Last December, Coach Elangovan was selected by Singapore Athletics to attend the IAAF Middle and Long Distance Level 5 Coaching Course at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA as part of his further education in elite athletics coaching.

The course was a six day all expense paid intensive residential setting, where a small class of 30 qualified coaches were enrolled in classroom lectures, laboratory practicum and demonstrations on campus. Throughout the course, attendees were given the chance to work with other specialists like psychologists, nutritionists, strength and conditioning trainers and physiotherapists. Practical work involved data collection using blood tests for blood count, lactic tests, treadmill and strength measurement. The training area in Florida itself proved to be ideal due to its suitable climate.

Attendees came from all over the world, having met the prerequisites of currently training elite athletes and endorsed by their governing bodies. It was also a chance for them to share their own difficulties and overcome their plateaus by manipulating certain variables.

Coach Elangovan’s most valuable takeaway was the opportunity to work with other specialists instead of just fellow coaches, utilising their expertise to maximise their training. It was also motivating for coaches to be able to share their coaching formulas with each other. 

Subsequently, he plans to reach out to Singapore Sports Institute to discuss plans for regular athletes testing. Eventually, having a database of athletes’ data would allow a more quantified approach to coaching. He also plans to bring his athletes to other training groups to gather and share the data collected.

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