The 2011 International Festival of Athletics Coaching (IFAC), which will take place at the Marriot Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, from 28 to 30 October, will feature a new emphasis on practical aspects of coaching with a programme including more than 60 workshops and seminars to attract coaches from all areas of the sport.
“We’ve increased the number, and variety, of practical workshops to deliver something for all types of attendees, whatever their level of experience or expertise in athletics”, says Frank Dick, president of the European Athletics Coaches Association, the event organisers.
According to Dick, in addition to technique and training for elite and club athletes, this year’s workshops will cover a number of topics related to schools athletics.
Former GB Olympic Coach Kelvin Giles, working with the Scottish Schools Athletics Association (SSCA), will lead one workshop entitled “Foundations for the Developing Athlete: A School’s Perspective”. The SSCA will host a second workshop focusing on the delivery of their resource for teaching athletics in schools called “On Your Marks”.
Other workshop presenters recently added to the programme include:
- Stan Madiri (GBR) and Mike McFarlane (GBR), who have both been involved in the development of the young GB sprinting sensation Jodie Williams
- Terseus Liebenberg (RSA), the coach of World Junior and Commonwealth Games Champion javelin thrower Marius Corbet
- Vincenzo Canali (ITA), the gymnastics coach working closely with coach Vitaliy Petrov and pole vault world record holder Yelena Isinbayeva
IFAC is one of the world’s top annual events for coaches and is organised with support from European Athletics. In 2010 the festival attracted more than 300 participants from 16 countries.
European Athletics’ support for the event includes the offer of Coaching Summit Series scholarships to its Member Federations to help them cover the costs of travel and accommodation for coaches attending. For further information click here.
Full up-to-date programme details and booking information can be found at the IFAC website www.ifacscotland.co.uk.