Coach Profile: Cass Dooley

26 November 2020

Coach Profile: Cass Dooley

Cass Dooley is one of NSW’s young coaches based in the Sutherland Shire. In this profile we learn she dabbled in coaching well over a decade ago, but more recent Commonwealth Games and Olympics ignited her enthusiasm for the sport. She is grateful to coach in a sport that gave her so much when she was growing up.

How did you become involved in coaching?
I initially coached junior athletes in hurdles when I was 17 and I really enjoyed this experience, then after watching the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow followed by the Rio 2016 Olympics my passion for coaching was reignited.

For two years I was an assistant coach to Michael (Dooley, her father) and made sure I absorbed as much information as I could, but in September 2016, with the start of the summer athletics season I started coaching junior athletes in sprints and hurdles.

The coaching role feels very natural to me, I love teaching athletes new skills and watching them compete. Nothing beats seeing their faces light up when they run a personal best or perform their new skills with ease!

As an athlete, were you considering moving into coaching?

Even though I started coaching while I was still an athlete it never stood out as a career path for me.

What events do you coach and where are you based?

I coach 100-400m sprints, and 60-400m hurdles and currently work for Personal Best Athletics Coaching where we work mainly at Barden Ridge Athletics Track in the Sutherland Shire.

I have a great group of athletes who are all focused and determined. The squad has a wide range of levels with differing goals. Some are as young as eight and are competing in their first school carnivals or starting team sports such as soccer, oz tag or rugby league where they are looking to improve their speed, while others are competing at region, State and National level.

Tell us about some of the athletes in your squad?
We have some incredibly inspiring athletes in our squad a few standouts for me are:

Elena Christian (18-years-old) is an amazing role model for all our junior athletes and always willing to step in and help any of the athletes. Elena strives for excellence in all areas.
Elena has achieved impressive results in three seasons training for hurdles with two consecutive State Little Athletics 300m Hurdle titles, including one State record. Also fifth place in the 400m hurdles at her first Junior Nationals and fourth place at her first Australian All Schools Championships improving her personal best by five seconds.

Savannah Taylor (13-years-old) is very determined and focused on her craft, always looking to grow and improve.
After placing eighth in the 60m hurdles final at State Little Athletics in 2018 Savannah put everything into her training and technique becoming the fastest qualifier in the 80m hurdles leading into State 2020. Savannah also qualified for her first Junior Nationals in 2020.

Tom Faulkner (11-years-old) is very competitive in the best way and will never give up. After 2.5 months training Tom placed fifth in the 100m Final, fourth in the 70m final after four false starts in the field and bronze in the 200m final at State Little Athletics 2019. Tom improved by over one second in all events.

In your career as a coach can you tell us about some highlights or special moments or stories?
My career highlights as a coach so far have been Elena winning gold in the 300m hurdles at State Little Athletics, breaking the State record.

Elena continued her success in the 400m hurdles qualifying for Junior Nationals. Elena raced in heat one on Friday afternoon running a 3.5 second PB to progress to the final. The next morning Elena lined up in her first National final in a strong field of competitors she finished in fifth place.

In 2019 Elena took gold in the 400m hurdles at the NSW All Schools championships earning her a place on the NSW team to compete in Perth in December at the Australian All Schools. I did everything I could to support Elena in Perth and watch her compete. Elena ran a very aggressive race and put herself in the best position. Any hurdler knows how important it is to come off the hurdles with the control in your hands.
Elena landed unsteadily after hurdle 10 and finished fourth. As a coach you can’t ask for more than the athlete to go out and try their best. Elena did this and so much more, lowering her PB to 63.54!

Why coach?
I love what I do; I don’t see it as a job but a way of life. I am equally grateful to be able to give back to a sport that gave me so much as a young athlete growing up.
I have the passion and drive to be a coach. I love working with young athletes who have big aspirations, no fear or limits to achieve their dreams.
I care about my athletes and want to inspire them and keep them involved in the sport for a long time.
I feel ‘at home’ whenever I am at an athletics track. But don’t get me wrong, there are low moments in coaching, especially when athletes move on from athletics or become injured missing competitions throughout the season after months of hard training.

Enjoyable aspects of coaching?
For me the most enjoyable aspects of coaching are the friendships and memories you create. You become a family. The moments we create at training are very special and you don’t often find this in other industries.
It is inspiring to hear about their hopes for the year, which continually pushes me to improve my knowledge.

Do you have any advice to other coaches?
My advice to anyone considering coaching would be to take the leap and go for it; you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
You won’t realise your potential until you back yourself and take a chance.

Coaching philosophy?
My coaching philosophy is still in the development stages, however I believe in teaching athletes to run biomechanically correct and safer for their bodies, which can be achieved through the right amount of work, quality over quantity.

Who have been your coaching mentors?
My coaching mentors are my dad, Michael Dooley who coached me in sprints and hurdles. I have the advantage most days to see how he interacts and works with his athletes.
I have also benefited from spending time with renowned hurdles coach, Ron Bendall. Through attending a hurdle coaching session with Ron, he helped me to learn new tips and focus areas to improve my hurdle coaching knowledge. Ron will always congratulate me on my athlete’s performances.
A coach always willing to answer any questions I have is Matt Beckenham. Also I have the opportunity to observe and learn most weeks the way Paul Laurendet and his squad operate.

Background? (work/study, family)
I love living in the Sutherland Shire and enjoy an active lifestyle with my family and friends.
Away from the track, you could find me catching the latest movie at the cinemas, taking in sporting events like netball or rugby league, anything Disney or reading a good book.

I am a level 2 Advanced Sprints Coach looking to move into event specific coaching.

I am building my knowledge through the Altis online courses, reading hurdle books and watching video film over and over to pick up anything and everything I can to improve myself and my athletes.

I have started working in a range of different schools with different aged children to expand my skills and techniques for coaching.

Your own athletics career highlight/s?
In my junior years as an athlete I competed at State and National level in the hurdles.
My main events as a developing athlete were in the sprints and hurdles where I felt most confident and continued to train specifically for the 100-200m and 90-200m hurdles at the end of my training years.

As a senior athlete I competed for Illawong Athletics in Club Premiership and State Relay competitions.
Although I competed last season my main focus is on coaching the up and coming athletes of my local area.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Images: Coach Cass Dooley