Upstate Plays Host To USATF Coaching Education School
7/31/2009 12:00:00 AM | Track and Field
July 31, 2009
Spartanburg, S.C. - USC Upstate and head track & field coach Jimmy Stephens are playing host to the Level 1 Coaching Education School offered by the USATF this weekend.
The Coaching Education Course is one of a few courses offered throughout the year and around the country to assist in educational opportunities for track & field coaches. The USATF conducts the schools to assist coaches in earning four different levels of certification with the goal at improving their coaching skills. The course being taught at Upstate this weekend is the Level 1 certification. Level 1 training instructs coaches with an emphasis on rules, basic mechanics and teaching progressions within the sport.
"We are very excited to host the school and educational course," said Jimmy Stephens, head coach of the Upstate Track & Field program. "I feel it is a responsibility of any college track & field coach to try to improve their sport. This is one way we are trying to educate our track & field coaches. We hope this becomes an annual event and are very excited about the staff we have coming in for our coach's education. We have individuals coming in from all over the country, as far away as California, for the three-day event."
The USATF conducts the coaching schools throughout the year to provide educational opportunities for all levels of coaches, from the beginning levels to expert levels. The program consists of progressional levels which emphasize sport science, technical and event-specific instruction, and hands-on training within each level.
The Coaching Education School began today and will continue through Sunday at Upstate. Andrew Allden, current director of track & field operations at North Carolina and former head coach at Coastal Carolina, will serve as the School Director & Endurance Educator for the coaching school this weekend. Joining him on staff will be Glenn McAtee, assistant women's coach at Clemson and Throws Director for the coaching school, Ronn Grigg, head coach of track & field at Jacksonville and the Sprints/Hurdles/Relays Instructor for the coaching school, and Mike Young, the director of sport performance for Human Performance Consulting and Jumps and Sport Science Instructor for the coaching school.
