Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING ORGANIZATION AND ROUTINE death-dealing missile if anyone is foolish enough to get into its line of flight. It is the best policy to have half a dozen, or even a dozen, implements to be thrown in turn by the class. When the throwing is ·over the whole class can then collect the missiles, and further rounds of throwing can take place. I have dropped a hint already about the equipment of athletes. This is a matter for the coach to see to himself, especially their shoes. Heel-spikes and rubber pads in the heels are needed for certain events, and long spikes for javelin-throwing. It does not take a minute to say, "Have all the long-jumpers got their heel– pads in?" But it does take a very long time indeed to cure a stone bruise in a man's heel caused by jumping without a shock– absorber. In the case of almost every athlete there comes a time when a bad patch will be struck. When this occurs the coach must seek the cause. If the pupil's technique is at fault the coach should correct it. If the boy is merely out of sorts, then the coach should lay him off, but should not let him know the reason. It is far better to find some little job for the boy to do, such as writing down records, putting up the bar) or taking measurements, or possibly holding a stop-watch. . Do not on any account give him the idea that he is going stale, or the condition is likely to become aggra– vated. It is well to insist upon pupils practising mainly for style, rather than to see how much they can do. That is the bugbear of most athletes. They will try too hard for results, and forget all about technique. The coach should study his athletes in relation to the events they practise, and should, by means of exercises, build up strength in the muscles required, and at the same time inculcate balance and a sense of rhythm and timing. Much good can be done in this direction by making the class perform the actual movements of their events in slow time, where this is pos– sible. In this way one establishes in the pupil's memory the series of movements, in their proper sequence, that he is required to perform for the later production of a perfect athletic effort. Much of this preliminary work should be done in a gymnasium or hall during the winter months. There is an axiom which says, "The athlete's history is written on the cinders of the track or throwing-circle and in the sand– pit." The coach, therefore, must be careful to teach young F 8r