Written by Coach Cathy Barry - Head Coach of Eclipse Track & Field Club Inc. In my many years of coaching athletes and teams, I've noticed a disturbing trend in the level and ability of athletes to complete basic fitness exercises and they seem less motivated to engage. Athletes today seem to be less fit than their counterparts were 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Why should this be when today we have more access to sports, we know more than we ever have, we have access to technology

Written by Coach Cathy Barry - CEO & Founder of Eclipse Track & Field Club 13% of the World is Obese : According to the World Health Organization, since 1975 to 2016 worldwide obesity rates have tripled. 1.9 billion adults (yes, billion) are considered overweight, and of these, 650 million are obese. Also extremely shocking is that there are 39 million children under the age of 5 are overweight or obese as of 2020 and 340 million children aged 5-19 were overweight or obese

Coach Cathy Barry - Head Coach and CEO Eclipse Track & Field Club is a more multifaceted sports performance business dedicated to help athletes of any age share in the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of Track and Field, Running, Athletic Conditioning and Fitness, Team and Speed Development Training. We aim to build the leaders of tomorrow and to help athletes exceed to a newer higher level of success. Our commitment is to provide the best training, knowledge and experien

I must profess that I've always been an "eat everything in moderation, don't eat processed foods and exercise" kind of advocate for weight loss. It goes without saying that if we eat healthy and exercise regularly and keep these two habits consistent we should be able to either maintain weight or even lose a few pounds. So why can't we just stick to what is easy and good for us? Well, that's really a loaded question. We live in the "NOW" society of get me what I want, when

Speed Training Benefits Speed Training: Speed Training is one of the most important aspects that should be incorporated for all athletes who serve to benefit from it. The benefits of Speed Training are many and can truly help Athletes and Sports Teams increase in their athletic potential. Speed Training involves the increase in muscle power through both speed, technical guidance and increased range of motion. As athletes enter each stage of Speed Training, the exercises and d

I came across this amazing article on Spikes https://spikes.iaaf.org/post/cindy-ofili-recovery I thought it was a well written and well thought out blog that deserves sharing. It's a story of perseverance after injury, patience and the will to keep on going because of our passion for the sport. It's a story of Recovery. Going into the race, there was a voice in my head: Cindy, don’t do it. The week before, I had run at a street meet in Manchester where I felt a twinge in my

Why Women Coaches matter in Sport

Taken from Runners World: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/gear/shoes/a776671/best-running-shoes-2019/ The best men's and women's running trainers, tested in the lab and on the road. There’s no such thing as the perfect running shoe. When it comes to running, all sorts of things come into play – your biomechanics, your weight, the surface you run on and the shape of your feet, meaning no one shoe will suit every kind of runner. One of the things we've noticed over the decades

Written by Coach Cathy Barry - Head Coach of the Eclipse Track & Field Club When it comes to Inspiration, we have so many role models we can look to. From the political game changers, highest paid Athletes to those who rose from the ashes. But for most of us, looking onto a role model such as a Kobe Bryant or Michelle Obama is not really the same as being inspired each and every day by those who touch our lives. We can’t really quantify the importance of everyday role models

Written by Coach Cathy - Head Coach of the Eclipse Track and Field Club. Too often as parents or coaches and even as athletes, we feel that our kids need to specialize way too young. We feel that the only way for our kids to excel in the sport they are in is to do way more of that sport. While specialization has its benefits down the road, it can also lead to our worst fears as parents - that kids will loose interest in the sport because that's all they have ever known. L

Written by Coach Cathy - Head Coach of the Eclipse Track and Field Club. Performance anxiety in our youth today is very real. The problem with performance anxiety is when it causes athlete to disconnect from the sport they once really enjoyed. Let’s face it, anxiety is in all of us and its part of our DNA and emotional character. It's how we process anxiety that makes us all a little different. Anxiety has long been regarded as an "unpleasant" feeling, and anyone suffering fr