THE DAVE EDGECOMBE COACHING LIBRARY

Exeter Harriers are extremely fortunate to have been given the unpublished Track and Field Technical Booklets written by Dave Edgecombe. If you are an athlete, coach, student, teacher or anyone else who is interested you have access to his legacy of knowledge and expertise. The booklets, located in the first floor meeting room at the club house, have been photocopied and put into folders so that pages or chapters can be selected, from them, and used by athletes, coaches and students of athletics. In them you will find something of interest whether you are a beginner, experienced or just looking for different ideas.

 

David Edgecombe 1926 - 2014Who was Dave Edgecombe?

Here’s his potted CV

Principal Lecturer in Physical Education in Saint Luke’s College (now part of Exeter University)
Main areas of responsibility – Track and Field Athletics, Hockey, Educational Dance

What did he know about Athletics?

As a competitor – he competed for Exeter Harriers and Devon County. Was South West Counties Champion in Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot and Discus.
Competed in the British Decathlon Championships. Represented the AAA (This would now be England Athletics) in Triple Jump

As a Team Manager/Coach

BAAB Master Coach (British Amateur Athletics Board became UK Athletics)
Senior Coach specialising in Discus
Manager/Coach to the British Team in the World University Games in Tokyo and Turin.
Coach at courses for athletes at Lilleshall, Crystal Palace and Loughborough, including pre Olympics coaching weekends for International athletes.
Coached International throwers, senior and junior County, Club and Schools athletes mainly in the South West
Innovator of ‘Exercises to Music for Athletes’.
Enabled Devon athletes, especially Exeter Harriers, to benefit from the expertise and facilities available at St Luke’s by holding regular evening coaching sessions there, especially during the winter. As one athlete said “We trained hard but also enjoyed the sessions and the music.”
Wrote Teaching and Coaching Booklets which are now kept in Harriers Clubhouse and are available for anyone interested, athletes, students and coaches, to use

Pictured below is Jane Edgecombe, Dave’s widow, with Terry O’Brien (Devon Schools AA) presenting the Coaching Library to Exeter Harriers’ Game Changers, who form part of the young volunteering coaching programme within the club.

Jane Edgecombe presenting the Edgecombe Coaching Library to Exeter Harriers Gamechangers Exeter Harriers Gamechangers with Edgecombe Library

About the Booklets

Booklet 1. Junior Athletics Methods of Teaching and Coaching.
Intended for use by student teachers and coaches who are working with groups of athletes in the under 13 and younger age groups.
Includes lesson/session plans for beginners and introduction to throwing skills.

Booklet 2. Junior Athletics – Throwing
Teaching throws – coaching throwing techniques – shot, hammer, discus and javelin. Includes safety in throwing.
How to observe the individual athlete’s technique so coaching can be specific to the athlete’s needs.

Booklet 3. Secondary PE Track and Field Course

Intended for teaching or coaching athletes in under 15 or older age groups

Part 1 – Starts with section on training coaches to observe their students, first in moving from walking to running.
Then section on sprinting, followed by relay running, hurdling and pace judgement.

Part 2 – Jumping Events – Good techniques in long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault.

Part 3 – Throwing events – observation and analysis of throwing techniques in shot (includes rotational technique), discus, javelin and hammer.