Athletics NSW is excited to be conducting the test event for the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships alongside the Local Organising Committee for the event. This test event will be our 2022 NSW XC Short Course Championships, and will provide an incredibly unique opportunity for athletes to run on the WXC Bathurst 23 course.

Hence, ANSW thought we would take the opportunity to provide some club, coaching and officiating seminars to conduct on Saturday 6th August at Mount Panorama.

The day is divided into two sessions with one coaching and one club/officiating seminar provided in each session. Participants can choose to attend both coaching or both officiating seminars or one of each.
 

TIMETABLE

11am - Welcome

11:30am  - SESSION 1 (choose either)

1a) Strength and Condition – doesn’t mean you have to hit the gym - presented by Rob Marks

This session will focus on how you as a coach can create and develop strength in the most basic of environments. By the end of the session, you will be able to understand how to plan and implement strength and conditioning in to your training structure helping to develop both speed and power.

OR

1b) Volunteer & Mentor Management  - presented by Barry Pecar & Mary Macaluso

What makes volunteers tick? How to recruit and retain them? How to give them a great experience so they keep coming back, whether it is fun runs, Saturday morning athletics and/or Club Committees.

12:30pm - Lunch

1pm - SESSION 2 (choose either)

2a) Injury prevention and recovery – how does this impact athletes - presented by Rob Marks

Injuries are any athlete’s worst nightmare, but how as a coach can you help to prevent them? This session will look at how to implement management practices around warming up, cooling down and appropriate loads to ensure athletes suitably recover, enabling longevity within the sport.

OR

2b) Out-Stadia Volunteering - presented by John Morris & David Higgins

With Australia and in particular Bathurst hosting the World Cross Country Championships in 2023, now is a good time to learn the in's and out's of the out-stadia volunteering so you can put your hand up to be a sports volunteer at this international event right on our door step. Today’s session aim will be identifying what is required to organise and conduct a successful event at the local level, with preparation, the selection of appropriate event personnel and the setup of the course the main priorities.

2pm - Meet & Greet

With Athletics NSW Chair, Matthew Whitbread and CEO Christian Renford

VENUE MAP

ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

Rob Marks

Rob Marks is a respected coach and currently head of the NSW Target Talent Program, NSW Team Manager and an Athletics Australia course facilitator.

He is a former national and international athlete, who transitioned in to coaching under the guidance of Fira Divoskina. As well as coaching for the last 10 years Rob is also a qualified PE teacher, a Personal Trainer and has a master’s in nutrition.

Rob currently coaches athletes in several disciplines ranging from sprinters to hurdlers, long jumpers and 800-1500m runners. He is the current coach of Australian international sprinter Josh Azzopardi.

Barry Pecar

Barry is the Chair of the NSW Joint Officials Committee and a member of Athletics NSW Officials Advisory Panel. In his retirement from teaching he works as a presenter for the NSW Education  Department's Sport Unit going to schools around NSW teaching teachers how to run an athletics carnival and how to officiate. One of Barry's goals is to give people practical opportunities to learn how to officiate and give it a go.with the aim of creating a larger workforce of volunteers to assist at all levels of athletics. Barry has been officiating with Athletics NSW for 23 years at Club, State and National Level with both able bodied and para athletes in track and filed events and out of stadia.

John Morris

A retired NSW Public School teacher, John is in his 36^th year of officiating in both summer (track and field) and winter (walks, road races and cross country) competition, ranging from weekly club activities through to state, national and international standard events. A qualified Athletics Australia Level 3 out of stadia official, John has served at both school and out of school competition, working in the leadership roles of referee, competition director and technical delegate.

David Higgins

David has had 30 years involvement with Kembla Joggers organising Cross Country and Road events. Hi is an AA Out-Stadia Level 2 Official since 2008 and AA Out-Stadia Level 3 Official since 2013. Chair of LOC for 8 NSW and National Championships at West Dapto XC course. Mentored a number of other officials for their AA Out-Stadia Technical Official qualifications.

CONTACT US

Further Information please contact Athletics NSW at volunteers@nswathletics.org.au