We are please to announce that Mondo Spa will support the 2023 International Festival of Athletics Coaching!
More in general, Mondo and EACA are defining an interesting partnership. The conference in Padova will reveal how Mondo and Coaches will get closer in the near future.
Last weeks have been really challenging for the EACA staff. Shaun’s loss brought a big hole in our souls and it was an overall de-stabilizing event. It impacted our lives and all the EACA projects, because Shaun was not only a beloved friend but also an active member of the staff and an incredible source of knowledge, contacts and ideas.
The best thing we can do, now and in the future, to keep him alive in our hearts is to show the same spirit he showed for his whole life.
So, we will soon come out with initiatives in his memory that will start from the next International Festival of Athletics Coaching in November.
To apologise with our website’s members, we are pleased to announce the following changes:
– Free Members have now access to IFAC 2014 presentations and videos
– Premium Members have now access to IFAC 2017 videos
– Pro Members can now download presentations from IFAC 2021 and 2022
Soon we will work on all the other projects that we temporarly suspended, like the EACA web series and the Mentoring Programme.
Next International Festival of Athletics Coaching is scheduled November 3-5, 2023 in Padova, Italy, just like last year.
The programme of the conference is almost final. We will fill the last slots available during the WA Championships in Budapest where we will try to catch some successful coach.
However, many great speakers are already confirmed: Carola Becker (nutrition), Liz McColgan (Endurance), Laurent Meuwly (Sprints and Hurdles), Marco Airale (Sprints and Hurdles), Aston Moore (Long and Triple Jump), Scott Simpson (Pole Vault), Mantas Jusis (Discus), Paolo Dal Soglio (Shot Put), Arne Gullich (Youth Development), Nick Winkelman and Vern Gambetta (Coaching).
Until July 31st the last Early Bird sale is open, which grants a 25% discount to everyone on the Full Conference on site and online tickets!
EACA website’s Premium members have a 30% discount, while EACA website’s Pro members have a 50% discount.
We are also thrilled to inform our members that the Global Athletics Coaching Academy announced the 2023 WA Coaches’ Club in Budapest!
As usual, the Coaches’ Club programme is very fluid and filled ‘on the fly’, catching the most successful coaches during the WA Championships.
However, the format is already clear:
– August 21st and August 22nd the WA Championships programme has no morning session scheduled so the Coaches’ Club will deliver a symposium from 09:00 to 13:30 CEST
– Every day from August 19th and August 27th at 14:30 CEST a panel of experts including Rita Engelbrecht, Sue Humphrey, Terry Crawford, Charles Clinton, Gunter Lange, Les Gramantik, Malcolm Coomber and Randy Huntingdon and moderated by Frank Dick will discuss about WA Championships previous day results
– Every day from August 19th and August 27th at 15:45 CEST it’s time for coaches interviews.
The 2023 Budapest WA Championships Coaches’ Club is a FREE event for everyone. You just need to register filling a form: visit the 2023 Budapest Coaches’ Club page on the GACA website.
Download the 2023 Budapest Coaches’ Club Flyer
EACA staff will play a key role in Budapest, providing its expertise coming from IFAC and 2022 Coaches’ Clubs, so we hope that you will join the Coaches’ Club, on site or remotely, and enjoy it!en
In the realm of European Athletics and its vibrant community of coaches, there are individuals who leave an indelible mark because of their passion, knowledge, and unwavering dedication. Today, we gather to bid a heartfelt farewell to our dear friend and colleague, Shaun, who was a remarkable shot putter, discus thrower, and truly exceptional coach. His presence within the European Athletics Coaches Association and his contributions to the organisation’s educational events have been invaluable, shaping the lives of countless coaches and athletes.
Shaun was more than just a coach; he was a beacon of light for all who had the privilege of knowing him. His love of track and field was infectious, and his untiring passion breathed life into every educational event he organised. Through his expertise and guidance, he cultivated a community of coaches who relied on his wisdom and who shared his enthusiasm.
As a former shot putter and discus thrower, Shaun brought a wealth of experience to his coaching endeavours. His deep understanding of the technicalities and nuances of these disciplines made him a treasured resource. He selflessly shared his knowledge, thereby empowering coaches to refine their athletes’ techniques in order to achieve their full potential.
Beyond his athletic prowess, Shaun played a pivotal role in embracing technology for the benefit of coaches. His visionary mindset and dedication led to advancements in coaching tools and resources. His commitment to improving the accessibility and quality of educational events through technology-driven solutions transformed the landscape of coach development.
Shaun’s impact extended far beyond the educational events he spearheaded. He developed relationships with coaches worldwide, fostering a sense of camaraderie and collaboration. His ability to connect with individuals, bridging gaps and nurturing a supportive community was truly remarkable.
As we bid farewell to our dear friend, we remember both his warmth and his infectious laughter. He had a lifelong and steadfast dedication to the sport. The memories we have of Shaun during educational events and beyond will forever hold a special place in our hearts. His legacy will continue to inspire coaches, athletes, and all those touched by his kindness.
