Athletic Training

48 ATHLETIC TRAINING mile running while in preparatory school. The blame for this condition of affairs should be put squarely up to young and inexperi– enced physical directors. Too often prepara– tory schools employ men as athletic trainers who have little or no practical experience in running the distances for which they are training young boys. Not only do they at– tempt to make quarter-milers out of boys who are unfitted for the distance, but, in their anxiety to make a wonderful showing in the various meets in which their teams are entered, they make them run too many events in one day. Fortunately, we are not having so many breakdowns among a~hletes as we once did, and credit for thi~ is due to a more sensible system of training. Every quarter-miler should master the principle of the crouching start and learn how to get into his stride quickly and naturally, following the instructions I have given on sprinting. The ability to start quickly in the quarter-mile is fully as important as in the sprints. As most quarter-mile races are run on a circular track, the quickest starter stands t.he best chance to get the pole at the first