By Emily Goddard

vern_gambetta_20-06-11October 2 - Vern Gambetta, often considered as the founding father of 'Functional Sports Training', has been announced as a keynote speaker as part of this year's high calibre line up at the International Festival of Athletics Coaching (IFAC) 2011.


From baseball, through basketball, and to football, the American's 40-year coaching career encompasses a variety of sports at all levels of competition, but his one true passion remains track and field athletics, with him now specialising in both the decathlon and heptathlon.

Currently the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems, he is recognised internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport and has worked with world class athletes and teams having held prominent roles such as National Hurdle Coordinator and Head Coach for the Women's Cross Country and Track and Field team at the University of California, Berkeley, in addition to being involved in some unique projects, including as consultant coach for the Nike Oregon Project.

Gambetta's extensive expertise saw him co-found the USA Track and Field coaching education program, as well as editing its technical journal Track Technique, and he developed the Gambetta Method, which represents a unique and innovative approach to training and rehabilitating athletes.

On the international scene, he is a member of the advisory editorial board for the IAAF's technical journal, New Studies in Athletics, and has also authored nine books and over one hundred articles related to coaching and sport performance.

As one of the foremost experts in the field of athletic development, delegates of IFAC 2011 can not only look forward to learning from Gambetta as a leading expert, but can also look forward to being empowered by his knowledge and passion about training.

IFAC 2011 is supported by the European Athletics Coaches Association (EACA) and brings together leading international coaching and performance experts, while offering a wide range of workshops covering all disciplines.

For more details of this year's event, which runs from October 28-30 at the Marriot Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, please click here.

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