Featuring legendary sprint coach Tom Tellez, Block Starts and Acceleration Mechanics presents an overview of the starting and acceleration mechanics that have made Tellez’s Santa Monica Track Club the best sprint group in the world for over a decade. The DVD details the factors that sprint coaches should look for in setting up the starting blocks, the optimal “set” position for an athlete, and what an athlete should do during the acceleration phase of the sprint to maximize performance.

Among the topics covered:

• Coming out of the blocks
• Ideal leg angles in the blocks
• Acceleration
• Power vs. speed
• Arm stroke

Tom’s biography:

Tom Tellez currently serves as a volunteer coach for the University of Houston track and field program, a position he assumed after serving 22 seasons as the head coach for the Cougars. A member of the U.S. Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Tellez has produced some of the greatest track and field performers in the history of the sport, including Carl Lewis, Joe DeLoach, Kirk Baptiste, Leroy Burrell, Mike Marsh, Willie Banks, and Dwight Stones. He has coached NCAA champions in the 55m hurdles, 60-yard dash, 100m, 200m, 400m, discus, shot put, long jump, high jump, pentathlon, and heptathlon. Between 1984 and 1996, six of the seven U.S. sprinters who won Olympic gold medals were coached by Tellez, and seven of the USA’s overall 13 medals were claimed by his athletes. At the present time, Tellez is coaching two-time NCAA long-jump champion Jenny Adams.

Penultimate and Takeoff Mechanics in the Long Jump details the takeoff mechanics and training techniques that Tom Tellez used to coach the greatest long jumper in track and field history—Carl Lewis. The DVD addresses specific misconceptions about the penultimate step and the long-jump takeoff and details the best way to take off in the long jump. In an easy-to-understand and energetic fashion, the DVD features video demonstrations that illustrate the key points addressed in this one-of-a-kind instructional resource.

Among the topics covered:

• The approach
• The penultimate stride
• Acceleration
• Power vs. speed
• Arm stroke

Tom’s biography:

Tom Tellez currently serves as a volunteer coach for the University of Houston track and field program, a position he assumed after serving 22 seasons as the head coach for the Cougars. A member of the U.S. Track Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Tellez has produced some of the greatest track and field performers in the history of the sport, including Carl Lewis, Joe DeLoach, Kirk Baptiste, Leroy Burrell, Mike Marsh, Willie Banks, and Dwight Stones. He has coached NCAA champions in the 55m hurdles, 60-yard dash, 100m, 200m, 400m, discus, shot put, long jump, high jump, pentathlon, and heptathlon. Between 1984 and 1996, six of the seven U.S. sprinters who won Olympic gold medals were coached by Tellez, and seven of the USA’s overall 13 medals were claimed by his athletes. At the present time, Tellez is coaching two-time NCAA long-jump champion Jenny Adams.

Featuring USATF high jump-event coordinator Dave Kerin, Eccentric Strength Development: Specific Means for Specific Strength for the Jumps provides an invaluable overview of the most appropriate means for developing strength and explosive power for the jumping events. The DVD details the revolutionary techniques that coaches can use to help improve the performance of their athletes who are competing in any jumping event. Particular emphasis is given to jump-specific eccentric strength development, increasing leg stiffness, and enhancing power.

Among the topics covered:

• The case for depth landings
• Specific strength
• Speed-strength methods
• Training the central nervous system
• Stretch-shortening cycles
• Muscle stiffness
• Isometrics
• Visuospatial concerns

Dave’s biography:
Dave Kerin coached 10 VT high school state championship teams over 13 years. In 14 years at Middlebury College (VT) his time was highlighted by his athlete’s setting the current NCAA D III HJ records. Retired from college coaching in 2007, Dave still serves as a consultant for athletes and coaches. He continues to work for the USATF as the chair of the Women’s High Jump, Coaching Education Level I & Level II (jumping events) Committee. He is also both a Level III coach and a USATF master official.

When Plateauing Is a Good Thing: Extending Peak Performance During the Competitive Phase explains how track and field coaches can train their athletes to reach their peak performance levels when their competitions are most important. The DVD reviews the theory and science behind periodization and details what coaches can do to extend competition readiness over the increasingly longer championship season that track and field athletes at all competitive levels are encountering. The DVD is designed to be a must-have resource for all track and field coaches and athletes.

