Northcliffe enlists Eckstein to train youth
THEY’VE long been a dominant force in the senior ranks and one of surf lifesaving’s biggest names could soon propel the kids of Northcliffe to the same heights.
Ironman and five-time Coolangatta Gold champion Caine Eckstein was helping
Northcliffe youth coach Gavin Hill train up-and-coming talent ahead of the now-cancelled Queensland State Surf Life Saving Championships.
“He’s starting to communicate really well with the kids,” Hill said.
“At first, they were a bit taken back by all the tattoos but now they’ve realised he’s like anyone else and is an advocate of working hard.
“A few weeks ago at the Shannon Eckstein Ironman Classic, he led until the final leg of the race so he spoke to the kids a bit about how to deal with losing and also the positives he walked away with.”
Hill, who acts as Northcliffe’s head coach for the under-14s through to the under-17s, said that Northcliffe had revised their training program to include physical and mental sessions.
“In the water, we’ve tried to change up our style of training a bit to fit in rest and recovery between each race to replicate a carnival and so the kids know what their race pace is,” he said. “We’ve been doing a bit of mental preparation as well and trying to get the kids to keep on top of school and sleep and getting off their phones where possible.
“When they’re training, they’re often thinking about study so we try to separate the two and make sure the kids enjoy it which they do.”