Center News
The Shuffle Start & Goodhart’s Law: when good enough is good enough
The so-called shuffle start has been making waves in the last few years, especially among elite circles [and most-especially in the United States]. It is characterized by a low projection angle from the blocks, an ultra-low heel recovery [often seen as a toe-drag], and a high step frequency. This may be a controversial take, but I’ve long believed that this...
The Paradox of Performance: Power Meets Grace
The performance of an athlete, in its most exquisite form, is a dynamic interplay of power and grace. A spectacle that mesmerizes us as it seamlessly blends fluidity with ferocity, combines violence with peace, and merges aggression with elegance. It's an art form where strength and subtlety coexist, creating a harmonious symphony of human potential. There's a reason Ali's motto...
The Nested Dynamics of Speed: Lessons from Russian Dolls
Russian dolls, known as Matryoshka dolls, are hollow wooden figurines originating from Russia. They nest inside each other, with the smallest doll at the center. They are adorned with vibrant colors and intricate designs. Matryoshka dolls symbolize family, generations, and Russian culture. They are collected and cherished worldwide as decorative items. But what the heck have they got to do...
Embracing the Unknown: The Island of Knowledge and Coaching
Recently, I reread Marcelo Gleiser's great book, ‘The Island of Knowledge: The Limits of Science and the Search for Meaning,’ and — as always with almost every book I read — reflected upon its implications in sport performance and coaching. One of the primary themes in the book is that of ‘embracing ignorance’. Gleiser argues that the acquisition of knowledge...
The ALTIS Family is Growing…
Welcome to Alexa Eichelmann - our newest staff member Alexa Eichelmann is joining the ALTIS Team as Special Project Coordinator. Bringing a wealth of skills and qualities, the Heptathlete and Sports Science Graduate is an exciting addition to the ALTIS Staff. As we continue to grow as a company, bringing Alexa on board with her wealth of attributes will be...
3 simple methods to see better results – a quick Q&A with Coach Pfaff
Q: How can Coaches recognize familiar patterns of movement quickly and accurately? Study, study, study: There is no shortcut - this is a skill that has to be learned. Watch films of the best performers across male, female, and different age groups. Watch in real time, watch slow motion, then break it down, and make kinograms to help you better...
Meet the neighbors
How often do you speak to your neighbors? Do you even know them? Research shows that most Americans don’t trust their neighbors. Why not? And what has this to do with speed, you ask? Today we will discuss the relevance of an increasingly isolated world, and how that might affect your understanding of lots of things as they relate to...
Struggling with skill
I alluded to this a few weeks back, and promised I was going to get back to it — which is what I’ll do today: talk about speed, why we should treat it with the respect it deserves, and how — through understanding one simple rule — you can better teach it. So first, the rule: speed is both a...
“Keep calm and carry on”
“Keep calm and carry on.” So the famous British WWII slogan goes. But what’s it got to do with us? Well, most track & field teams and groups are currently in the midst of their general fall training period. It’s an exciting time of rebirth, with fresh promise towards a new season. It is also the time for installation -...
3 steps to being a good mentor
Mentorship is something that lots of folks talk about, and lots of folks appreciate the importance of - but there are really few effective structured mentorship programs in coaching education. Costs, time allotments for both parties, rules and regulations by governing bodies, a dearth of true educators in leadership roles, the lack of reward for doing mentorships other than self-gratification,...