or volunteer parents.  $25.00 fee includes entry into Logan Clinic, 32 page manual, handouts, and Developmental Coach Certificate upon clinic completion.  For further info, click here for further information.

 

Refer to the national coaches’ education website for further information and to register for the above schools: http://www.usatf.org/groups/Coaches/education/

 

Saturday-23 January, 2010:  VSAthletics NorCal SuperClinic-Sacramento City College: Come join us in improving your coaching effectiveness in a one-day clinic devoted solely to maximizing your athlete’s success. Sixteen nationally recognized clinicians will provide information that you will be able to apply immediately to your programs improvement in the event group areas of sprints/hurdles, endurance, throws, and jumps. Click here for further information, or go to www.VSAthletics.com

 

2009 Podium Education Project: Will be hosted 10-13 & 17-19 December this year in Orlando, Florida.  Sponsored by USATF High Performance, many of the nation’s top scientists and coaches will again speak at this excellent learning opportunity that for many years was held in Las Vegas. For further info, refer to: http://www.usatf.org/news/view.aspx?duid=USATF_2009_11_10_12_59_51

 

 

 

Youth-High School Notes:

2010 High School and NCAA Rule Changes have been posted on the Officials Rules page: www.usatfofficials.com/rules.html

Missing from the track: Coach Ed Parker passed away October 28 at the age of 79 with his wife Barbara at his bedside in the foothill town of Gold River. Coach Parker’s life work was devoted to working with young people as a teacher and track coach at Mills High School, and later Jesuit High School in Sacramento. As the head coach with the nationally recognized Millbrae Lions TC in the 1960’s and 70’s, Parker coached both nationally and internationally, which included seven Olympians. The words that most described him by his fellow coaches and athletes were 'innovative and integrity'.

 

Track and Field overtakes basketball as the most popular high school sport for girls:  According to figures released  in September by the NFHS, outdoor T&F girls participation increased to 457,732 nationally, eclipsing girls basketball with 444,809, with volleyball third at 404, 243.  For boys, 11 player football remained number one participation sport with 1,112,303, with T&F second at 558,007 and basketball third with 545,145.

 

National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championship Coming to Reno in December: All athletes born between 1999-1992 are eligible to compete in the regional qualifier 29 Nov. in Reno, with top 20 finishers in each of the five age division eligible to compete in the National Youth Cross Country championships on 12 December on the same course. California High School Athletes:   If you plan to compete at the CIF state meet on Saturday, 28 November located at Woodward, plan your after race travel to ensure you will be ready to compete in Reno on Sunday morning, 29 November.  Entry deadline for the regional qualifier is 22 November.  For Regional qualifying information, refer to: http://www.pausatf.org/data/2009/yxcregion16.html For 12 December National Championship information, refer to: http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USATFJuniorOlympicXCChampionships/  

 

National Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships Coming to Sacramento in July:  Sacramento State plays host to the 2010 National Junior Olympics from 27 July-1 August.  For preliminary information, refer to: http://www.pausatf.org/data/ytfjo2010passport.pdf
 

Check out the revamped youth web page filled with info, highlights, and photos at: http://www.pausatf.org/indexyouth.html

 

College, Open and Masters Notes:
 With Cross Country in its championship phase, Coaches Committee College, Open and Masters Rep. Thomas Kloos provides a great college championship review: http://www.pausatf.org/indexxc.html?data/2009/coachcollegewrap.html
 

Long time Cal Poly Coach Terry Crawford will leave SLO after an 18 year tenure to take on the role of National Coordinator of Coaching Services for USATF in Indianapolis.  Her successor has been narrowed down to two finalists, with an announcement expected soon.
Coach Dan Pfaff, arguably one of the United States top technical event coaches, who recently completed a three year stint at the TriValley Training complex in Isleton and Stockton, has been hired by UK Athletics to lead their Lee Valley Olympic Training Centre in preparation for the 2012 Olympics.  For further information, refer to: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/olympics/london_2012/article6612610.ece
 

Combined event coach Harry Marra, former San Francisco State coach who for many years also lead the VISA Decathlon team in San Mateo, has been hired at the new combined event, pole vault and high jump coach at University or Oregon.

San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton has hired former alum Heptathlete Lauryn Jordan as their new part-time women’s track and field coach while Jesus Reyes who had coached the women for the previous four years shifts to coach the men’s program. 

For the latest on NCAA rule interpretations and changes, go to: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/ncaa?key=/ncaa/ncaa/sports+and+championship/track+and+field/playing+rules/index.html

 

2010 National Masters Track and Field Championships come to Sacramento 22-25 July, 2010: To be held at Sacramento State’s Spano’s Athletic complex.  The nation’s top masters athletes from ages 30-95 will compete in the national championship, which also act as a tune-up for 2011 World Masters Championships also to be held at Sacramento State.  For preliminary information, refer to: http://www.usatf.org/events/2010/USAMastersOutdoorTFChampionships/ 
 

Officials Clinics:

The Pacific Association sponsors informative officiating clinics to educate those wanting to officiate or better understand the rules of Track and Field.  Fees are nominal, and all coaches, parents, and anyone interested are encouraged to attend! 2009/10 dates will be posted soon, so refer to: http://www.pausatf.org/indexofficials.html, and click on clinics.           

