Episode 12

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Published on:

15th Apr 2021

EvelChat #12 "The Throws General(ist)": A Chat with Don Babbitt

Legendary US / NCAA (Georgia) Throws Coach Don Babbitt has a resume second to few in the throwing world. Coach of numerous NCAA, World & Olympic Medallists, he is perhaps best known as the guiding force behind Adam Nelson (Olympic & World Champion) & Reese Hoffa (World Champion, Olympic Bronze Medallist). This is an EvelChat for all coaches, regardless of event.

Topics include:

  • Captain Azimuth
  • Don’s generalist background
  • Charlie Sheen cheating off him in high school
  • How a Polish Decathlete made a difference in Don’s life
  • Western & Eastern European influences in his coaching
  • Eastern European vs. Western athletes
  • Where weight room strength fits into throwing training
  • Assigning strength loads for athletes at different levels
  • Hanging with Jurgen Schult, Udo Beyer & Ulf Timmerman
  • Athleticism in throwing
  • Differences in coaching Adam Nelson & Reese Hoffa
  • Bondarchuk & strength for the shot put
  • Developing max strength in a throwing program
  • Strength and power vs execution
  • Variable implement weight throwing
  • Periodizing variable weight implements
  • Separation of throwing weights
  • Choosing implements for teaching technique
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About the Podcast

EvelChat
The EveltrakSport.com Coaching Podcast with Derek Evely
A Podcast about Coaching, from specialist turn-ons to general piss-offs… & everything in between.

About your host

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Derek Evely

Derek Evely has taken a career path unique in Olympic sport. As an athletics coach, he has coached professionally at all levels along the developmental continuum and is widely regarded as a foremost expert in both youth development programming and elite training methodology. As a coach he has produced three World Junior Championship medalists, two of whom went on to win Olympic medals. He was the development coach for Gary Reed (IAAF World Championships 800m Silver Medalist), Dylan Armstrong (Beijing Olympic Shot Put Bronze Medalist) and Sophie Hitchon (2016 Olympic Hammer Throw Bronze Medalist). He has been a national team coach for both Britain and Canada to every major championship on the global calendar including the Olympic Games, IAAF World Championships and European Championships. He was a High Performance Training Centre Director for British Athletics leading into the 2012 Olympic Games where he coached the youngest athlete on the British athletics team (Hitchon) to her first Olympic final. From 2005 to 2009 he was the Sport Science Manager for the Canadian Athletics Coaching Center. He consults and coaches with federations and individuals worldwide on all aspects of developmental and high performance programming. He currently lives in Chicago with his wife and three teenagers.