Locomotivation
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Testimonials

Keano Kini

PictureKeano is such a talented athlete in so many codes. Totally focused and hard working and a true pleasure to train.
​Why do you think you needed one on one training?
Mum:  When your son says to you after a race he didn’t feel like he raced well and that something was missing and as a parent you have no answers - it makes you think maybe its time to look at giving him one on one training/coaching? 
Keano: Because I wasn’t sure if my technique was right.  I knew I could do better but I didn’t know what I was doing wrong or what I needed to do to improve.  

Why Locomotivation - Steve Erkkila?
Mum:  To be honest I just started googling and he was the first one that came up.  I did not know at the time he was already coaching a few bay cougar athletes.  Small world – went to first athletics night and spoke with one parent who said her son just started lessons with Steve and he loved him.  That was a sign that he was the one!

What was your first impression of Steve?
Mum: My first encounter with Steve was via a phone call where he gave me a run down of what he did, who he coached, what he can do for Keano– My first impression of him “ boy, this man can talk!”
Keano: My first session was cool.  I really felt comfortable with him. He was funny and told me he can improve most things except one thing – my looks!

What if anything has Steve helped you with? 
Keano: My running technique, how to place my blocks, how to run a 200m bend, long jump technique – he gave me confidence! Still have nerves though but just talking with Steve before a main race helped calm me a little.

Is there still room to improve?
Keano:  Yep – this season looking forward to having Steve further improve my sprinting technique and long jump. You can never stop improving. Hard work pays off!  Still think he can improve my looks too - haha!

In Summary
Keano’s love of sports includes Athletics, Rugby league and basketball.  He’s always had a competitive nature. From Grade 7 this became apparent when he started competing in the Colgate games, Auckland Pentathlon, Top 10 and Auckland Champs.  

Since joining Steve this season, Keano has excelled in the 200m - breaking the Grade 11 Boys Bays Cougar club record.  He was named Vice-Captain for the Auckland Trans-tasman team that won against Australia.  He won Gold at Auckland Pentathlon and won the cup for Best Grade 11 Boy at Auckland Championship.

Steve also set Keano a goal to jump over 5 metres in Long jump – something Keano doubted.  He jumped 5.05m at Auckland Champs. That was a personal best for the season! GOLD!
There is certainly a benefit when you have one on one coaching.  It doesn’t matter what sport you are in Steve is focused on you and improving your technique.  He has done that with our son and I have seen him with other athletes from our club.  We recommend him 100% and look forward to our son’s future progress. 

Julia Kini

Russ Hoggard 

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​Steve Erkkila is unique in his ability to communicate running skills to people from all  other sporting codes. His communication skills are excellent and irrespective of age or talent  he has the ability to teach sportsmen and women from any sport to run economically and efficiently. He has worked with footballers, netballers and beach sprinters  with considerable success over a long period  of time.
In his own right Steve was a multiple National sprint champion and he has developed the art of teaching the skills that he learned  in this area across a wide range of sports.
 


​Russ Hoggard
Program Development Manager
North Sport Academy

Sionann Murphy

PictureSo proud to be Sionann's running coach, such an brilliant inspiration to all and a fantastic role model. Such an amazing wonderful person who has the will and determination far beyond her years. Coach
We heard through club members at North Harbour Bays Athletics Club that Steve Erkkila was a good running coach, so we approached him to see if he could work with our daughter Sionann Murphy (10 yrs) who has Cerebral Palsy - she has mild paralysis to her right side effecting her leg and arm.
 
Steve had three training sessions with Sionann, and included our son Danny, before attending North Island Colgate Games 2016 held in Palmerston North. Both children ran exceptional races which resulted in PB's and made for talking point/s within the club.
 
Steve altered Sionann's running style, which resulted in her being able to conserve more energy when striding out on the track. This is very important for managing fatigue within her disability. Discussions between Steve and her father around the starting blocks, which due to her disability she is unable to manage the standard starting blocks. Steve provided us with a starting block which her dad customised, allowing her back leg which is effected to push off on the line. 
 
