Athletics Coaching AI

Source: Nutrition for Travel: From Jet Lag to Catering

For your performance athletes, domestic and international travel presents a regular challenge, particularly when it's associated with competition pressure or the need to support specialized training, such as altitude or heat adaptation. This episode delves into how strategic nutrition and meticulous planning can mitigate common travel woes and optimise performance for track...

Why does feedback so often feel like a threat, not a gift?

In this episode, we unpack the discomfort of honest feedback—why it stings, why we resist it, and how to make it work for you as a coach. Drawing from real-world coaching challenges, we break down the three common 'triggers' that derail feedback:

• Truth: when the content feels off
• Relationship: when it’s coming from 'them'
• Identity: when it hits too close...

Download the Communication and Engagement Guide Here

Hey coaches, ever wonder how to make your track and field sessions truly inclusive and impactful for every athlete? Our latest episode dives into an incredible resource designed to help you do just that! We're talking about a comprehensive guide that provides essential communication and engagement strategies for assisting people living with disabilities.

Download the guide usi...

Read the Full Study (Wu 2025) Here

This episode investigates the benefits of an integrated training model for improving performance in 100m and 400m sprint events. 

The study highlights that traditional training often separates strength, speed, and endurance, whereas a combined approach may yield superior results. Through a 12-week intervention with thirty trained sprinters, the research demonstrates that an integrated training plan ...

In this episode, we dive into six essential articles recently published by Australian Athletics—each packed with actionable insights for accredited coaches across all event groups. From resisted sprint training to cueing strategies, this episode offers a toolkit of proven practices to enhance coaching effectiveness, athlete performance, and long-term development. 

Find the full articles at CoachAthletics.com.au

00:00 – 11:38
Bes...

Join us for a deep dive into the paper "An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise" by Côté and Gilbert . Forget just focusing on finish times; this episode explores what truly makes a coach effective and an expert.

Source: An Integrative Definition of Coaching Effectiveness and Expertise

We unpack the authors' groundbreaking definition, revealing the three essential pillars of coaching success: ...

This episode explores the impact of mental fatigue on athletes, particularly in track and field, and the crucial role coaches play in both mitigating fatigue and promoting recovery.

Source: 

Key Takeaways:

🔹 Mental fatigue affects performance: 96% of practitioners agree it has a major impact on training and competition.
🔹 Signs of mental fatigue: Decreased session quality, loss of focus, slower reaction times, hesitation under ...

Source: Successful Talent Development in Track and Field: Considering the Role of Environment (Authored by Henriksen, Stambulova, and Rossler).

What makes a track and field club a powerhouse for developing elite athletes? In this episode, we dive into a fascinating study on IFK Växjö, a Swedish club with a track record of producing top talent. Using a holistic ecological approach, the research uncovers key factors that contribute to...

Source: Australian Athletics Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy

As a coach, you play a crucial role in creating a safe and supportive environment for young athletes. In this episode, the hosts break down the key takeaways from Australian Athletics' comprehensive safeguarding policy. From understanding how to handle physical touch, communicating with athletes online, and transporting athletes, you'll learn why fa...

This episode explores common errors in squat form, focusing on heel rise, knee collapse, hip/shoulder movement discrepancies, and spinal rounding. It outlines a bottom-up assessment method, progressing from feet to shoulders.

The episode also provides both verbal and non-verbal correction strategies for each error, including using cues and physical adjustments like wall positioning and resistance bands.

Finally,...

Source

• The Horizontal Jumps

This episode introduces the general principles of the long jump and triple jump. It details the biomechanics and techniques involved in both events, highlighting key similarities and differences between the two disciplines.

The importance of approach run and take-off in achieving optimal jump distance is emphasised. Training methodologies, including plyometrics and weight training, are d...

World Athletics commissioned a four-year study to analyse online abuse targeting its athletes across four major events. The study, using AI and human analysis, examined 1.4 million posts and comments across multiple platforms, revealing persistent themes of racism, sexism, and sexualised abuse. The research identified key trends, such as the disproportionate targeting of certain athletes and the increasing use of emojis to circumve...

This episode discusses key AIS findings regarding the use of Cold Water Immersion (CWI) for athlete recovery, highlighting both potential benefits and important considerations.

Sources

• Water Immersion Overview
• CWI - Is it Worth the Plunge?

CWI may offer slight, short-term recovery benefits following endurance-focused exercise, potentially reducing the time needed for recovery during periods of intensive training...

This Episode discusses the relationship between coach-athlete dynamics and burnout in young elite athletes. It examines how appraisals of the coach-athlete relationship correlate with and predict burnout symptoms, both generally and specifically related to sport.

The research highlights the crucial role of the coach-athlete relationship in athletes’ mental well-being.

Our AI hosts then discuss strategies for buil...

This episode discusses the Speed and Agility guide, detailing various speed and plyometric training methods for athletes. It explains the mechanics of plyometrics, emphasising the stretch-shortening cycle and the importance of proper landing techniques to prevent injury, particularly ACL tears in females. The guide also covers speed and agility training, differentiating between various types of speed.

Specific drills are ...

Effective sprint training requires an in-depth understanding of the physiological demands sprinters face as they accelerate and maintain high speeds. This deep dive will explore a study by Dorn, Schache, and Pandy (2012) highlighting the muscular strategy shifts that occur as sprinters increase their running speed. This article explores the findings of their study, discusses the key muscular adaptations, and provides practical impl...

In this episode our AI hosts provide a comprehensive guide to the 400m hurdles. It's your Introduction to Coaching the 400m Hurdles Masterclass!

We explore the technical and tactical aspects of the event, starting with a breakdown of the requirements for success and drills to help athletes develop them. The episode then details the mechanics of a successful hurdle clearance, emphasising the need for a smooth, efficien...

This episode discusses Athletics Australia's "Strength for Sprinting" guide, exploring the concept of specificity in strength training and highlighting how different training parameters can influence the transfer of gym gains to sprinting performance.

The article examines five key factors: velocity, muscle group, muscle action, direction of force, and joint angle, demonstrating how training must be tailored...