THE ORIGINAL ALL-WEATHER TRACKS

Dan Pfaff

University of Florida

Dan Pfaff was named the Florida assistant track and field coach for field events on Jan.
12, 2005. A respected authority on field event coaching around the world who has
guided 33 Olympians and 29 NCAA individual national champions, Pfaff has more than
30 years of coaching to his credit, including as the women's track and field head coach
at the University of Texas-El Paso and assistant coaching positions at the University of
Texas-Austin and LSU.

"Having the opportunity to work with somebody of Dan's ability is very exciting for me
and the Florida track and field program as a whole," Florida head coach Mike Holloway
said. "The experience he brings to the table is from an international level and Dan is
somebody who can help the team get better and help the coaching staff as a whole get
better. We're all really excited about what he brings to the program."

Pfaff has tutored athletes who have combined to earn 150 NCAA All-America honors in
his career, while also guiding 33 Olympians who went on to earn seven medals. He
coached Tore Johnson, who set the world record in the weight throw in 1984, and four-
time NCAA high jump champion and Canadian record holder Mark Boswell.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity that Jeremy Foley and Mike Holloway have offered to
me," Pfaff said. "I've always respected the program from afar having spent 11 years in
the SEC. In the last year, I've learned that I want to return to teaching and I'm excited to
get back into college coaching."

In addition to Boswell and Johnson, Pfaff coached 1996 Olympic gold medalist and
100m world record holder Donovan Bailey. He also helped guide former Canadian star
Bruny Surin, who claimed the silver medal in the 100m at the 1999 World
Championships. He also coached Obadele Thompson of Barbados to a bronze in the
100m at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Pfaff has served as a coach on teams that have won 17 NCAA titles (15 women, two
men) and has coached on three Olympic team staffs and seven World Championships
staffs. He most recently worked as a private consultant following his assistant coaching
stint at Texas from 1995-03. While in Austin, the Texas men's team finished in the top
10 at the NCAA Outdoor Championships four of six seasons from 1996-02. While there,
he coached nine NCAA champions and a pair of Olympians. One of his most highly
accomplished athletes’, Boswell finished his career with 19 consecutive wins and took
home the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles in the high jump in 1999 and 2000.

Prior to his arrival in Austin, Pfaff was the head field events coach at LSU from 1984-95
for both the men and women's teams. While in Baton Rouge, LSU enjoyed tremendous
success as the Tigers' women's team won the NCAA outdoor title nine consecutive
years from 1987-95 and claimed the indoor title six times in that span. The men's team
added a pair of NCAA outdoor titles in 1990 and 1989. In his tenure at LSU, Pfaff
coached athletes who won 17 NCAA titles.

He coached at UTEP from 1982-84, including two seasons as the women's head coach
and as an assistant with the men's team, which came on the heels as an assistant
coach at Wichita State in 1981-82. Pfaff's first collegiate position came as a graduate
assistant at Houston from 1979-81, where he also earned a master's of education in
sport science. His first coaching position came at Carlisle Senior High in Carlisle, Ohio,
from 1976-79 after he graduated from Wright State in 1976 with a degree in science
education.

He and his wife, Barbara, have two children, Taylor and Seth.