Steve also worked with our son Danny who is 8 years old and very tall for his age. As he has developed his arm motion was somewhat immature. Steve has corrected this and we have seen amazing results. Steve has also taught him starting techniques as Danny is very quick out of the blocks.
 
Both children had amazing results at the games - Sionann beating an able bodied athlete on the track in her 100m race, along with beating 4 able bodied athletes in Long jump!! Danny was the first runner in his relay team and ran the race of his life, which caused people who knew him well to comment! This was the result of all Steve's amazing hard work! Both my children love going to training with coach Steve.

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Young Aucklander achieves rare feat at athletics competition​

​North Shore Times) 
Felicity Reid
Last updated 12:13, February 4, 2016

Link:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/auckland/local-news/north-shore-times/76379543/young-aucklander-achieves-rare-feat-at-athletics-competition

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Davies Family

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Steve Erkkila is is currently coaching our two children (Dyllan 8 years and Ashton 7 years).  Steve also coached our eldest daughter Sophie Healey (2 year National Champion 400m Sprint title  holder) and Gold Medalist at the Oceania Championships, Samoa in the U18 Women's 400m, running as a 14 year old at the time. It is a great honour and a pleasure to have Steve available to work with our youngest children, our son is on the spectrum and can be somewhat challenging at times, however in a short time his running style and balance has improved out of sight. Steve's an extremely talented Coach and has that rare ability to be able to work alongside people of all ages and stages (and level of needs) and getting the very best results. Our daughter Dyllan is loving her training and my husband and I are thoroughly enjoying being back down at the track and given the opportunity for our children to train  with one of the best Coaches in the World. 

​Katherine & Tim Davies

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Steven Ferguson

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In Surf lifesaving being able to move fast in and out of the water is critical to the end result of your race and this was an area that I wanted to improve for the Piha lifeguards. Fortunately my fastest sprint athlete was already seeing Steve and running faster than ever so I decided to give him a go! Steve exceeded my expectations and before I knew it my team was moving not only faster on the beach but using less energy as well.
Steve has a quick wit and says what he thinks and with his training sessions and attention to detail has my whole teams attention during his sessions which is great, I am looking forward to our next block of sprint training with Steve and am excited about the running speed gains my whole team are having.
Even I have been noticing the difference with my running and at 35 years old I am now running faster than I have ever done and really enjoying it. I definitely recommend Steve and his ability to get the most out of your athlete and you are never too young or old to learn.
 
Steven Ferguson
4 x Olympian - Swimming and Kayaking
World Champion Surf lifesaver

Surf lifesaving NZ assistant coach
Piha SLSC head coach
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Steven Ferguson 4 x Olympian - Swimming and Kayaking World Champion Surf lifesaver Surf lifesaving NZ assistant coach Piha SLSC head coach

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Very proud to be Piha's Speed and Running Mechanics Coach
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Vella Family

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Great working with this motivated trio. Iam positive all three will reach their personal goals on the various sports fields

Our eldest son Gianni (16), had always been considered ‘fast’, but he had what appeared to be a very inefficient ‘style’ of running. When he was selected to represent his football club in an U19 national tournament, we thought we would get him some assistance.
After Steve assessed him he confirmed there was much room for improvement.
Our other son Lucano (14) & daughter Maria (12), came along to watch, so Steve suggested they join in. Steve quickly transformed all their various running styles,with all 3 kids amazed how a few changes under Steve’s expert eye made them so much quicker and efficient.
Steve’s training regime was varied, which kept it interesting and he always took the time to explain what each exercise was actually doing for them. Steve combined a good blend of serious training with humour and fun to keep the youngsters interested.
 Steve is obviously a ’people person’, picking up on the kids different personalities and tailoring his approach to suit the individual.
Our children definitely benefited from Steve’s training, all of them being quicker and more efficient runners, which they put into good use in their chosen sports of football, netball and athletics.
My eldest especially, noticed how much quicker and less tired he got during a game of football.
On an interesting note, one day during training at the Domain a gentleman stopped and started watching and listening to Steve training our children, when asked if he was a runner, he replied no, but that he was a neuroscientist and he said he could see the connection between Steve’s training techniques with what he knew as a scientist of the way the bodies ‘central pattern generator’ in the spine and the brain combine to control arm swing / leg movement in human bipedal locomotion.
It was interesting to know that there was a science that backed up Steve’s methods.
In closing, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Steve to anyone, of any age, our kids always looked forward to training having fun, whilst learning from an expert in his field. Steve even took time to share some ‘life lessons’ which coming from someone other than a parent really resonated with the kids.
 
