Building a Throws Culture for Success at Any level with Julie Merkes
by Wisconsin Track Coaches Association
Description
In her enlightening lecture, "Building a Throws Culture for Success at Any Level," Coach Julie Merkes shares invaluable insights gleaned from her extensive experience in track and field coaching. Throughout the session, she emphasizes the delicate balance between nurturing inexperienced athletes and harnessing the potential of seasoned competitors. Coach Merkes advocates for a structured approach that initially separates athletes based on skill level before gradually integrating them into a cohesive unit, fostering a supportive environment conducive to growth and development.
Central to Coach Merkes' philosophy is the idea of simplicity in training methods, eschewing complexity for fundamental principles that resonate with athletes across all levels. She underscores the importance of clear communication and timely feedback, whether through in-person coaching or remote video analysis, to empower athletes to take ownership of their progress. By embracing these principles, coaches can cultivate a throws culture that transcends skill level, fostering an environment where athletes thrive and excel on their journey to success.
Lessons
The Coach
Julianne Merkes begins her sixth season as assistant coach for the UW-La Crosse women’s track & field team in 2023-24. The Eagles captured their 11th consecutive Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) outdoor title in 2023, winning 11 individual and two relays titles.
UWL won its third straight WIAC indoor crown in 2023, capturing 10 individual and one relay title. UWL was selected the 2022 and 2023 WIAC Outdoor and Indoor Coaching Staff of the Year. UWL won six individual and two relay crowns at the 2022 outdoor championships and five individual and one relay indoor.
The Eagles won seven individual and one relay title while also recording eight second-place and nine third-place individual finishes in capturing the outdoor championship in 2021. UWL was selected the 2021 WIAC Outdoor Coaching Staff of the Year.
UWL won 10 individual conference titles at the 2020 indoor meet with capturing the league championship while recording four second-place finishes and six third-place finishes. For its efforts, UWL was named the 2020 WIAC Coaching Staff of the Year.
UWL swept the 2023 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Indoor and Outdoor Championships. The team secured 18 All-America honors at the indoor championshps and 20 at the outdoor championships. The Eagles placed second at the 2022 NCAA Division III Indoor and Outdoor Championships. UWL earned 16 All-America honors at each of the championships. UWL was second at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Championships, its best finish since placing second in 1997. UWL earned 17 All-America accolades at the 2021 national meet.
Merkes was a member of the UWL women’s track & field team from 2011-15. She placed sixth (2014) and seventh (2015) in the hammer throw at the WIAC championships. During the 2014-15 season, Merkes was a team captain and earned various recognitions including UWL Scholar-Athlete, WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team, and U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic Team.
She served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Council for both UWL and the WIAC.
Merkes graduated with honors from UWL in 2015 with bachelor’s degree in biology. After college, she worked at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, as a technical specialist for the Genomics laboratory. She is currently working on her Master’s in Clinical Microbiology at UWL.
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This Course Includes
| 24 hours on-demand video |
| Streaming from mobile and TV |
| Lifetime access |
| Certificate of completion |
| 100% money back guarantee |
Course Info
| Rating: | (0) |
|---|---|
| Caterory: | Track and Field/Shot Put |
| Duration: | |
| Videos: | 9 |
