Coaching: Season 2019/2020

Coaching Coordinator:  Mary Harper

All Coaching Enquiries: coaching@caulfieldlittleaths.org.au

Mondays, Wednesdays & Thursdays from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm and Sunday 4:30pm to 5:30pm for all registered members

Come & Try’s at training are welcome; please sign in with coaching co-ordinator when you arrive. 

Relays (October – December) – Training will be arranged by the Relay Co-ordinator and subcommittee and will be advised by email and on Facebook.

Caulfield Coaching Program: Summer Coaching program

The aim of the Caulfield Coaching Program is to provide a safe environment where athletes have fun improving fundamental motor skills in running, walking, jumping and throwing that form the basis for many other sports.  While no one event or activity participated in at Little Athletics provides this foundation, collectively all the events in Little Athletics do.  As such, the emphasis of participation in Little Athletics is on involvement in a wide range of events rather than specialisation at an early age. As a centre we want the athletes to enjoy the experience and for them to look forward to coming back to the next session.

Expectations at training

At each coaching session on a Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday Caulfield will provide qualified coaches for the various events associated with Little Athletics.   A coaching session may look something like:
5:30pm – Group Warm up & Skills

5:45pm – Athletes choose one event they would like to practice and receive coaching in.  The event session is for 45 minutes.  We don’t encourage changing sessions half way through as this interrupts the coach and other athletes.  There is no benefit for the athlete or group when swapping and changing.

Events – Middle Distance running (400m, 800m, 1500m), Sprints (70m, 100m, 200m, 400m), Walks, High Jump – flop & scissor kick, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Discus, Shot Put, Javelin, Turbo Javelin, Relays

6:25 – Cool down

A parent or a guardian must be present at Duncan Mackinnon Reserve during training and Saturday competition.  A great way to over come this if it’s a problem is to share the training run with other families.   We also encourage parents to come down and keep fit running or walking the DMR Tan track or walk the inside of the track, please be aware of the other clubs and athletes using the track a the same time.  It is a shared facility.  For parents/guardians a cup of tea or coffee can be made in the kitchen you can then sit and chat to other parents.

Parents/Guardians if you have questions for the coaches please ask them at the end of the session so not to disturb or distract the coach and athletes.

Safety is paramount at all times.  All parents and small children need to be cautious where they stand, sit or walk during training.   Always look both ways when crossing the track or the grass area.   Most nights there will be discus, javelin and shot put being thrown, the infield is a dangerous place to be.   Please also note we share the track with other clubs such as Glenhuntly Athletics, Glen Eira Masters, Master Throwers and Maccabi Athletics therefore need to be mindful and respectful to the other users.

The Caulfield LAC and Little Athletics Victoria have Codes of Conduct where all members are expected to comply. Caulfield LAC will endeavour to ensure all athletes; coaches, spectators, parents, officials and administrators are aware and understand the expected behaviour by everyone involved in the Centre. Caulfield Code of Conduct can be found on the website.  The Centre will take appropriate action where these codes are breached.  Please speak with the coaching co-ordinator or a committee member if there is a problem during training.

Tea & Coffee is available in the clubroom kitchen for all parents and carers during training.

Please ensure your child is in appropriate clothing to train.   Layers are a good idea so they can put on or take off as required.  A hat and a water bottle are essential as well as sunscreen.

All coaches and committee members have a working with children check.

An email is sent on either a Sunday or early Monday afternoon confirming the training events for the week.  As you can appreciate this can change unexpectedly therefore all updates are posted to the Facebook page and an email sent if possible.    Click here to join the Caulfield Little Aths Private Facebook Page. https://www.facebook.com/caulfield.littleathletics  This page is only for members and associates of Caulfield to protect the privacy of our members. 

 What’s on each week?