 

Coaching Resources:
 American Track & Field magazine, six times in print a year, free to head coaches, of for an additional $10 for assistant     coaches or to be sent to coaches homes website: http://www.american-trackandfield

digital magazine: http://www.american-trackandfield.com/fall-2009-cross-country-yearbook
Athletes Only magazine, five times in print a year, free to high school, club, college teams, $10 for individual subscriptions. website: http://www.atf-athlete.com
digital magazine: http://www.atf-athlete.com/view-american-track-field-athlete-online
California Track & Running News, six times in print a year, included in all California association USATF membership fees. website: http://www.caltrack.com; digital: http://www.caltrack.com.

Coaching Athletics Quarterly magazine, free to college, club coaches, $10 to all others, http://www.coachingathelticsq.com
digital: http://www.coachingathleticsq.com/read-online

 

SpeedEndurance: website with many informative articles in Pdf. format: http://www.speedendurance.com

 

The USOC Coaching Department, in partnership with its USA Coaching Coalition (USACC) partners – the NCAA, NFHS, and NASPE is proud to announce the launch of a new coaching education website:  http://www.USACoaching.org.  This website will be the go-to clearinghouse for all coaching education information and resources. 
The USOC also publishes a quarterly free e-zine with valuable article on training and the Olympic movement: http://www.teamusa.org/resources/olympic-coaching-materials/coaching-education-center.html

 

Coaches Committee Elects New Officers to 2010-2012 Terms:

The following coaches have been elected by you to represent your interests in USATF.  Do not hesitate to contact any one of us:
 Youth-high school representative-Roosevelt Kent: [email protected]. Currently coach at Granite Bay HS and the Roseville PAL Express Track Club, one of Roosevelt’s goals is to promote better communication between high school and youth coaches, while setting up a mentorship program for young coaches
Open-Collegiate-Masters Representative-Tom Kloos: [email protected].  An elite steeplechaser, Thomas also severs as the assistant T&F/XC Coach at Univ. of San Francisco.  Thomas’s goals are to promote USATF completion opportunities to athletes at the end of the collegiate season.
Coaches Education Representative-Ken Grace: [email protected]. Long time community college coach at CC San Francisco and Chabot College, one of Ken’s many goals is the organization of regional clinics for athletes.
Coaches Committee Chair-Dave Shrock: [email protected].  Having served in this position for the past eight years, one of Dave’s several goals is to increase the communication between the many diverse coaching groups and offer increased educational opportunities and support.

 

Creation of the Pacific Association Legacy Coach Award:

In recognition of the many influential coaches who have served in our association who have selflessly strengthened our sport(s) through teaching, mentoring, and promoting our profession, the Coaches Committee is initiating an annual Legacy Coach Award. Criterion will be weighted heavily on coaches who were not only great coaches, but who also inspired and trained/mentored many of us to become coaches ourselves...hence the idea of a Legacy Coach Award.
Coaches submitted for consideration should have:
- mentored former athletes or younger coaches to become successful coaches in their own right
- having coached for a period of time in the Pacific Association

- exhibited qualities of ethical coaching
- contributed to several aspects of the association, while promoting the sports of USATF
- candidate could come from any coaching level

Please submit names of nominees with details of their contributions as noted above to Dave Shrock at [email protected]. The deadline for submission of nominees is 31 December, 2009, with announcement of the inaugural recipient 23 January at the VSAthletics Nor-Cal SuperClinic.

 

Track & Field Schedules needed:

To get your meet on the master Pacific Association schedules, please send meet information ASAP to Bill Hawkes: [email protected]. The full Pacific Association schedule will be available late November at: http://www.pausatf.org/data/calendar.html

 

Heard  Around the Track:

The 2010 Run for the Dream Indoor Track & Field Meet has moved from the Martin Luther King weekend, and is scheduled for Friday, February 5th and Saturday, Feb 6th, with regional high school qualifying meets tentatively scheduled for 23 January. The meet will be held in the Save Mart Center on the Fred and Madeleine Arnold Tartan Track. Preliminary meet info available at:  www.RunfortheDream.com.

The Pacific Association is in discussion with USATF to host the 2010 National T&F Club Championships the weekend of 10-11 July either at San Francisco State or Col. of San Mateo.  Stay tuned for this great mid-summer competition opportunity.

Additional Information:

Websites for additional information and resources: National:  www.usatf.org; Northern California and Nevada Pacific Association: www.pausatf.org;  California Central Valley Association, from Merced county south: www.central-california.usatf.org; southern California: www.scausatf.org; and San Diego-Imperial, refer to: www.sdusatf.org.