DENIS STRANGMAN Track and Field Coach
Background: I am a Level II AT&FCA qualified coach in "Racewalking" and "Coaching the Young Athlete".

I commenced coaching in 1988 as a parent with the West Belconnen (Ginninderra) Little Athletics Centre in the A.C.T. I served on the Ginninderra Committee as Secretary and was later made a Life Member. I also served on the Board of ACTLAA as Coaching Director and conducted coaching clinics where I introduced the concept of technique analysis by four-frame photograph. I am a member of the Woden Harriers seniors Athletic Club and inaugurated and formerly maintained the Australian Track and Field Coaches Association website for the national office in Brisbane. I am Vice President of the ACT Branch of the AT&FCA.

My areas of coaching interest are: racewalking, multi events, sprints, hurdles (click here to go to a table showing Little Athletics and seniors' hurdle specifications), horizontal jumps and pool cross-training work. I communicate a great deal with my athletes and their parents via the Internet but that does not replace actual coaching sessions at the AIS track. Athletes I have coached have won a number of medals at National Under-Age competitions (Hobart and Brisbane), All Schools (Sydney), Pacific School Games (Sydney) and Little Athletics Australian Team Championships (Hobart and Melbourne). I have twice been selected for the ACT "Coaching Junior Athletes" award and in 2001 received a Volunteers Award from the ACT Bureau of Sport and Recreation on the recommendation of ACT Little Athletics.
Qualifications: I have successfully completed Level 1 T&F coaching courses in Endurance (1990), Sprints/Hurdles/Relays (1992), and Level II courses in "Coaching the Young Athlete" (1993) and Racewalking (1995). I have co-ordinated Orientation to Coaching courses in Cooma and Canberra and am a qualified lecturer for Level 1 courses at which I generally lecture on general principles subjects, warm-up and fexibility, and racewalking. I plan to undertake my Level III qualification at an appropriate time in the future. I am also an Athletics Australia Grade B judge in racewalking.
Publications and presentations: "An Annotated Bibliography of Racewalking and Related Subjects With Particular Reference to the Young Athlete", Australian Sports Commission, 1990. "Stretching for Young Athletes" (Instructional Poster) in conjunction with Angie Calder, Australian Little Athletics Union. "Poaching Or Coaching", National Newsletter, AT&FCA, 1999. Presentations at the October 1999 AT&FCA Congress held in Sydney: "Using the Internet for Coaches", "Linking Video Camera to Computer for Technique Analysis".
Terms and conditions: Coaching is a hobby for me. I am a retired public servant on a pension. I do not make a profit from coaching but I do attempt to cover major costs so that my hobby is not a financial burden on my family. If coaching ever becomes too stressful or expensive I will give it up. I will only take on athletes who are prepared to commit themselves for the entire season. I and most other Canberra coaches are not interested in coaching athletes for just two or three weeks before a major championship and athletes who leave in the middle of a season can have a disruptive effect on the squad. I encourage parents to support and follow their children's involvement in T&F and to assist with officiating where possible. I have a set of coaching guidelines which my athletes are expected to follow.
Personal: My five children have all competed in track and field. My late wife Marg died in June 2001 from a malignant brain tumour. When not coaching I am usually working on my computer. I enjoy historical research and writing. During my career I spent a total of twenty-five years as secretary to three Australian Senators, including sixteen years on Brian Harradine's staff.
Contact details: Phone - 02.62583912, Fax (phone 62583912 beforehand) - 02.62583742, e-mail - string@hotkey.net.au postal - 10 Carrodus Street Fraser, A.C.T. 2615.

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