Monday

• Distance with Brian Schepisi
• Long Jump & Triple Jump with Liam Glew
• Hurdles with Aisling O’Connor Buckley
• Sprints (U12 to U16) with David Edwards
• Sprints (U8 to U 11) with James Tamouridis
• Throws with Joshua Plante
• Throws with Kim Mulhall
• High Jump Scissor (U8 to U10) Bella Harper
• U13 to U16 Senior Squad with Alwyn Jones
• U6 – U8 On Track Coaching with On Track Coaches

 Wednesday

• Sprints (U8 to U 11) with Sienna Fighera
• Sprints (U12 to U16) with Will Johns
• Hurdles with Aisling O’Connor Buckley
• Middle Distance (U12 to U16) with Pat Kaufman
• Middle Distance (U8 to U 11) with Genevieve O’Brien
• Triple Jump & Long Jump (U8 to U 11)  with Liam Glew
• Triple Jump & Long Jump (U12 to U16) with Alwyn Jones
• High Jump Scissor (U8 to U10) Bella Harper
• High Jump (U11 to U16) Michelle Favier
• Throws with Joshua Plante
• Throws with Kim Mullhall

• U6 – U8 On Track Coaching with On Track Coaches

Thursday 

• Shot Put with Matthew Cowie
• Sprints (U11 to U16) with David Edwards
• Sprints (U6 to U10) with Marc Sezonov
• Long Jump/Triple Jump with Liam Glew

Friday/Saturday

• Centre Competition is where athletes put into practice the skills they have developed at training

Sunday

• Walks with Rupert van Dongen

COACHING PROFILES

Coaching Co-ordinator:

Mary Harper

Mary has been Caulfield’s Coaching Co-ordinator for 5 years.  She has completed the Little Athletics Australia Introduction to Coaching Course (ITCC) and Australian Track and Field Coaches Vic Tas Network (ATFCA) Sprints Workshop. Mary has a Bachelor of Education majoring in Multiculturalism and Physical Education.  At present she is a primary school literacy intervention specialist teacher. 

Mary has a passion for little athletics encouraging her own three children to pursue their interests in the sport and to carry it through during their teenage years with Athletics Victoria.   Mary believes little aths should be a social, fun and a rewarding experience for all athletes and one of the most important aspects is coaching the fundamental skills of running, jumping and throwing which is the basis of all sports.

When time permits she runs on a Tuesday night with the Glen Eira Masters at Duncan MckInnon and with Bayside Cross Country during the winter.  In another life she competed with Sunshine Little Athletics Centre from U7 to U13 and Essendon Aberfeldie Athletic Club. Mary is mum to James in U16 boys.

Coaches:

Alwyn Jones 

Alwyn has coached at Caulfield LAC for approximately 10 years.  He is a level 3-Advanced Event Group Coach in Jumps and a Level 2 Intermediate Club Coach.  Alwyn coaches at Melbourne Grammar and Maribyrnong Secondary College. He is a 10 times National Triple Jump Champion, represented Australia in the World Championships and won a Bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.  In June he represented Australia in the 2019 Oceania Athletics Championships in Townsville winning the TJ while also coaching 7 of his squad athletes at the event many of whom placed.  Alwyn’s personal bests (PB’s) are 16.83m for Triple Jump & 7.66m for Long Jump.  Alwyn competes for Essendon Athletics.

Brian Schepisi 

Brian is a level 4 running coach (middle and long distance) with over 30 years experience in the fitness industry. Brian’s coaching focus has been on running across many age groups and abilities for events including cross-country, middle to long distance, marathons and ultra-marathons.  He has coached middle distance and cross-country at Caulfield LAC for over 10 years and is an integral part of the Caulfield coaching panel.  Brian also coaches at Caulfield Grammar School.  Brian’s knowledge gained from many years of coaching little athletes through to adult’s gives him a tremendous insight into the best training approach for each individual.  At Caulfield the athletes enjoy his approach to coaching and many don’t even realise they are training because of the fun way he engages them.

Qualifications:

Level 4 Specialist Running Coach (Middle & long distance)

Certificate III & IV in Fitness

Certificate IV Training & Assessment

Level 1 Triathlon

Level 1 Strength & Conditioning

Level 1 Kettlebells

Level 1 & 2 Suspension Training

Kim Mulhall 

Kim started little athletics at Caulfield LAC when she was 7 years old.  She has been competing in Shot put and Discus at International level since 2007.  Kim finished 4th at World Youth and World Juniors.  Kim represented Australia at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games placing 11th in Shot Put with 14.55m and then at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games placing 6th in Discus with a throw of 54.93m.  Kim has been a throws coach for many years having spent the last 9 years at Wesley College. Kim is a long time coach with Little Athletics Victorias Junior Development Squad (JDS) and Athletics Victoria’s Target Talent Program as Throws Co-ordinator.    In July 2019 Kim was appointed Head of Athletics and Cross Country at Caulfield Grammar.   