The Dan Pfaff File

Hometown: Dayton, Ohio

Education: Bachelor's in Science Education, Wright State, 1976; Master's in Sport
Sciences, Houston, 1981
Coaching Career: 1976-79- Coach, Carlisle Senior High School; 1979-81- Graduate
Assistant Coach, Houston; 1981-82- Assistant Coach, Wichita State; 1982-84- Women's
Head Coach, Men's Assistant Coach, UTEP; 1984-95- Head Field Events Coach, LSU;
1995-03- Men's Assistant Coach, Texas; 2005-present- Assistant Coach, Florida.
Team Accomplishments: LSU - Men's NCAA outdoor champions 1990, 1989;
Women's NCAA indoor champions 1995, 1994, 1993, 1991, 1989, 1987, Women's
NCAA outdoor champions 1995, 1994, 1993, 1992, 1991, 1990, 1989, 1988, 1987.
Career Totals:
Olympians: 33 (seven medalists)
World Championships Competitors: 44 (nine medalists)
NCAA champions: 29
All-Americans: 150
Top Athletes: Donovan Bailey (100m Olympic Gold Medalist, 1996); Mark Boswell
(NCAA High Jump Champion); Jacob Davis (NCAA Pole Vault Champion); Richard
Duncan (NCAA Long Jump Champion); Brian Hunter (NCAA Pole Vault Champion);
Tore Johnson (Former Weight Throw World Record Holder) Tom Lange (NCAA High
Jump Champion); John Nichols (NCAA Discus Champion); Mikael Olander (NCAA
Decathlon Champion); Mario Sategna (NCAA Decathlon Champion); Llewellyn Starks
(NCAA Long Jump Champion); Bruny Surin (100m Silver Medalist, 1999 World
Championships); Obadele Thompson (100m Olympic Bronze Medalist, 2000); Ivan
Wagner (NCAA High Jump Champion); Simon Williams (NCAA Shot Put Champion)
 Dan A. Pfaff
University of Florida
Plyometrics

Developmental athletes and their coaches are continually searching for new
approaches in training that will help them actualize their potentials. Endless reviews of
training formats used by current world class athletes reveal time tested approaches on
running workouts, weight training inventories, and skill technique drills. A recent
emphasis has been placed on another type of training know as “plyometric” or jump
training. This method takes advantage of deficiencies that we have in trying to develop
parameters such as muscle endurance, muscle development, and neuro-muscular
development.

The term plyometric finds its origin in European research literature highlighted by
Soviet sport scientists. Its physiological premise centers around, preferably overloaded,
but extremely fast eccentric-concentric muscle contractions. This in turn has indicated
that there is a positive response of neuro-muscular responses of negative and re-coil
stretch training (Santos, 1982). A simplified description of this technique would find an
athlete using immediate rebounding and concentrically contracting the involved muscle
groups. Current research indicates that this type of muscle groups. Current research
indicates that this type of muscle loading prepares the muscles to react to stresses
similar to those encountered in event specific conditions.

Most training programs aim to improve the individual’s capacities in terms of bulk,
general strength, power, and muscular endurance. As coaches analyze the above
components and their final results, they have continuously found that we have numbers
of athletes who are tremendously strong but seemingly do not convert this strength into
efficient movement. It is the contention of plyometric proponents that jump training can
significantly bridge the gap between strength and power output. As we learn more
about neurophysiology, the more we will find that this type of training has a place in any
sport repertoire.
 PLYOMETRIC GUIDELINES FOR VOLUME AND RECOVERY
(Developing Athletes)
Dan Pfaff
University of Florida

I. Mutli-Jumps

A. Volume

1. Preparation Phase (1-3X weekly)

a) reps = 8-20
b) sets = 10-20
c) total volume = 150-250 contacts

2. Competitive Phase (1X weekly)

a) reps = 2-6
b) sets = 5-10
c) total volume = 70-100 contacts

B. Recovery

1. Preparation Phase
a) 30-60 sec. between sets
b) 2-3 min. between different exercises

2. Competitive Phase
a) 1-2 min. between sets
b) 3-5 min. between different exercises

II. Endurance Bounding

A. Volume

1. Preparation Phase (1-2X weekly)

a) distance = 30-80m
b) sets = 1-5
c) total volume = 200m-100m

B. Recovery

1. Preparation Phase
a) Walk back recovery between sets
b) 3-5 min. between different exercises
III. Death Jumps – (Be careful!!!)

