Articles
A Norweigan perspective on training at Altis
As athletes and coaches from around the globe continue to join us to train, learn, and network with other like-minded professionals at Altis, we have been working behind the scenes to gain insights and perspectives from this truly global demographic - through a series of Coach and Athlete interviews. Following our most recent Coach–Athlete interview featuring Belgian Decathlete - Thomas...
An interview with Dustin Imdieke
A rising star in the coaching profession - Dustin Imdieke is Assistant Sprint-Hurdles and Jumps coach at Altis, working trackside in assisting lead coaches Dan Pfaff, Stuart McMillan, and Andreas Behm. In addition to coaching at Altis, Dustin has also coached at Paradise Valley Community College since 2008, serving as the Head Coach since 2013. During this time athletes working...
An interview with Thomas & Michael Van der Plaetsen
Following his 2009 & 2011 victories at European U20 & U23 level, Thomas Van der Plaetsen had been noted as a rising star in the Combined Events. Whilst 2012 sidelined the Belgian through injury, 2013 saw a breakthrough year at senior level - and following an extended training camp at Altis in the spring of 2013, Thomas won the 27th...
A Q&A with Apprentice Coach Neil Baroody
Since it's 2013 inception, the Altis Apprentice Coach Program has continued to grow in popularity and acclaim - with next week seeing us welcome our fifth cohort of Apprentice Coaches onsite. In the mean time, we take a look back at the March Program in a Q&A with Apprentice Coach Neil Baroody, in which we discover what it was about...
“The key to success is preparation” – a Q&A with Rashad Williams
Following Rashad Williams’ recent Shot Put PR of 18.46m - adding 1.31m to his 2013 outdoor best, we thought it a great time to sit down and get to know a little more about the 24 year old Central Connecticut State graduate. In this Q&A we find out what motivated him to move from his New England home to Phoenix,...
Training Camp at Altis – a Coach’s perspective
Whilst the Welsh Athletics Sprints group headed by Coach Matt Elias are currently enjoying the perfect training conditions onsite in Phoenix, Welsh Athletics National Event Group Lead for Throws - Andy Brittan - and the Welsh Throws squad recently returned home following a 3 week training camp at Altis. We asked Coach Brittan to take a look back on the...
Jeshua Anderson: 5 tips for young College Athletes
After a stand out high school and college career on the track, 400m hurdler Jeshua Anderson, moved to Phoenix to begin his professional career under the guidance of Dan Pfaff, Stuart McMillan and Andreas Behm. Having won 3 NCAA titles, 4 Pac-10 titles and an National American title whilst at Washington State, Jeshua has been putting his experience to good...
Reflections on a year at Altis – Dr Nick Porterfield
Altis is renowned for the expertise of its medical staff and therapists: Chiropractor and Manual Therapy specialist Dr Nick Porterfield is no exception. Nick has played an integral role in the preparation of athletes at Altis in the past year. In this article Dr Porterfield reflects on time he has spent at the Center so far, and offers an insightful...
6 take-homes from the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi by Stuart McMillan
After an incredibly successful medal haul at the Winter Olympic games, Altis Performance Director Stuart McMillan sat down to reflect on the games and outlined 6 take-homes from Sochi. Get out of the way When you work with athletes like Kaillie Humphries, Elana Meyers, and Lauryn Williams - I just try get out of the way, and try not to...
Vera Schmitz on Pole Vault, 10 lessons learned and the journey so far …
After NCAA Division I Championship finishes of 2nd in 2009 and 4th in 2011, three time All American Vera (Neuenswander) Schmitz entered the world of post-collegiate Track and Field. In this interview Vera talks about life as a post-collegiate Pole Vaulter, training at Altis and the journey so far. Vera – how did you get into Pole Vaulting as a...