Youth Endurance Conference - The Growing Athlete

This conference on Sunday 12 September focuses specifically on some of the problems facing coaches of developing young endurance athletes.

It looks at understanding the physiology of young athletes, biomechanical problems that can manifest themselves with puberty, training modifications that may be required, and the support needed to be given to young athletes to motivate and inspire them.

The four speakers, experts on these topics, are:

Paediatric Physiology – Professor Neil Armstrong PhD, DSc

Professor Armstrong is Professor of Paediatric Physiology and Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter. He has authored/edited 12 books, contributed to 28 others, and authored over 500 publications. He has been invited to make keynote presentations in 40 countries and contributed over 500 papers to international and national conferences. His research has been featured in over 300 television and radio programmes, generated questions in Parliament and won the first Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education to be awarded in the exercise and sport sciences. He chaired the Sport Science Panel in the first two UK Research Assessment Exercises and is a former chair of BASES, PEAUK and SW Sport. He led the physiology team in the development of the IOC’s guidelines for training elite young athletes and is currently a member of the IOC core group on developing guidelines on the fitness and health of children through sport. He chairs European Paediatric Work Physiology and RELAYS, the South West Olympics 2012 Legacy Project.

Biomechanics – Dr Louise Wood

Dr Wood is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Biomechanics in the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth. She teaches on sports biomechanics, sports injuries and motor control-related units on undergraduate and postgraduate degree pathways. Dr Wood completed her undergraduate and Masters’ degrees at Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Sheffield, respectively. Her PhD, undertaken in the Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, University of Exeter (2003), focused on the physiology and biomechanics of strength development in children. Since qualifying as a Sports Therapist in 2008 she has supported and carried out consultancy work with a Paralympic boccia athlete, professional and semi-professional football teams. Louise is currently researching musculoskeletal screening practices used within sport (with particular interest in youth / academy players and athletes).

Coaching – Dave Sunderland

Dave Sunderland is England Athletics National Coach Mentor for Endurance (Middle Distance: 800m – 5K and Steeplechase). He is one of the country’s most respected coaches and has been a National Coach for over 15 years. He has coached 16 medallists at major games, including a world record holder and over 40 other internationals. He lectures extensively for the IAAF and UKA, and is author of High Performance – Middle Distance Running. He was the co-founder of Cannock Chase Athletic Club and is the County Schools Team Manager/Secretary.

Psychiatry – Dr Steve Peters MBBS MRCPsych BA PGCE MEd (Medical) Dip. Sports Med.

Dr Peters is a Consultant Psychiatrist working full time in Elite Sport. He is resident with the British Cycling Team, works within the English Institute of Sport, and has had involvements with a further 12 Olympic Sports as well as England Rugby and Premier League Football. He has worked in the clinical field of Psychiatry for the past twenty years and been engaged with Sheffield University as a Senior Clinical Lecturer since 1994. He holds degrees in Mathematics, Medicine and a Masters Degree in Medical Education, also with postgraduate qualifications in Sports Medicine, Education and Psychiatry. He is a member of the Royal College and one of a small team of doctors who assess and grant Therapeutic Use Exemption certificates for UK Sport. His specialist interest is in the working of the human mind and how it can reach optimum performance applied to all walks of life. For fun he competes in Track and Field Athletics and is the current World Masters Champion and World Record Holder for 200 metres.

Venue details

Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Birmingham City Centre, B1 1HH

Date: Sunday 12 September 2010

Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm

Cost: £15 (lunch provided).

Who can attend: Open to all

To register please send a cheque for £15 payable to ‘England Athletics Limited’ to: Zena Weeks, England Athletics Limited, Wellington House, Starley Way, Birmingham International Park, Solihull, West Midlands, B37 7HE.

For further information contact Zena Weeks: zweeks@englandathletics.org