Mark & Sally Vella

Gus T Fepuleai 

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Hi, my name is Gus T Fepuleai the proud Chairman of the mighty Richmond Rovers Rugby League Club since 2013 our Centenary year based in Grey Lynn. Steve was introduced to our Academy by our Co-Ordinator Graeme Atmore three summers ago realising what he could offer our young athletes with their Speed work an agility. Steve brought to the Academy professionalism good attitudes and decipline towards their already hard program. Speed is the name of the game nowadays adding that to their already endurance work was a huge bonus. We witnessed the improvement on the boys speed straight away and Steve still pushes on with them. The Academy really appreciated him as a good person with a  great sense of humor. This year the Club has had probably its best year ever with the U16s, Senior A, Premier first and the Premiers winning their Sharman Cup Grand finals as well, it is an amazing year for our Club, Steve has no doubt been a huge contributor to our Success with some of the  Academy boys all playing for either the top side or the Premier 1st. We thank Steve very much for his time spent with us and hoping we will have him back this summer as we progress to contest the major Auckland trophy which is the Fox Memorial in 2016

Gus T. Fepuleai 
RRRLFC -Chairman 


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Gus T Fepuleai
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Sharman Cup Winners

Charlotte Scanlan



When my flatmate and Kiwi Fern team mate invited me to join her for some speed training I of corse said yes. I didn’t know anything about Steve or his accolades. I just knew that I wanted to get faster. I had recently made the Auckland Rugby 7s team and I knew that speed was a work on for me. He asked me straight away what my goals were and asked if I thought I could play NZ 7s to which I laughed and said “nah, I’m not fast enough”. Playing League for the NZ Kiwi Ferns had been my greatest achievement at the time but I wanted to achieve more in rugby union. 

Steves simple and effective approach to coaching really helped me with my running style which effectively helped me on the field. Not only did I get faster but because my running technique had improved I wasn’t struggling as much with the aerobic sessions. Luckily enough later that year I got the opportunity to play for the NZ 7s team in Dubai. 

Thank you so much Steve for your contribution to my success in rugby and giving me the ability to reach my goals. Now I can honestly say that I am living the "dream". 

Charlotte Scanlan

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So proud of Charlotte making the women's All Black Sevens, next stop in her dreams the Rio Olympics. You go girl.

Tash Davie

I met Steve at a Richmond Rugby League Academy Training Session in 2014, where he was putting the junior boys through some sprint training drills.  After participating in this session, I realised I could benefit from further training techniques to get me back on track to returning to the NZ Womens Rugby League Team.

After an eight week program with Steve on changing the way I sprint/run, ongoing hamstring and lower back pain disappeared and I moved from being a "retard" (one of Steve's famous technical Jargon) to making my come back into the Kiwi Womens league Team for the Anzac Test 2015, at the youthful age of 38.

Credit goes to Steve not only for showing me a better, faster way to run, but also building my confidence and self belief that i could still be at the top of my game.