Among the topics covered:

• Examining the concept of peaking
• Factors affecting competitive performance
• Pre-competitive phase training to enhance performance readiness
• Regulating performance readiness
• Minimizing detraining during the competitive phase
• Application of concepts

Mike’s biography:
Mike Young, Ph.D., is the director of sports performance for Human Performance Consulting (HPC). With a bachelor’s degree in physiology, a master’s degree in athletic administration, and a Ph.D. in biomechanics, Mike has served as a consultant for Olympians, national champions, collegiate national champions, and professionals in track and field, as well as athletes participating in skeleton, bobsled, speed skating, golf, baseball, and football. As the coach of the HPC Elite track team, he coached three jumpers to world rankings and five USATF indoor or outdoor championship qualifiers. In 2008, he coached Dallas Robinson to the fastest 55m time in eight years and world ranked times in the 60m and 200m. Mike is certified as a USA Track & Field Level I, II, and III coach, and is only one of two people to be a Level III instructor in three different event disciplines (sprints, throws, and jumps).

Competition-Phase Micro-Cycles for the Elite Pole-Vaulter features world-renowned coach Dan Pfaff, who details a sample competition-phase micro-cycle plan of an elite pole-vaulter. The DVD reviews the speed, strength, and technical work that track coaches can use to train their pole-vaulters. The DVD also includes proven strategies for addressing such topics as diverse as sport psychology and physical therapy. While the DVD covers training for elite pole-vaulters, the information is applicable to competitors in other speed-power events.

Among the topics covered:

• A generalized overview of in-season training sessions
• The warm-up
• Monday
• Tuesday
• Wednesday
• Thursday
• Friday
• Saturday, non-meet day
• Saturday, meet day

Dan’s biography:

Dan Pfaff is the field event coach at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. Widely regarded as one of the world’s top track and field coaches, Pfaff has coached a number of world-class performers, including 33 Olympians to seven medals and 45 world championship performers to ten medals. Among these are Donovan Bailey (1996 Olympic double-gold medalist, world record holder, 100m), Bruny Surin (1996 Olympic gold medalist, 4×100m relay, 1999 world championships silver medalist, 100m), Obadele Thompson (2000 Olympic bronze medalist, 100m), and high jumper Mark Boswell (1999 world championships silver medalist, 2003 world championships bronze medalist). He has coached five men under the 10-second barrier in the 100m dash. Most recently, his list of successes includes Brad Walker, the 2007 Osaka world championships gold medalist in the men’s pole vault.

One of the mysteries that many track and field athletes and coaches face is why some individuals perform well in practice but cannot repeat the same level of success in competition. “I Can Do It in Practice, But Not in Competition”—Motor Learning Explanations and Concepts explains, from a motor learning perspective, why and how this seemingly unsolvable phenomenon occurs. In breakthrough, easy-to-understand fashion, the DVD provides an overview of the primary causes and solutions to this longtime problem.

Among the topics covered:

• The role of motor learning
• What is motor learning?
• Goals
• How much do we give?
• What does the research say?
• What is the best way to practice?
• Take-home messages

Will’s biography:

Will Wu, Ph.D., is the director of skill acquisition for Human Performance Consulting (HPC). He is the creator of result-dependent practice, a type of practice that has proven to be one of the most effective styles of learning and practicing a skill. Dr. Wu’s techniques are designed to enhance movement memory and accuracy. In addition to his expertise in skill acquisition, Wu is also a USA Weightlifting certified club coach. He has worked with elite athletes on improving their skill acquisition in a variety of sports, ranging from golf to track and field.

Practice Variability: A Framework for Coaches presents an overview of the key factors involved in Dr. Will Wu’s renowned “practice framework.” Featuring a unique combination of motor learning principles, the DVD is a tool that track and field athletes and coaches can use to design training environments to optimize movement memory. The primary focus of such an environment is to help athletes learn and acquire movement skills that are needed in competition.