A. Volume

1. Preparation Phase (1X weekly)

a) reps = 8-10
b) sets = 2-5
c) total volume = 20-50 contacts

2. Competitive Phase (1X weekly if no competition)

a) reps = 5-10
b) sets = 1-2
c) total volume = 10-20 contacts

B. Recovery

1. Preparation Phase
a) reps = 3-5 min. between sets
b) 5-7 min. between exercises

2. Competitive Phase
a) 5-7 min. between sets
b) full recovery between exercises

IV. Jump-Throw Combinations

A. Volume

1. Preparation Phase (1-2X weekly)

a) reps = 6-10
b) sets = 4-6
c) total volume = 12-20 contacts

2. Competitive Phase
a) reps = 3-5
b) sets = 3-4
c) Total volume = 12-20 contacts
 Guidelines For The Implementation
Of Plyometric Training
Dan A. Pfaff
University of Florida

1. As with all training systems, one must respect the overload

Principle which specifies that increased strength will result only from work at a greater
intensity that to which the athlete is accustomed. This is accomplished by volume and
intensity values not by adding weight to the athlete.

2. Gradual progression must be adhered to at all times. Incomplete recover, injuries and
unexplained technical difficulties are all signs of overtraining. This type of work is
extremely demanding and must be respected accordingly. Use volume curves!

3. The actual techniques required by this type of training will influence the magnitude of
its positive contributions. Faulty foot placement, arm action, and recovery
mechanisms can lead to injury of reduced volume efficiency.

4. Maximum tension can be obtained by creating a situation which stretches an active

muscle rapidly. The faster muscle is forced to lengthen, the greater the force obtained
upon resulting contraction. Most physiologist, feel that the rate of pre-stretch is far
more important than the magnitude of stretch.

5. Current research suggests that the progression of jump training should be:
a) Multi Jumps
b) Endurance bounding
c) Depth Jumps
Physiologists feel that the multi-jump work prepares the muscular and neuromuscular
systems for the added stress encountered in the more advanced exercises. Tapering
for a peak level would reverse the fore mentioned progression.

6. Volumetric curves for contacts and distance should be relatively gradual in slope, with
the highest volume occurring at least six to eight weeks before the competitive phase
begins. It is far better to under train from a volume standpoint.

7. The implementation of plyometrics should follow current theories of physiological

approaches to event-specific demands. These types of activities can be thought of as
a supplement to the demands of a particular micro-cycle or as the core of that cycle.
Preceding and following mircocycles should be devised accordingly. Random use of
jump training can be counterproductive and often lead to injury. ******A key concept.

8. Event specific demands have also sparked research into movement analysis of these
exercises. Sport scientists are currently involved with testing to see how angles of
takeoff, speed of movement, and force application exhibited during jump training,
relate to event performance. The more closely one designs a series to the demands
of his or her event, the higher the carryover.
 PLYOMETRIC INVENTORY
Dan A. Pfaff
University of Florida

I. Multi-Jumps

A. In Place Jump Circuits *(see below)

B. Standing Long Jump
C. Standing Triple Jump
D. Repetitive Hurdle Hopping (DL & SL)
E. Double Leg Vertical Jumps
F. Double Leg Repetitive Bounds
G. Repetitive Single Leg Hops
H. Single Leg Combinations

(Exercises C-H can utilize a run-up.)

*** Note: For a change of stimulus and/or injury allowance, do these in a

jumping pit or in a pool!

II. Endurance Bounding

A. Scissor Bounding
B. Repetitive Hopping (RRR…) and (LLL…)
C. Alternate leg Bounding (LLRLLR…)
D. Repetitive Triple Jumping (LLRRLLRR)
E. Combination Bounding (LLRRLLRR)
F. Skipping for Ht. and Distance! *

***In Place Jump Circuits

*M.J. (Kilimanjaro) M.J. (Everest)

Star Jumps Lunge Jumps
180-360 Degrees Tuck Jumps
Speed Skater Butt Kicks
Line Hops Lateral Squat Jumps
Dynamic Step-Ups Downhill Jumps
Single Leg Butt Kick Straddle Jumps

III. Depth Jumps

A. Box Rebounds (vertical and horizontal)

B. Box Combinations
C. Box Twist Jumps
D. Box-Hurdle Combination
E. Lateral Box Combinations
IV. Jump-Throw Combinations

A. Two Hops + Overhead Backwards Throw (OHB)

B. Two Hops + Between the Legs Forward (BLF)
C. Box Jump + OHB
D. Box Jump + BLF