Kim was the VIP guest at Caulfield Little Athletics 50^thAnniversary Dinner held on Saturday 5^thOctober 2019. Kim is a level 2 Throws Coach. 

 Joshua Plante

Josh is an Athletics Australia Level 2 Intermediate Club coach, ASCA Level 1 Strength & Conditioning coach and an IAAF kids athletic coach.  This will be Josh’s second year at Caulfield Little Aths where he has certainly earned the rest of the athletes, parents and committee with his dedication to the athletes and ensuring they get the best coaching to bring out their best.  Josh is also the throws coach in shot put at Loretto Mandeville Hall in Toorak.  He has 10 years of coaching explosive and power sports ‘Anyone can throw’.  Josh has his own coaching business called Great North Coaching he also competes for Glenhuntly Athletics.

Josh specialises in strength and conditioning and technical coaching for Throwers in Shot put, Discus, Javelin and Hammer Throw. He has extensive experience in coaching high-level athletes in Throwing sports, Gridiron, Lacrosse, Baseball, and Ice Hockey across Canada, US and Australia.

Josh applies his knowledge on throwing and explosiveness to assist athletes to become the best they can be and competes in Shot put, Discus and the Highland Games Heavy Throws.

Josh is open to taking athletes into his private squads with Great North Coaching.  Please contact Joshua Plante: greatnorthcoaching@gmail.com

FB: @greatnorthcoaching FB: joshjplante
Insta: @greatnorthcoaching Insta:joshjplante

Will Johns

We welcome Will Johns to the Caulfield Little Aths coaching panel.  Will has come on board as one of the sprints coaches for season 2019/20.  Will competed at Caulfield Little Aths and is now a Long service member of Caulfield LAC having completed 10 years as an athlete from U6 to U15.  Will also competes for Glenhuntly Athletics Club.

Coaching:

Level 1 Athletics Coaching – 2018

Head of Boys Sprints Caulfield Grammar School

Head of Sprints & Cross Country Korowa Anglican Girls School

Will has been fortunate enough to work with and be mentored by coaches such as Neville Sillitoe, Damien O’shea & Peter Fitzgerald.

Athlete Experience:

Multiple Victorian Champion over distances from 100 yards to 400 metres

Multiple Australian Finalist over 200m

National Bronze medal 200m (2016)

PB’s include

10.61 100m

20.90 200m

47.29 400m

 Matt Cowie

Matt has been coaching Shot Put with CLAC for 4 years on a Thursday evening.  He is a 2 time National Shot Put Champion, represented Australia in the Commonwealth Youth Games and the Junior World Championships.  Matt’s shot put PB is 17.70m.  Matt has a lovely gentle manner with the athletes and is an instrumental member of the coaching panel.

Aisling O’Connor Buckley

Aisling is a junior coach at Caulfield LAC this will be her 3^rd year of coaching hurdles and her 4^th year coaching the U6/U7 On Track Program.  Aisling started little athletics at Caulfield in U9 and has gone on to represent Victoria in U13 & U15 Australian Little Athletics Competition (ALAC) in hurdles and the heptathlon.  She was also bestowed the honour of being one of the ALAC captains in 2018.  Aisling has won numerous state medals for relays and track and field in her time at Caulfield LAC. She is now a member of Glenhuntly Athletics Club also based at Duncan Mckinnon Reserve.   Aisling has completed the Little Athletics Australia Introduction to Coaching Course (ITCC), The Little Athletics On Track Workshop and Australian Track and Field Coaches Vic Tas Network (ATFCA) Sprints Workshop.

Sienna Fighera

Sienna is a junior coach at Caulfield LAC and this is her 3^rd season coaching sprints.  Sienna has been an athlete for many years starting with Brighton Little Aths (U6 to U9), Sandringham Little Aths (U10 to U15). She started her senior athletics at Sandringham Athletics and is now with Diamond Valley Athletics. Her favourite event is 200m and she enjoys competing in 100m and 400m as well. 

