Coaching and Care of Athletes

MAKING A CHAMP! ON Brown put the bar up at 12 ft., and failed thr:ee times at that height. He then had three vaults at 12 ft. 6 ins., and three more at 13 ft ., without making a single clearance, and then stopped vaulting. As he was preparing to take off his vaulting-shoes a whole host of Press photographers arrived in a great hurry and apologized for not being present when he was actually vaulting, as they had been at the far end of the ground taking pictures of the low hurdlers. Brown smiled politely, but was quite firm in saying that he had finished for that day. Those Pressmen tried every form-ofblandish– ment to get him to vault again at any height, so that they might take at least one picture. There was nothing doing. Keith Brown had been given written instructions by his coach for that day's work-out, and nothing that anyone could say would induce him to go beyond his coach's instructions. There is yet another type of athlete-probably the best-in consultation with whom the coach will find it advisable to draw up a training schedule. If you do find yourself handling this type of intelligent athlete training will be more pleasant for both ofyou, and possibly more profitable, because the athlete who understands his training schedule thoroughly, and knows the reasons why you have suggested various practices, will be in a position later on to propose variations which may prove valuable. The only danger is that such a man, when he gets a setback, may start worrying about the composition of his programme, and that will have an · adverse mental effect upon,his training. On the whole I think it is best to prepare a training schedule for a particular man for the whole period of training for a special competition. In this case it is best, perhaps, not to show the schedule to him. If you are handling one individual only and giving him all your attention you will probably need to alter your schedule from time to time as training goes on and his form de– velops. In this case it will not be a bad thing to give the man his schedule for the forthcoming week on each Saturday, so that he may have time on Sunday, which is usually a rest-day, to read it through and study what it is you will be wanting him to do during the following week. The building up of the training schedule is, however, only part of the game. In accordance with what you learn about your athlete so you must design and balance his food, baths~ massage, recrea– tion, relaxation, rest, and change. You must also inculcate a 8g