Coaches

Judy MacDonald

Judy is Director of Coaching for the Phoenix Athletic Club as well as Head Coach for the Junior squad (under 15) and high jump coach for all ages. As a promising child athlete across all disciplines whose career was cut short for family reasons, a huge part of her coaching philosophy is based on all athletes being given every opportunity to succeed no matter what their family or social situation. Returning to compete in veteran athletics as an adult competitive endeavours were soon put to one side to focus on coaching children’s athletics where there was a large gap to be filled.
 
Judy is a contributor to the Athletics New Zealand Run Jump Throw manual and has also coached several athletes to international team standard – World Youth, Youth Commonwealth and Oceania Championships. Over the last 25 years she has coached multiple National and Canterbury Champions at club and school level and record holders across a variety of events and high jumpers for ANZ high performance athletes. She has also acted as team manager across a huge variety of athletic teams from school to provincial level.

Robbie Richards

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Robbie is the senior coach at Phoenix Athletic Club coaching athletes 15 and over.  Robbie has a background in education, Biology and Animal Physiology. He has coached team sports for eighteen years at secondary school level. He is focused on using sport as a vehicle for developing the athlete toward being a valued member of society and using measured performance as a gauge of hard work and personal improvement.

Robbie came to the club when his daughters joined in 2014. His primary rewards are seeing athletes working at developing their areas of strength be they on track or in the field, particularly when these result in an Athletics New Zealand National Ranking. He also enjoys both the positive atmosphere within the club and working with the club’s exceptionally well-motivated athletes.

Jamie Bennett

A member of the Phoenix Club since 2011, Jamie firmly believes in competing for personal achievement and goal setting, striving against oneself and participative learning-Whilst having Fun!

Jamie assists with the coaching of both junior & senior members of the Phoenix club, primarily throws focused, particularly javelin.  As a teenage track and field athlete he was a member of the Southland Development Squad, highlights include obtaining a Gold medal in Pole Vault at the New Zealand Athletic Championships in 1992 and Bronze in 1993.
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His greatest satisfaction however has been in the more recent years seeing his athletes continuously developing, enjoying their chosen events & improving their personal performances through skill application.