Sienna’s Athletic Achievements: 

• 4 State gold medals and 3 Victorian records (2011)
• State Champion in 100m and 200m (2011-2015)
• Australian Champion in 100m, 200m and 4×100 (2014)
• Third place in 100m and 400m at Australian Championships (2015)
• 400m State Champion (2017)
• Hold 12 Australian records in the relays

Sienna’s coaching experience includes:

• A season coaching at Sandringham little athletics coaching (2015)
• Relay coaching for junior teams at Caulfield Grammar (2018)
• 12 months private coaching, squad of 8 teenagers all at state level (2018-2019)
• 3rd season with Caulfield Little Athletics

Has a current first aid & CPR certificate. Sienna is now at University studying as well as competing in and coaching athletics.

Isabella Harper

Isabella is a junior coach at Caulfield LAC this will be her 3^rd year coaching High Jump and her 4^th year coaching U6/U7 On Track program.  Isabella is a Long service member of Caulfield LAC having completed 10 years as an athlete from U6 to U15. Isabella competed in relays, cross-country and track & field during her time as an athlete at Caulfield achieving numerous region and state medals. She is now a member of Glenhuntly Athletics Club also based at Duncan Mckinnon Reserve.   Isabella competed at her first nationals in Sydney in March 2019 in Triple Jump & Long Jump and competed in the Australian All Schools National Championships in Perth in December 2019.  Isabella has completed the Little Athletics Australia Introduction to Coaching Course (ITCC), The Little Athletics On Track Workshop and Australian Track and Field Coaches Vic Tas Network (ATFCA) High Jump Workshop.

 Genevieve O’Brien

Genevieve is a junior coach at Caulfield LAC and this will be her 1st year coaching middle distance and 3rd year coaching the U6/U7 On Track Program. Genevieve started little athletics at Caulfield in U10 and went on to represent Victoria in U13 at the Australian Little Athletics Championships (ALAC) in the 400m and 800m. Also a competitor during the Little Athletics cross-country season, she has been a Victorian representative at 5 Australian Cross Country Championships and achieved many team and individual medals with Caulfield LAC at State Championship events. She is now a member of Glenhuntly Athletics Club also based at Duncan Mckinnon Reserve. Genevieve has completed the Little Athletics Australia Introduction to Coaching Course (ITCC) and On Track Workshop.

Liam Glew

Liam Glew is a junior coach at Caulfield LAC in his 2nd year of coaching the U6/7 On Track Program for the club and his 1st year of coaching long and triple jump. Liam started at the club back in 2009 as an U6 and is a long service member, having completed 10 years as an athlete from U6 to U16. Liam competed in a vast range of events from cross-country where he won the Victorian Little Athletics State Championships back to back as an U7 and U8. Liam specialised in jumps from a young age and successfully medalled 6 times in the triple jump and 3 times in the long jump at the Little Athletics Victoria State Championships. Liam holds the Victorian Best Performance for the under 10 Triple Jump with a jump of 10.08m and holds many Southern Metro Region and Caulfield LAC club records. Liam is also a state multi event medallist placing three times in the pentathlon. As a teenager, Liam went on to compete with Athletics Victoria, winning the U14 State Triple jump, the U14 Victorian Country Championship and has represented Victoria twice in the Australian junior championships.  Liam currently competes for Mentone Athletics Club.

Michelle Favier

Michelle had her first international competition when she was 15 years old and competed for 10 years as an International athlete.  Her personal best for High Jump is 1.94m.  She has competed in European and World Championships (both Junior and Senior) during the 10 years and came 4th at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

She has been a Sports Science teacher (Senior school) in the United Kingdom for 9 years and is currently applying to do a Masters in Teaching, with the hope of going back into PE teaching at Senior school.

Level 1 Athletics Coaching 2019

Michelle is married to Matt, a former Australian 800m runner, and they have 3 children aged 10, 8 and 6 (Laike and Everly are both doing Little Aths at Caulfield).