Through my career I have been a NZ Representative in Rugby League since I was 20 years of age.  I have represented NZ at Touch and Tag and Auckland provincial 7's.  Who knows where my career  could of gone if I had Steve coach me 20 Years ago! 
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Tasha what a legend at 38 yrs young still competing at the highest level of her sport an absolute example to all age is just a number
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Anzac Test - Tasha Davie
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Anzac Test - Tasha Davie
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Anzac Test Jersey Presentation - Tasha Davie

Brittany Coates, Fiji Women's Sevens Team 2014/2015

Myself and two other Auckland Sevens team mates came to Steve Erkkila wanting to get faster. Steve gave me confidence and belief in my sprinting ability. Within a short time of training with Steve my speed had improved and my running style was much smoother.  I noticed a big difference when playing sevens, knowing that I could back myself to have a go.
I'd just like to thank you Steve for your passion and enthusiasm that you injected Into my training. I am now in the Fiji Women's Sevens team, and competed on the 2014/2015 world circuit. We are now working towards winning our Olympic Qualifier tournament in Auckland in November this year.
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Brittany showing all the skills and determination I am sure will allow Brittany to realise her Olympic dream

North Harbour Hockey Association

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Steve has been involved within North Harbour Hockey for 5 years now bringing the technical aspects to speed development of our Elite athletes. Over the past 2 years the success of Steve’s programme has meant we have also filtered his programmes down through the Under 15 and Under 13 age groups.

Speed is arguably the #1 attribute in hockeys modern game, and we are seeing the results of Steve’s fun and productive speed development sessions come through our representative athletes through their testing results.

 Dave Kosoof
High Performance Manager


Nadia Evans

PictureNadia Evans, who has re-written the Sprint and Long Jump Record Books
“Steve’s training technique has developed our 11 year daughter into a sprinter of National status. Last season as a ten year old Nadia won four Gold Medals at the North Island Colgate Games in 100m, 200m 400m and long jump and then repeated the effort at the South Island Colgate Games.

Steve has been training Nadia since January 2012.

Nadia loves the way Steve interacts with her. He makes training fun, often singing and making jokes, whilst at the same time achieving the desired results. He really makes training enjoyable. 

Steve has turned an already great athlete into an exceptional one for her age.

It doesn’t matter what sport your child plays we are sure Steve is the right person for the job. He has the uncanny ability to train people of all ages. We would personally recommend him to any parent seeking coaching for their child.”   
 

Nadia Evans
Auckland Junior Sports person of the Year for her age 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015
Holder of seven Auckland Records
Holder of thirteen Bays Athletics Records
Awarded the John Hamlin Trophy 2013 & 2015

 

 


Madi Kidd

PictureMaddie Kidd showing a clean pair of heels to her rivals at the World Lifesaving Championships in France 2014

I've been training with Steve Erkkila for nearly 3 years, where he has changed my style, boosted my confidence and helped me achieve goals that I couldn't have done without him. I would like to thank you for everything you have done for me, with coaching, mentoring and having a bloody good time every session. You have helped me achieve results in Australia and New Zealand, but mostly for helping me achieve, 2 golds, 2 silvers and a bronze at the World Surf Life Saving Championships over in France. You aren't too shabby for an old fossil, looking forward to many more exciting years to come working as a team.

Madie Kidd


Danielle Ingram-Trevis

PictureDanielle Ingram-Trevis showing fantastic emotion in winning the Auckland Half Marathon



Training with Steve has been amazing, working with him has changed my bio mechanics in a way which enables me to train injury free. If I had continued running the way I did I would have been a talented athlete forced to quit after a couple of years due to constant injury setbacks but now I am able to train consistently, efficiently and effortlessly in order to reach my full potential as a young Olympic hopeful.


Danielle Ingram-Trevis
Three time Auckland Half Marathon Winner and record holder 
New Zealand Junior 10,000m record holder


  • Kelsey Lewis

PictureKelsey Lewis showing complete change of running mechanics therefore producing far better results with less effort

I was nearly 13 years old when I started training with Steve and my running style still looked exactly the same as shown on the left photo. Over the last three years, Steve has transformed my style. Note how drastically my head, back, arms, knee lift and foot placement has changed. Not only do I really enjoy all of Steve’s trainings, they have enabled me to achieve national titles in athletics, surf life saving and play Premier Womens’ hockey at an early age. In order to be the best, it seems logical to learn from the best. By extracting every ounce of knowledge from Steve and his experiences as a sprinter, I am one step closer in the pursuit of my sporting goals. Thanks Steve – I really appreciate everything you have done for me!

