Area of Focus
Specialization courses are coaching course that diving dive deeper into a specific area of coaching including short course, long course, youth and junior, and paratriathlon.
The following courses will fulfil the Area of Focus requirement for Level I recertification.
The Short Course Area of Focus prepares coaches to work with Sprint and Olympic-distance athletes in both non-drafting and draft-legal environments. Our expert USA Triathlon presenters will drill down on power-based training for the bike: bike fitting for coaches and dig in on training load principles for short course athletes.
The Long Course Area of Focus is designed to prepare coaches to work with half and full distance athletes. Our expert USA Triathlon presenters will focus on specific long course racing and training requirements for athletes. Beyond the necessary coaching skills, this course includes swim video analysis, swim specific coaching considerations, training load principles and much more!
The Paratriathlon Area of Focus is designed to give a coach the tools to train and manage paratriathletes safely and effectively. Our expert USA Triathlon presenters will provide coaches with information on rules and classification, athlete pathways, swim bike and run modifications, and periodization.
The Youth and Junior Area of Focus is designed to educate coaches how to train youth athletes safely and effectively throughout their developmental stages and stresses the importance of learning proper skills, healthy exercise habits and having fun. This course follows the American Development Model (ADM) and provides coaches with specialized youth coaching skills and drills, age-appropriate training regimes, physiological and nutritional considerations, and basic training techniques to develop lifelong success.
To take a Level II Specialization Clinic, you must have competed the corresponding Level I Area of Focus course.
The Level II Short Course Specialization is designed to prepare coaches to work with developing elite and junior ITU level athletes. The course focuses on specific ITU style race requirements for athletes and covers performance based nutrition, mental skills, key components of training plans and specific workouts in all three disciplines as well as recovery techniques, ITU and World Ranking points systems and much more. This multiday clinic requires coaches to demonstrate hands-on coaching skills, ATP presentation knowledge and a high level of comprehension of high performance short course race preparation and execution.
The Level II Long Course Specialization is designed to prepare coaches to work with higher level long course athletes. The course focuses on specific long course style race requirements for athletes and covers long course specific nutrition, key components of training plans and specific workouts in all three disciplines as well as what it takes to become a top long course athlete from a mental and physical standpoint and much more. This multiday clinic requires coaches to demonstrate hands-on coaching skills, ATP presentation knowledge and a high level of comprehension of high performance long course race preparation and execution.
Are you a coach who wants to work effectively and confidently with paratriathletes? With the debut of Paratriathlon in the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the four medals earned by USA Paratriathletes, there is building interest in paratriathlon from both athletes and coaches. For the coach, working with paratriathletes can strengthen problem solving skills, broaden experience, offer new challenges, and provide many rewards. This course will take an in-depth look at the sport of Paratriathlon, the athletes, the different competition categories, training adaptations, equipment, and racing rules.
USA Triathlon’s Youth and Junior Level II Specialization is designed to educate current USA Triathlon Certified Coaches on how to train youth and junior athletes safely and effectively throughout their developmental stages and through the USA Triathlon High Performance pipeline. This clinic provides coaches with information on specialized coaching skills and drills, age appropriate training regimes and testing protocols, physiological and nutritional considerations, draft legal racing, and basic training techniques to develop successful athletes. This clinic will also touch on opportunities within collegiate triathlon and USA Triathlon High Performance teams.