“You can tell by the fire in his eyes that he's about to break a world record.” – Helena Duplantis
A session dedicated to elite female coaches and athletes formed part of the recent Coaches Club program held during the Glasgow 24 World Athletics Indoor Championships.
Some of the world's leading athletes and coaches, including Helena Duplantis and Laurent Meury, took part in the event, hosted by World Athletics in partnership with the Global Athletics Coaching Academy (GACA).
The expert panel was opened by sports scientist Emma Ross, who gave an excellent speech on how to make the effective changes needed to adapt coaching approaches to women's needs.
“The excuse that 'we've always done it this way' is no longer acceptable,” she concluded.
As World Athletics President Sebastian Coe explained, World Athletics is working hard to elevate the game in terms of coaching female athletes and shining a light on the world of elite female coaches.
“We need to get more women into the coaching environment as soon as possible,” were his last words in an interview conducted by GACA President Frank Dick.
Emma Ross speaking at the Coaches Club in Glasgow (© Sena Bekric)
Even the most famous female coaches are “newbies in a sense,” admitted Duplantis, strength and conditioning coach for world pole vault record holder Mondo Duplantis.
“The Swedish Olympic Committee is looking to double our numbers thanks to this Project Q, which improves knowledge and expertise.” She added about the project aimed at.
“For athletes, women are different,” said Meury, coach of world 400m hurdles champion Femke Boll. “That will bring more diversity and new capabilities, not only better technically and tactically, but also different and more effective communication, which will reduce the hurdles. It will rise.”
Different types of coaching already exist in athletics. For example, Helena explained that she is different from her husband Greg in the following ways: Her husband, Greg, works with her in coaching her son, Mondo. If he is in a hurry and is not visualizing as usual, it means that his mind is not 100% focused on the jump.
“You can tell by the fire in his eyes that he's about to break a world record.”
Indeed, “Mondo” means “world” in Italian. “This symbolic nickname comes from her husband's best friend, whose ancestors were from Sicily,” Helena added. “So he started naming Armando 'Mondoman' as a child. Now this sounds perfect when he breaks records.”
Speaking of world records, Bol was simply stunning in the 400m final at the Glasgow Arena in a time of 49.17 seconds.
“She is always well prepared and is willing to discuss the race in detail,” coach Muley explained hours before the performance. “Before the race, she's always nervous, her legs are empty and shaking. I don't say anything and just listen to her. I know it's an important moment for her. Because it's a way to express it.”
Based on his own experience, Meury said, “The difference between a good coach and a very good coach is how they deal with the moments of success and lack of success, how they communicate with their players, how they prepare them mentally.'' “It's about letting them do it,” he added.
This is in line with what Mr Koh emphasized in his speech. “Great athletes come from great coaches, and without first-level coaches, there are no elite athletes, male or female,” he said.
This is precisely why initiatives like the Coaches Club are important in the development of athletics, and the focus now needs to be on expanding the elite women's community.
Glasgow Coaches Club sessions, including a session on Women's Coaching on Saturday 2 March, will be available to view through the World Athletics e-learning platform.
Federica Flora of the World Athletics Media Development Program