TESTIMONIALS
100/200m Sprints Team at Simon Fraser University
You have been one of the most impactful individuals in my life. You are the only reason I’m in University and in one month I’ll finish my degree. You have taught us so much more than block technique and sprinting form but, resilience and work ethic. I will carry lessons you have taught me for my entire life. THANK YOU for everything you have done for me and countless other athletes.
–Zane Jobson
High Jump Team Simon Fraser University
I first started training with Dale Upton in 2010 when I was a freshman in high school and he’s been the BEST coach I’ve had the pleasure to train with. He is bright, knowledgeable, passionate, witty, motivational, and strives to be better every day. More importantly, he instills these qualities in the athletes he works with.
One of my favorite things about him is he is very athlete-oriented and focuses on building both a professional and personal relationship with you to help you achieve your goals both on and off the track. Dale provided me with every opportunity to succeed and grow with my sport and as a person through countless hours of training, applying cutting edge training techniques to workouts to advance my strengths and skills, bringing in sports psychologists, nutritionists, yoga instructors, and countless others. He is upfront with the level of commitment and respect that he expects of you as an athlete and returns at the same level.
He has been an incredible resource leading me to several National championships in high jump and hurdles, placing third in indoor nationals for the high jump, ranking top 5 in Canada for the high jump as a youth athlete, and played a large role in helping me get into an NCAA Div 2 University for high jump.
He has been an incredible coach and mentor to me over the years and I highly recommend him as a coach, you will not be disappointed in the level of care you receive and the progress you gain.
–Amy Petz BSc - Biomedical Physiology
Sprints & Relays University of Alberta
There is no doubt that Dale Upton is the best coach that I ever had the pleasure of working with during my athletic career. He goes beyond caring about someone as an athlete. He also cares about his athletes as a person, including their physical well being and emotional state. His caring attitude allows him to provide an environment that is conducive to both learning life and sport skills as well as creating long lasting friendships. Dale continually brought humor into practice, which is something I always appreciated during challenging workouts and hard times. His knowledge and passion for the sport of track and field is deep rooted. He continually pursues to further his knowledge in aspects of the sport, and shares this with his athletes.
Dale was impartial when sending me off to university, he helped me on my journey to find a school that had the best fit for me both athletically and academically. He helped me develop skills so that I was equipped to decide which university to attend.
My workouts were always age appropriate so that I was continuously challenged by my workouts as I progressed through the age groups. This steady progression helped me throughout the years attain many achievements, which include: Saskatchewan Junior Women’s Indoor 200m Record Holder, Simplot Games 2015 200m Champion, Western Canada Summer Games 2015 200m, 400m and 4x400m bronze medals, CanWest 60m 4th place, CanWest 4x200m and 4x400m record holder, University of Alberta School record in the 4x200, 2016 CIS 4x200m Champion, 2016 CIS 60m 8th place, 2016 CIS 4x400m bronze medal, 2017 USports 4x200m bronze medal.
–Rachel Rosin
Co-owner, Ignite Athletic Conditioning
We have had the opportunity to work with Dale Upton for over 3 years. We work with Dale in a variety of ways. Dale entrusts us with his track and field athletes’ strength and conditioning. We also contract Dale as a sprinting coach with the teams and athletes we work with. Dale has a wealth of knowledge and experience, however, the reason we work well together is that he is committed to professional development. Dale is constantly evolving his coaching style based on the latest research. Dale is very passionate and he truly cares about his athletes. We regularly receive video breakdown of ways our athletes can be improving and recommended prescriptions to help them. He takes the extra time needed to work individually with an athlete until they internalize a teaching point. Dale is a selfless coach that we hope to work with more into the future.
–Joel Lipinski CSCS*D, FMS, CSAC
Head Strength and Conditioning Coach, Football Canada
Head Football Strength and Conditioning Coach, University of Saskatchewan
Advanced Coaching Course Instructor
Focus, vision and a desire to excel are rarely combined with sensitivity, concern for others, empathy and compassion, yet these characteristics describe Dale. It is this combination of attributes that makes him unique and serves him well as a high-performance coach.
Dale is confident in his abilities as teacher/coach, yet is humble enough to accept and ask for feedback in an effort to improve his skill set. He is a quick study and strives to learn from every situation. These are qualities that he models for those who are fortunate enough to be his athletes or his fellow coaches.
–Ralph R. Schoenfeld, D.Ed.
Past athlete in speed development
I have known Dale and worked with him both as an athlete and as a physiotherapist/yoga teacher. Dale has been interactions with his athletes and their parents. I was fortunate to teach yoga to his sprinting crew nothing but professional throughout my interactions with him and through my observations of his for a few years and he not only teaches technical skills but strives to empower and facilitate his athletes to become well rounded and successful people as well.
I admire Dale’s ability to identify when a referral to physiotherapy and other professions is necessary for his athletes. He is a life long learner and has an inquisitive nature that bodes well for staying current n his field of coaching. Every time I speak with Dale he has come back from training or is thinking about taking an education course down the road. He definitely is a student of the sport.
–Adrianne Vangool MPT, BSc. Kin