Allden Receives USATF Honor
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina track and field coach Andrew Allden was honored with the Joe Vigil Sports Science Award on Saturday as part of the 2019 USATF Annual Meeting at Grand Sierra Resort and Casino.
The Joe Vigil Sports Science Award is given to a coach who is prolific in the areas of scholarship and teaching. The honoree contributes to coaching literature by presenting cutting edge sport science research findings through presentations and publications. This coach also utilizes scientific techniques as an integral part of his/her coaching methods, creates innovative ways to use sport science, and disseminates this information through various teaching methods and educational opportunities.
“It’s an honor to be mentioned in the same sentence as Joe Vigil, who is a renouned coach and sports scientist,” Allden said. “He’s a personal friend and mentor to me and I’m honored to receive an award that is named after him.”
Allden follows up Mike Turk of Illinois who won the award in 2018. This is the first time Allden has been honored with the Joe Vigil Sports Science Award.
Fresh off this winning this award, Allen will direct a USATF Level 1 School from Dec. 13-15 in Columbia, and registration is still available. Local track & field coaches are welcome to register for the three-day event, with training topics including biomechanics, track & field psychology, training theory, endurance and more.
Currently coach of the women’s cross country team at the University of South Carolina, Andrew Allden will be the school’s Endurance instructor. He is a Level 1 and Level 2 instructor, with 23 years of experience as a Division I collegiate coach. He coached a Division I Men’s National Champion in the 800m and in 2003 was named Southeast Men’s Coach of the Year. Andrew has been involved with Coaching Education since 1993 and is co-author of the Endurance section of the USATF Level 1 textbook.
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