Kelsey Lewis


Andy Rogers

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Being an effective coach is far more than imparting sports knowledge on an athlete or team. The bottom line is that great coaches spend the time to ‘get to know their athletes’ and inspire them to the highest possible performance level. Steve understands the environment he is working in and how he can positively impact on his athlete’s physical, psychological and social development. Steve has a wonderful ability to positively “Connect” with each and every athlete he coaches; this essential quality is underpinned by a sound understanding of the coaching process. I have personally seen Steve in action and love the enthusiasm and dedication he brings to his coaching role.

Andy Rogers, 
Director 
Greater Auckland Coaching Unit


The Hannah Family

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It is tremendous working with the Hannah family, everybody is so talented, positive, hard working and supportive of new methods and ideas i introduce and they quickly adapt to their new skills that are introduced. (Steve Erkkila)
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The Hannah Family
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When looking for a coach, you want to find one that is motivating, inspiring, supportive, open and honest and knows his stuff. This describes Steve Errkila to a tee and from our very first meeting with Steve this was blatantly obvious.

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Two sisters, one liked to sprint (9) and one liked middle distance (12).
Both were struggling through a tough patch, making no gains and feeling very low, with their confidence at rock bottom.
 
One session with Steve had the 12 year old dubious but putting it into practice, and the 9 year old buzzing. Next session had them both fully on board and the difference was exponential. The mechanics of running you think you know until you meet Steve and he explains very quickly that you are doing it all wrong. Listen to him! Understand it and put it into action and see what happens.
 
Suddenly, confidence was up for both girls and gains were starting to be hadŠ but you have to keep it up, and Steve is very good at following up and keeping you on track, not afraid to tell you if you are spot on or if you need more work.
 
Mum joined in and so did Uncle. All of us now running with more focus and speed. Steve's way saves energy that you can use on your sprint finish or to reduce your lap time in spades and it all makes perfect sense.
 
One year on and we owe a lot to Steve. He's coached and mentored the girls with their sprints and starts, middle distance track, long jump, cross country and touch rugby at representative level. Admittedly, not all races and games played have produced medals, but most since we have met Steve have seen personal bests and goals met with self motivation and a want to keep striving forward and sometimes that's even better than a medal (medals are also very good).
 
We as a family apply this method to all our running and sports and we see results, so thank you Steve for your constant support and mentoring, the Hannah family are very grateful!
 
Carol, Jon, Caitlin and Danielle.

Jessica Honey

Jessie has enjoyed being coached by Steve this summer.  Jessie was achieving good results as a sprinter but was always the last kid out of the starting blocks.  Jessie wanted to know what she needed to change to go faster.   I did not have the answers she needed.  We approached Steve and asked if he would work with Jessie.  From the very first session with Steve he had her starting faster.  Jessie loved the one on one training she was given.  Steve has a great way of explaining why he wants the athlete to do what he is asking.  He took the time to help Jessie believe why the changes he made would work for her.  Not only did he perfect her start he improved her running technique.
 
Jessie enjoys training with Steve.  She likes his sense of humour and his positive altitude.  She looks forward to the training sessions and I can see her confidence increase from the training.  She likes that Steve is not too serious!
 
Steve has helped Jessie achieve the following this season:
Colgate Games– Gold Medals 100, 200, 400
Trans-Tasman Challenge – Gold Medal 400m, Bronze Medal 100
Takapuna Club records – 100, 200, 800
Auckland Champs – Gold 100, 400, 800
Auckland records – 400 and 800
PictureJessie Honey So proud of Jessie's fantastic 2016 - 2017 athletic season, Jessie has the magic ability to absorb new methods and ideas very quickly and then to implement them brilliantly. A super talented young lady that Iam certain will go right to the top of her sport. (Steve Erkkila)
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Auckland Domain, New Zealand
Ph:  021 1233437
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    • Mission Statement
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  • Testimonials
  • Steve's Blog
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