Coaches!
Just a quick reminder that the NHTFCA clinic will be held Saturday November 21 at Merrimack Valley High School. Check out the links below to see what will be offered and to sign up for the clinic. Keep in mind the clinic is free to all track coaches in your school.
The clinic is free for all NH high school cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field coaches and has become a must-attend on every coach’s calendar. It is a grass roots learn-from-one-another clinic where coaches teach coaches, or at least share information or what works from them!
Hope to see you all at the clinic!
Current Clinic program:
| Time | NHTFCA Clinic 2026 | |
| 7:30-8:00 | Check in Morning Social: Coffee, confections and coaching connections in the cafeteria. Please update your contact information in the cafeteria | |
| All Day | Have you ever wondered how your throwing implements get certified? Bob Gidari (New Hampshire and USATF Official) is extending a clear invitation to all coaches to bring in equipment from your school for certification. Bob will check your discus, javelins and shots (both indoor and out). Bob is also a great source for rules and regulations and would be willing to talk with you about any of your concerns | |
| All Day | Swap table in the cafeteria. Bring your old track books and other material and trade them in for some you haven’t read yet. | |
| All Day | M-F Athletics representative will be available | |
| 8:00-8:50 | Pole Vault Safety Dyrace Maxfield Auditorium | Mike Smith How to Run a High Level Distance Program When you have Low Level Numbers Come have a conversation with former Mascenic cross country and track and field coach Mike Smith, who has helmed a divisional powerhouse that routinely competed at the top of the state while coaching at one of the smaller schools in the state. It’s not so much that the training is way different, but the concept and methodology of producing those powerful teams comes while working with a different mind set. We will talk both philosophy and training methods on this one and take a deep glimpse into what made Mascenic tick Room |
| High Jump Alison and Gregg Duffy U. Michigan All American jumpers (Alison is the Head Coach of the Women’s XC and assists with the Track & Field Program at UNH) Beginner to advanced HJ techniques, coaching tactics and training methodologies 1/2 Gym | Kevin McGill Javelin (Part 1) Kevin is going to discuss the book: “The Science and Practice of the Javelin Throw”, by Terseus Liebenberg A comprehensive coaching and training guide written by Terseus Liebenberg. Amazon Link $9.95 Kindle Version : https://www.amazon.com/Science-Practice-Javelin-Throw-ebook/dp/B0BSQZWZBK Room | |
| 8:50-9:10 | Welcome, Introductions and Updates Auditorium | |
| 9:10-10:00 | Michael Cyphers Advanced Pole Vault Michael Cyphers is a 2012 graduate of Lebanon High, where he won multiple team and individual championships. He continued his career at the University of Massachusetts before moving onto Wake Forest, where he still holds the school record in the pole vault. In his post-collegiate career, Michael has continued vaulting and training with some of the world’s best, including Sam Kendricks. He has a lifetime personal best of 5.35 meters (17’6″). 1/2 Gym | |
| Dave Goldsmith Keene Coaching Styles for High School Cross Country Coaches: A Tale of Two Programs What works for a 30-runner Division 1 program may not work for a 9-runner Division 3 team, and that’s the point. In this one-hour session, two veteran coaches, one from a D1 school and one from a D3 school, take turns answering the same questions from their own experience. They’ll explore how budget, travel, administrative support, team size, gender makeup, and personal running history shape a coaching style, and how to handle injuries, conflicts, and parent concerns along the way. Expect candid stories and practical takeaways to help you build a style that fits your program and your personality. Two veteran coaches. Two different programs. One shared goal: building runners and a program that lasts. Room | Kevin McGill Javelin (Part 2) Emphasis on the Standing Throw and 5 Step Approach including drills and javelin technique this seesion will meet in the 1/2 Gym | |
| 10:00-10:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 10:15-11:05 | Exeter Nate Leveille and Laura Smith Join Exeter High School track coach Nate Leveille and Laura Smith for an insider’s look into the day-to-day operations of the Exeter Track & Field program. Coach Leveille will share proven strategies for practice organization, roster management, event logistics, and building a sustainable program framework that supports athlete success on and off the track Room | Power Crew Program Design: Nick Ricciardi (Oyster River) No lecture, no set agenda: you steer the conversation so everyone walks away with fresh ideas and practical solutions. Join me for a lively discussion tailored for the power events. This attendee-driven session invites you to bring your questions—on training, conditioning, technique, workouts, and practice design. Room |
| Michael Cyphers Speed and Mobility (see the Pole Vault write up above for Michael’s Bio) 1/2 Gym | College Recruiting Alison Duffy U. Michigan All American jumpers (Alison is the Head Coach of the Women’s XC and assists with the Track & Field Program at UNH) She will be talking about Track & Field/XC recruiting with focus on Division 1….other sports and other divisions have different regulations. Q & A after if needed or wanted (I’ll do my best to answer!) This is not ‘how to get recruited to UNH’ but general recruiting information. – how to contact a coach – choosing what school is right for you – recruiting standards – sample emails The do’s and don’ts – student-athlete experience – eligibility And some more stuff! Plus some personal thoughts as well. Room | |
| 11:05-12:05 | Michelle Boucher Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist: Registered Dietitian, Licensed Nutritionist, at Nourished Nutrition Counseling. Michelle has a special interest in the intersection of sports nutrition and eating disorders, informed by her personal experience as a fitness instructor and movement enthusiast at Nourished Nutrition Counseling “Supporting Student-Athlete Nutrition & Well-being” Auditorium | |
| 12:05-12:35 | Lunch | |
| 12:40-1:30 | NH Indoor Track League Rules Review meeting. Mike Lyford (Portsmouth) and Amy Sanborn (Londonderry) League Directors. . Bob Gidari (State Official) will provide a rules review Auditorium | |
| Bio for Kevin McGill Threw javelin at Bishop Loughlin HS in Brooklyn, the school with more Penn Relay plaques than any other. After St John’s U, taught high school for 15 years and coached. Head coach at Columbia until 1993. Wrote over 40 articles on track and throwing. Co-Author of The Throws Manual, still available on Amazon. Co-founder of USATF Coaching Education with a bunch of terrific coaches. Edited Track Technique for seven years. Taught throws in Puerto Rico for IAAF for 10 years, then named IAAF Lecturer. Replaced Bondarchuk as lecturer of the hammer throw at the 1984 Olympic Coaches Congress. Selected by USA Information Service to lecture in Algeria on the throws. Did many Level I, II, and III clinics for USATF from 1982-2016. Edited Koji Murofushi’s PhD thesis and got it published. “The Science and Practice of the Javelin Throw”, by Terseus Liebenberg. A comprehensive coaching and training guide written by Terseus Liebenberg. Amazon Link $9.95 Kindle Version : https://www.amazon.com/Science-Practice-Javelin-Throw-ebook/dp/B0BSQZWZBK | ||