Rupert van Dongen

Rupert is an experienced distance running coach with over 20 years experience. He also has experience coaching sprints, relays, throws, jumps and walks at various levels. He has many years experience as a Primary, Secondary and Special School Teacher. He has completed the following coaching courses Level 3 Advanced Event Group Coach Middle & Long Distance, Level 3 IAAF Coach – Middle & Long Distance and IAAF Kids’ Athletics Coach

Rupert has coached Victorian junior development squads and managed teams competing in National Championships. He is currently coaching with the Mentone Athletics club and has coached at a variety of schools including Caulfield Grammar, St Leonards College, Sacre Coeur, Korowa AGS, Berwick Secondary College, and Narre Warren South P-12 College. He is currently Head Coach of Athletics at Lauriston Girls School.

Rupert has coached groups for the Cantoo charity running program for the last 9 years and is Head Coach of TXR Runners, an AV Affliliated Recreational Running Group. He has also coached groups for companies such as Adidas, Nike, 2XU, Start to Finish Events and IMG.

Rupert is an experienced coach in the full range of runners, from beginners through to national and international level runners and from Primary School and Little Athletics ages through to Masters athletes.

James Tamouridis

James is a registered level 2 intermediate club coach, a level 1 strength and conditioning coach and a qualified personal trainer. He is also only 2 semesters away from graduating in an Exercise Science degree but we won’t include that haha. Have my own personal training studio in Richmond where I was in strength and conditioning and speed for junior athletes. 

Athletics experience as a junior 
Junior national decathlon champion 
State shot put, javelin, hammer throw champion 
National 4×100,4×200 relay champion representing Victoria 
National medals in shot put 

David Edwards

David has completed the Little Athletics Australia Introduction to Coaching Course (ITCC) and has an abundance of experience with regards to officiating athletics including at International level.  David is really enjoying coaching the athletes at Caulfield.  David is dad to Hayden in U11 boys.

Marcus Sezonov

Marcus has completed the Little Athletics Australia Introduction to Coaching Course (ITCC) and has completed the Officials course.  Marc will take the junior athletes and is looking forward to advancing his coaching, he has coached soccer for a number of years.  Marcus is dad to Jessie in U8 boys.

Coaching Programs at Caulfield

At Caulfield we have 3 levels of coaching

• The On Track Program U6 to U8
• Caulfield Training Program U8 to U16
• Caulfield Athletics Training Squad U13 to U16

The levels overlap because all athletes develop the Fundamental Motor Skills and technique at different rates.  For example U8 athletes can be well established if they began in U6 compared to an athlete who only begins in U8.  With this in mind as the coaching co-ordinator I will encourage athletes to remain in the appropriate program.  The same can be said for U13 to U16 athletes they may not be ready to go into the Caulfield Athletics Training Squad instead remaining in the Caulfield Training Program to continue to develop motor skills and technique.

Below you will find a description for each program.

On Track Coaches for U6 and U7 Age Groups

The On Track Coaches have attended the Little Athletics Victoria On Track Workshop where they have been trained to deliver the skills based coaching program in a positive environment.  The coaches are present or past Caulfield Little Athletes and have lots of practical experience with all athletic events.   We are proud of our senior athletes giving back to the juniors and the centre.

Mary Harper – On Track Co-ordinator

On Track Coaches

Aiden Shearer

Aisling O’Connor Buckley

Aleesha Whittle

Brett Jacobs

Cara Smith

Gemma Craddock

Genevieve O’Brien

Georgie Whittle

Haddi El Shorbagy

Hugo Vandame

Ines Vandame

Isabella Harper

James Harper

Jemma Owen

Joshua Whittle

Kosta Pantazis

Louis Vandame

Maddy Harper

Paddy Colgen

Sam Cantwell

Samantha Miller

Seamus O’Brien

What is the U6 – U8 ON TRACK PROGRAM?

The rationale behind the On Track program is simple, we teach children the skills of athletics before we ask them to perform these skills in a competitive environment.  On Track is a coaching program.  It is based on research that has been completed on how children learn sporting skills, what children want out of their early sporting experiences and the learning capacities of children at different ages.

On Track is designed so that the skills being taught at each level are aligned with learning capacities of children at that particular age. 

The program concentrates on teaching younger athletes fundamental motor skills of running, jumping, hopping, and throwing in a non-competitive environment.

