Sprints / Jumps / Hurdles Network Day Athlone IT - Athletics Ireland
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Sprints / Jumps / Hurdles Network Day Athlone IT

27 March 2017

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Athletics Ireland is delighted to announce details and open registration for the forthcoming Sprints / Jumps / Hurdles Network day which will be held in Athlone IT on Sunday April 30th. 

The day will feature keynote presentations and workshops from leading international coaches - Michael Afilaka, Brendan Reilly and Alan Kennedy. 

Presentations on long-term athlete development (LTSAD), in-season and pre-season planning and components of the sport will be offered alongside practical workshops on sprints, hurdles, long jump, high jump and triple jump. 

Registration is now open for an event not to be missed by all performance and developing coaches in Ireland. 

Early booking is advised as this event is likely to sell out fast.

Course Timetable can be found HERE

To register for this course click HERE

Speaker Bios: 

Michael Afilaka (BSc,  MSc)

Sport Scientist & Performance Sprint Coach  (Based in London, UK). One of UK’s Leading Sprints Coach & the 1st British to Coach a Sub 20sec 200m Sprinter. Known for his Scientific Approach and his record of progressing a number of Juniors to World Class Athletes.

Past and Present athletes Include:

Jeanette Kwayke: 2008 Olympics 100m 5th Place, World Indoor 60m Silver Medalist

Adam Gemili: World Junior 100m  Champion, World Champs 200m 5th Place

Ashleigh Nelson: World Champs 4 x 1 Bronze Medalist, European 100M Bronze Medalist

Brendan Reilly:

  • Double Olympian and 1999 World Championship 8th place with an Irish Record
  • International, European and World schools champion.
  • Former World Record Holder for 15 year olds (2m 12cm).
  • Competed at 18 major championships including 2 Olympic Games, 6 World Championship, 6 European Championship and 2 World Student Games (medallist)
  • Personal best high jump is 2m32cm.

Brendan Reilly is a Double Olympic High Jumper with a wealth of knowledge having worked under coaches such as: Malcolm Smith (GB Head Coach of Diane Davies 1m 95cm and Geoff Parsons 2m30), Mike Holmes (Coach to Steve Smith 2m 37cm and Katrina Johnson Thompson) and finally Fuzz Caan who coaches Robbie Grabarz and numerous other jumpers.

After Brendan retired he taught at Stowe School as Head of Athletics coaching numerous county level athletes. He has worked as UK Head of Sport for Dartfish (Sports Video Analysis) creating from scratch a live feedback system for Team GB providing instant feedback to coaches on their Iphones/ipads during the London Olympic Games. He helped numerous coaches including ECB, RFU, FA, British Pentathlon, Manchester United and even Usain Bolt's team helping advise on technique changes weeks before his World Records in 2011! Last year he worked as Global Key Account Manager of Universal Pictures Sport/fitness division setting up a Performance and fitness base in Beverly Hills and is now is producing fitness/sports content for use on film,TV and the virtual world.

There are numerous technical aspects he will try to address in the jump session from run up mechanics, phases, rhythm, acceleration, angles, curve and take off. Each of these is extremely complicated and elongated but they all link to the second session which will be on Specific High Jump Conditioning, Hurdle and medicine ball work, Plyos and running. Everything he talks about has an emphasis on quality of movement before load is added.

Brendan is married to Sarah Reilly (Irish 100m/200m Olympian and record holder) and his passion now is helping his own 3 children try sports. He is particularly proud that they have all discovered the world of athletics e.g: Arthur, 9, is already No 1 in the UK for Pole Vault for his age and can also run a mean 600m!!

Alan Kennedy. BSc

Alan is an athletics coach with a specific interest in the horizontal jumps. Currently he coaches a group of sprinters and horizontal jumpers out of the Ulster University High Performance Indoor Facility. Alan coached Adam McMullen to a jump of 7.84m in 2016 and Dean Adams to a time of 6.87 in the 60m in 2017. Alan, also guides a number of young emerging athletes at the U20 and U23 level in the sprints and horizontal jumps. Alan will be presenting teaching progressions and specific technical aspects of the Long and Triple jump.

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