Among the topics covered:

• The sports performance pie
• What is practice variability?
• Aspects to vary
• Organizing the variability
• Contextual interference
• A framework for practice
• A framework for variation

Will’s biography:

Will Wu, Ph.D., is the director of skill acquisition for Human Performance Consulting (HPC). He is the creator of result-dependent practice, a type of practice that has proven to be one of the most effective styles of learning and practicing a skill. Dr. Wu’s techniques are designed to enhance movement memory and accuracy. In addition to his expertise in skill acquisition, Wu is also a USA Weightlifting certified club coach. He has worked with elite athletes on improving their skill acquisition in a variety of sports, ranging from golf to track and field.

Maximizing Competition Performance: The Warm-Up and Post-Activation Potentiation presents strategies that track and field coaches can use to enhance the performance of their athletes by employing appropriate warm-up routines. The DVD reviews the role of the warm-up and discusses detailed cutting-edge warm-up protocols and strategies that are designed to yield immediate improvements in competition performance. The DVD features science-based information, detailed in a practical and coach-friendly manner.

Among the topics covered:

• Pre-activity preparation
• Does flexibility work to prevent injuries?
• Mechanisms or acute stretching
• High-intensity warm-up activities
• Theoretical foundation for SPPC
• Factors affecting potentiation
• Developing an SPPC for throwing

Larry’s biography:

Larry Judge, Ph.D., widely recognized as one of the premier throws coaches in the country, is currently a professor in the kinesiology department at Ball State University, where he continues to coach top U.S. throwers Liz Wanless and Erin Gilreath. Prior to assuming his present position, Judge served as a collegiate throws coach for over 18 years for several top programs, including the University of Florida, University of Wyoming, University of South Carolina, and Indiana University. Judge has coached two U.S. record holders, eight Olympians, five NCAA champions, five NCAA runners-up, 102 All-Americans, and 47 conference champions. Holding a maser’s degree in exercise science, a master’s degree in public administration, and a Ph.D. in higher education administration, Judge is the chair of the throws curriculum of USATF Coaches Education division, a USATF master coach, and the author of over 35 articles on strength and conditioning, nutrition, and the throwing events.

The HPC ELITETRACK Gold Medal Track Clinic is a 2-disc DVD set that presents the eight sessions of the ELITETRACK Gold Medal Track Clinic that was conducted at the 2008 Olympic Trials. Featuring the best and the brightest in sports science and track and field, the DVD offers over six hours of information, ideas, and insights, including:

Among the topics covered:

• “I Can Do It in Practice, But Not in Competition”—Motor Learning Explanations and Concepts (Will Wu)
• Block Starts and Acceleration Mechanics (Tom Tellez)
• Penultimate and Takeoff Mechanics in the Long Jump (Tom Tellez)
• Maximizing Competition Performance: The Warm-Up and Post-Activation Potentiation (Larry Judge)
• Eccentric Strength Development: Specific Means for Specific Strength for the Jumps (Dave Kerin)
• When Plateauing Is a Good Thing: Extending Peak Performance During the Competitive Phase (Mike Young)
• Competition-Phase Micro-Cycles for the Elite Pole-Vaulter (Dan Pfaff)
• Practice Variability: A Framework for Coaches (Will Wu)

Biographies:

Larry Judge, Ph.D., is one of the premier throws coaches in the country.
Dave Kerin is the chair of the USATF Women’s High Jump, Coaching Education Level I and Level II (jumping events) Committee.
Dan Pfaff is the field event coach at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.
Tom Tellez is one of the most renowned track and field coaches in the history of the sport.
Will Wu, Ph.D., is the director of skill acquisition for Human Performance Consulting.
Mike Young, Ph.D., is the director of sports performance for Human Performance Consulting.

The 2007 NTCA Clinic DVD presents the 36 sessions of the 2007 National Throws Coaches Association annual clinic. This two-volume, 8-disc DVD set offers more than 31 hours of instruction and insight, featuring many of the top performers and coaches in the history of the sport. The DVD also includes two special elements- the 2007 NTCA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and the 2007 Hall of Fame panel discussion. Features HPC’s Mike Young, Hal Connolly, Reese Hoffa, Larry Judge, Carrie Lane, John Powell, Brian Oldfield, Tom Petranoff, John Smith, Louie Simmons, Mac Wilkins, and many more!!! This product retails for $199.95.