In addition, the program focuses on active learning, participation, improving, having fun and experiencing excitement by increasing activity time, fostering friendships, lowering competition mindset and increasing prospects for learning.

The benefits of the On Track 

The benefits of your child participating in On track:

• More chances to practice
• All children have the opportunity to excel
• It’s fun
• It’s easy
• It satisfies
• It’s time friendly

Qualified coaches implement the U6-U8 On Track Program.  The coaches have completed the Little Athletics On Track Workshop.   The On Track coaches are also long time athletes with Caulfield Little Athletics, some of which having completed On Track themselves.

We hold 2 On Track U6 to U8 coaching sessions on a Monday and Wednesday evening at 5:30pm to 6:30pm as well as the U6 & U7 On Track Program on a Saturday morning 9am to 10:30am.  We include U6 to U8 in the On Track training program as all athletes are at different stages of development. 

For more information contact our U6/U7/U8 On Track Coordinator  – Mary Harper – coaching@caulfieldlittleaths.org.au

Coaching U8 to U16

The Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday coaching program is where athletes have fun improving fundamental motor skills in running, walking, jumping and throwing and of technique with qualified coaches. 

Caulfield Athletics Training Squad U13 to U16

Caulfield LAC is excited to announce the extension of the Caulfield Coaching Program to include a specific training squad for the U13 to U16 athletes.

We encourage athletes of all abilities U13 to U16 to join the squad and enhance their athletic performance. Experienced Coaches Alwyn Jones & Joshua Plante are ready to support these senior athletes to achieve their immediate and future goals. This is also a great opportunity for young field or court sport athletes to improve their running ability and improve their game.  Athletes with all abilities U13 to U16 are welcome to join the squad however the athletes must be committed to learning and training! Training with other keen and enthusiastic squad members is both fun and motivational and helps develop new friendships based on an enjoyment of athletics.

The Caulfield Athletics Squad will focus on the skill development of senior athletes and the diverse fitness components athletes require too perform.  Each session will target, speed, strength, flexibility and coordination activities as well as some event specific drills. The major component of this squad is building a strong foundation in correct technical movement. This foundation will be key if the athletes want to continue with the sport in the future and/or if they want to be a high achiever in other sports. The squad is not focused on preparing for competition each week but a long-term development plan to maximise their potential in the future. 

 

When:	Monday
Time:	5:30 – 6:45pm
5:30 – 5:45pm	Warm up
5:45 – 6:45pm	Squad
Where:	Duncan McKinnon Athletics Track
Warm Up Coach:	Joshua Plante
Squad Coach:	Alwyn Jones (Sprints, Running, Hurdles, Jumps)
Specialist Coach:	Throws – Joshua Plante

The squad is not compulsory and athletes are more than welcome to continue with normal Monday training if they prefer. 

To be a part of this dynamic new squad please arrive on time for warm up.

Coaching Programs outside of Caulfield

Junior Development Squad (JDS) – Little Athletics Victoria

The Junior Development Squad (JDS) gives U12 – U16 athletes an opportunity to develop additional skills and improve technical competencies through participation in coaching and training sessions with some of Victoria’s leading coaches. Training with other keen and enthusiastic squad members is both fun and motivational and helps develop new friendships based on an enjoyment of athletics. The emphasis on learning new athletic skills and improving existing ones is in a friendly and supportive environment.

To join JDS, athletes must achieve the qualifying standard in their current age group of the season. Athletes must achieve one standard on two separate occasions or two different standards, once. This ensures that the performances show a consistency and not just a once off.

The JDS information pack contains the calendar, qualifying criteria and standards. By clicking on the link below you will open the information pack.

http://www.lavic.com.au/Education-Training/Athletes/Junior-Development-Squad

Once you have read the information pack and checked that you have qualified, you can register by following the link inside.

Private Coaching

Many of the Caulfield LAC coaches provide one on one private coaching or squads, this is at a separate fee and has no connection to Caulfield Little Athletics.  If you are interested in private sessions or a squad please speak to the coach you are interested in to discuss. 

Please visit http://www.athletics.com.au/accreditedcoach for a greater understanding on how to find the most appropriate coach for your needs.

To help find an accredited coach use this link http://icoach.athletics.com.au/at/icoach/Search.aspx