In the European Athletics Coaches Association, we mourn the loss of a dear friend, an exceptional coach, and a true advocate for the advancement of track and field. Shaun’s passion, knowledge, and commitment will forever remain an integral part of our shared journey. As we continue to organise educational events and shape the future of coaching, we pay homage to his memory, carrying his spirit within us.
For all those who would like to bring one last goodbye to Shaun, you can come next Monday 12 June at 12.00 at the Enfield Crematorium, Great Cambridge Road EN1 4DS.
Afterwards Forty Hall (Banquet Suite) at 13.30, Forty Hill EN2 9HA
Farewell, dear friend, and thank you for the invaluable impact you have made on our lives.
What a very special privilege it is to walk some steps in our life with a giant. For that is how all in athletics coaching saw Wolfgang Ritzdorf.
Wolfgang was a truly great person, a deeply valued friend and both a ground breaker and world leader as a coach to athletes and to coaches across the Globe. He prepared athletes such as Ulrike Meyfarth and Heike Henkel personally to Olympic Gold and others through their coaches to mount the high jump podium at Olympic, World and World Junior, European and European Junior Championships and at other W.A. Area and National Championships too.
His masterpiece World Leading High Jump and Pole Vault Conference in Cologne influenced athlete performance and coach preparation again to podium level in Pole Vault at Olympic, World, European, other Area and National levels.
His leadership of the W.A. CECS Editorial Board and programme made coach development in athletics the cutting edge of International Federation Coach Education and Certification programmes.
Wolfgang was a tireless member of EACA council and supporter of IFAC. When asked to present or lead a jumps dedicated part of IFAC, he always accepted, no matter how many commitments he was already handling.
And all of this on top of his prestigeous position as Senior Lecturer and Head of the Athletics Department at the German Sport University Cologne. Whether as teacher, speaker or researcher in high jump, coaching and performance theory and practice his impact has been significant and substantial.
In his many article and papers in W.A. New studies in Athletics and other international journals, he set the benchmark of quality.
At any championships or games at any level in the world you will find coaches or athletes whose athletics career or indeed lives he has advantaged.
The immense strength of character of this great person saw him face this dreadful illness with unmatchable courage till the end.
When he closed his eyes for the last time, he must have reflected with real pride that in his life he changed the world of coaching in athletics not only for this generation, but for generations to come.
His life was our profound gain, his passing is our profound loss.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Doro and the family.
Thank you, Wolfgang, for the privilege of walking these steps with you.
EACA invites coaches and athletes to send their personal reflection of their experience of working with our friend and colleague.
The first edition of the EACA Coach Superstar and EACA Coach Rising Star AWARD is closed!
It was very fun and engaging, also for us to see your preference. A special thanks to the Federations for the nominees and…
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NOMINEES!
Very proud that women and men are getting always better and reach so important achievements in the Athletics.
Award Criteria:
Laurent was voted the Swiss Athletics Coach of the Year 2009. In 2010, he took over the position of Swiss Athletics Regional Head for Western Switzerland and the responsibility for the National Performance Centre in Lausanne/ Aigle.
On April 1, 2019, Laurent joined the Dutch Athletics Association as National Coach.
From 2019, He is Coach to Femke Bol who performed fantastically:
He demonstrates a willingness to work on specifics, automatisms, versatility and the team spirit.
All this makes Laurent believe that smaller countries can battle with the bigger countries’ teams for medals!
Undoubtedly, Dutch teams have made a big impact in the 2022 athletic season at the World and European Championships.
The first edition of the EACA Coach Superstar and EACA Coach Rising Star AWARD is closed!
It was very fun and engaging, also for us to see your preference. A special thanks to the Federations for the nominees and…
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE NOMINEES!
Very proud that women and men are getting always better and reach so important achievements in the Athletics.
Award Criteria:
Mantas has coached the 19 year old, Mykolos Aleknas to the silver medal at the 2022 World Championships, becoming the youngest world discus medalist in history.
Following that Alekna became the youngest ever winner in his discipline at the 2022 European Championships (69,78m), setting the competition record in the process. In 2021 Mykolos Aleknas was coached by Mantas to the World Under-20 and European U20 champion (69,81m).
Mykolas is the son of Olympic double discus throw champion Virgilijus Alekna
The impressive achievements of the season of the young discus thrower Mykolas Aleknas has also led to personal elevation for his coach; Mantas Jusis. In 2022 Mantas was honored with the title Best Coach of the Year and has made a bold prediction about when Mykolas will surpass his father.
So, the 2022 International Festival of Athletics Coaching was a success or not?
Personally, I was really concerned about coming back on site after almost four years: will coaches come to Padova to attend it? Or, after two years of cheap online event (including IFAC 2021), they will stay at home choosing the online registration? Have we enough time to organise an on site event after deciding to go with a hybrid formula only in July?
