Coaching Matters webinar – June 2026 Edition

Did you know that in Track & Field, only 15% to 25% of under-20 medalists go on to medal at the senior level?

Now that I have your attention, the GACA runs quarterly webinars at different time zones: 8am UK (aka “EAST”) and 5pm UK (aka “WEST”), with different speakers for both sessions. Yes, they are also recorded and can be found on the EACA Youtube channel.

This year’s overarching theme of the panel discussion is “Developing the path from U20 to Senior Level athletes.” The discussion centers on the complex journey of transitioning track & field athletes from the Under-20 (U20) junior level to (Elite) senior-level competition.

The panel explores how early sporting systems often reward immediate junior results – implicitly pushing early specialization and overcrowded competition schedules – at the expense of long-term athlete maturity, well-being, and late-developer potential.

The format includes 3 high performance coaches, not limited to Track & Field. The “East” session is moderated by Cliff Mallett and Richie Mercado for the “West” session.

Register for the EAST session here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_K_K9-qhtTaafv8Spp64AXw

Register for the WEST session here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_S6jkq1eKRIek2d2FeJR2OQ

As always, there is no cost to join these webinars.

Past sessions can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/@eacaeuropeanathleticscoaches/videos

East Session Speakers

James Fitzpatrick, Head Pole Vault Coach at the Western Australian Institute of Sport, and coach of Nina Kennedy (Olympic gold medallist, World Championships gold and bronze medallist).

Katie Edwards is passionate about high performance sport, athlete wellbeing, and team culture. She is the Head of Sport at Pymble Ladies’ College, Sydney, and a Level 4 Coach – both able-bodied and para-athletes across a range of disciplines. Specialising in the sprints Katie has coached several athletes at a high-performance level.

Luis Cunha bring over 45 years of experience in high-performance sports. From multiple Olympian (88, 92 and 96), national champion, and record holder in sprints, to various coaching, academic and management positions. He has served as Head National Coach (Portugal and Singapore), as a University Lecturer, conducting research in Sport Modelling and Sprint Biomechanics at Lisbon University and Deputy Director at Singapore Sports Institute.

Under his guidance athletes transition from grassroots to international competitions, with numerous national records and medals won at European Athletics Championships, Asian Athletics Championships, and Asian Games. A notably example is Shanti Pereira, an all-time best Asian sprinter and current Asian Games champion, multiple Olympian, and Asian medalist in the 100m and 200m events.