Coaching Course II

Machine-translated from Faroese and not yet reviewed. Read the original.

It is already a while since the second part of the coaching course for ages 14–17 was held, but I think it is only right to say a little about this excellent course!

The second session began on Friday evening with a review of the homework we had been given at the first course. We had been given both individual assignments and group assignments. Each club represented one group, and they worked through the group assignments by meeting up for a long evening. So we were all well prepared for the first evening. We had a good discussion about, for example, asking ourselves what it is that makes us want to be coaches, which leadership style we choose as coaches, and how we get young people to thrive and settle in the group and in the sport as a whole.

Jorma Jaaskelainen from Gotland was very good at explaining things

One group assignment was also to plan a training programme for a longer period of 2–3 months. This was a fairly comprehensive task, but the groups managed it. In most cases they did it by adapting the training programme to the conditions the clubs already work under.

Joakim Nilsson was very skilled

For the rest of the weekend we were split into a running group and a jumping group. Two new instructors led the courses this time. For the running part we had 34-year-old Joakim Nilsson, who was himself a huge sprint talent. At just 16 he ran 400 metres in 49 seconds. However, he never ran any faster, because persistent injuries held him back.

Svend Åge and Debes working closely together

On Saturday morning we learned about sprint technique: angles, posture, foot placement and so on. An important point here was that we had to work in small groups to find faults and then try to correct them. Learning to instruct! This part was done jointly.

On Sunday morning relays were on the programme. There was a tremendous amount of shouting and banter as the changeovers were drilled down to the smallest detail. Relays are great, exciting races, and we hope to see them at the Tórsbreyt track this summer.

Relays on the programme – hip, hip, hip

48-year-old Jorma Jaaskelainen led the jumping part. Jorma is no stranger to the Faroe Islands. He took part in the Island Games in the Faroe Islands in 1989, where he won gold in the triple jump! He has many good memories of Toftir, and he also showed us pictures of the host family he stayed with. A large part of Saturday went on theory covering the long jump, high jump and triple jump. He was very good at bringing this to life with solid technical knowledge, anecdotes, pictures and video. At the end of Saturday we were allowed out into the sunshine, where we did the practical part of the long jump.

Synchronised high jump, demonstrated here by Jógvan and Hans

On Sunday morning the practical sessions in the high jump and triple jump were on the programme. Here we learned a great many specific drills for the different phases of the jumps.

Here Ellinor shows good balance

Ellinor Sundstrand was with us again this weekend as the instructors’ guinea pig. She started the practical training with the running group at 09:00 on Saturday morning and did not finish until the jumping group stopped at 17:00! Yes, she should do well for Gotland at the Island Games!