Athletic Training

SPRINTING 81 slow he may be, can improve his speed even– tually by constant practice and without harm to himself. Every one ought to know how to run well, because in learning to run one ac– quires the faculty of thinking quickly and handling himself easily. Before taking up the technical requirements of the sprinter I want to correct a popular fal– lacy: that, to be a successful sprinter, some particular build is necessary. This is a big mistake, for in the thirty years that I have been training athletes I have seen and trained champions of almost every conceivable build. Some were short of stature and inclined to be too heavy; some were very tall and thin, while others have had what is considered an ideal physique. Consequently a man's shortness of stature is not proof that he can– not sprint, nor should he be dismayed if his physical ·dimensions run to the other extreme. If there is any advantage to either type of man, I should say that it lies with the one who is tall and strong. But what he should consider above all these things is whether he has the nervous energy and agility that will enable him to leave his