Well, with more than 130 coaches attending in person, now I think I can say that my concerns were not founded: I am really happy for this outcome so, thank you to all the coaches I met in Padova but thanks to all those who attended online too.
However, we did a lot of mistakes. But that’s why we also learned a lot and all the things we learned will be useful for the next years, when Padova will host IFAC again.
First mistake: no transportation service. We had no time to build a transportation service for staff, speakers and participants so we had to manage them on the fly with taxis or personal cars. This was also a huge cost for EACA but, mostly, a discomfort for the coaches. We now know this and we have enough time to setup a proper transportation service next year.
Second mistake: not really prepared for a hybrid event. Having fully online events like IFAC 2021 was relatively easy: every speaker, every staff member and every participant is seating at its own desk, with its own device, presenting by sharing its screen. But a hybrid event is completely different: a deep connection with the audio and video systems of the venue is needed, otherwise the experience for the people attending remotely may be not good, especially for the audio. But, also, streaming on Zoom a presentation is different from streaming people in motion like athletes demostrating dynamic exercises: Zoom auto-tunes the resolution of the video and if the rate of motion to capture is too high, it lowers the resolution.
In some way, we predicted that we may have trouble managing for the first time a hybrid event. We also thought to look for a professional service, but its cost would be really high. That’s why we decided for a so low price compared to the quality and the quantity of the IFAC 2022 programme. Again, we learned a lot from this experience and we’re confident we will provide a great streaming conference next year.
That said, I really enjoyed every moment in Padua, from the presentation of our great speakers to the practical sessions and Saturday dinner all together. For me it was an opportunity to meet some old friends and make new ones. It was also an opportunity to raise my esteem for some speakers. Let me spend a word on Laurent Meuwly, an incredibly successful coach, always willing to share his knowledge and experience with everyone, no matter if a world-class or a club coach, with no fear of “revealing his secrets”. We need more coaches like him.
Thank you to Domenico di Molfetta and Francesco Uguagliati for the incredible support from FIDAL and FIDAL Veneto: really appreciated!
Thanks to all the speakers, the moderators and the Palaindoor staff in Padova for the technical and logistic support and the delicious coffee breaks.
Last but not least, a big hug to all my friends in the EACA staff, starting from Frank (so as not to sin of lese majesty…), Gaga, Rebecca, Sena, Jimson and Shaun, but also Cinzia, Laura, Jacques and Lance for their incredible contribution!
Today, we are releasing the first recordings taken in Padova. If you are an EACA Pro Member, you can find them in the IFAC Videos Archive.
If you’re not but you attended to IFAC 2022, you will receive the instructions on how to watch them with a newsletter message.
I hope to see you all (and more) in Padua next year, November 3 -5)!
IFAC 2022 tickets are On Sale!
The first five speakers we announce are:
You can find all the information to attend to the 2022 International Festival of Athletics Coaching on the dedicated page of the EACA website.
The line up is still under construction and it will be updated frequently so keep visiting the page in the following weeks!
If you have any question feel free to send an email at ifac@athleticscoaches.eu
Looking forward to meeting you in Padua!
| Friday, November 4th | Saturday, November 5th | Sunday, November 6th |
|---|---|---|
|
14:00 – 15:00 Accreditation 15:00 – 19:30 Presentations and Panels 20:30 Dinner |
08:15 – 09:00 Accreditation 09:00 – 18:30 Practical sessions on all events 20:30 Dinner |
08:45 – 09:00 Accreditation 09:00 – 13:30 Presentations and Panels 20:30 Dinner |
Tomorrow at 3:00PM CEST tickets to attend to IFAC will be On Sale!
The line up of the International Festival of Athletics Coaching is still under construction but tomorrow we will announce a couple of speakers that you don’t absolutely want to miss!
IFAC 2022 will see a saturday of exclusive practical sessions!
Stay tuned on EACA homepage and social media to discover more tomorrow at 3:00PM!
| Friday, November 4th | Saturday, November 5th | Sunday, November 6th |
|---|---|---|
|
14:00 – 15:00 Accreditation 15:00 – 19:30 Presentations and Panels 20:30 Dinner |
08:15 – 09:00 Accreditation 09:00 – 18:30 Practical sessions on all events 20:30 Dinner |
08:45 – 09:00 Accreditation 09:00 – 13:30 Presentations and Panels 20:30 Dinner |
EACA president Frank Dick OBE had two talks for Runnespace.com at the iconic Wild Duck Cafè in Eugene, during the World Athletics Championships.
One of the talk was focus on the Global Athletics Coaching Academy (GACA) of which Frank Dick is chairman. GACA is the new Coaching Body of World Athletics and Frank talked about its purpose to create a global, professional coaches’ alliance.
In the other speech, Frank talked on “Making excellence possible” in a panel discussion hosted by Jimson Lee.
If you have missed Frank’s talks at Runnerspace.com, you can watch the recording on Runnerspace.com website.
