Coaching and Care of Athletes

' • MAKING A CHAMPION On the following Monday (June I5) we had a· dry, mild day, with a slight following wind, and decided to try out vaulting in sprinting-shoes, instead of proper pole-vaulting boots, because the laces tied round the ankles were beginning to bruise his Achilles tendons. After a good deal of consultation we also decided to try a much slower approach run, and that day Dick reached I 2 ft. 4 ins. quite comfortably, and thereafter had a good work-out from I I ft. 9 ins. to I2 ft . 4 ins. again. Coming into training, however, had rather upset the internal scheme of things, so that night we tried two grains of calomel and a couple of aspirin tablets, followed by a double-strength Seidlitz powder upon the following morning. On Sunday there was no work, but on Monday (June 22) we were back at it, and that day added to the limbering-up and vaulting practices a good deal of work in the gymnasium. After this we were able to get down to what I considered a definite training schedule. That schedule worked out somewhat as follows. Up at 8 A.M., with breakfast at 8.45. First session of training at I 1.30, consisting of work in the . gym and rope-climbing, then a 300 yds. trot, followed by a fast run. Then pole-planting and some sprinting with the pole, and afterwards vaulting easily at I I ft. 9 ins., I 2 ft., and I2 ft. 3 ins. After a rest we worked up to I2 ft. 5 ins., and then took a couple of easy vaults at I I ft. 9 ins. for style. Dick had a sea-bathe in the afternoon, some more work in the gymnasium in the evening, and went to bed about ten o'clock. Thereafter, for some weeks, we trained twice a day, with gymnasium work and running and sprinting mainly in the morn– ing and vaulting in the afternoon. Characteristic of the training at this time was a quiet stroll in the evening with his gun to shoot a few rabbits. This was very good, as it took his mind clean off athletics. Then we had a quiet evening together before he turned in round about 9 or 9.30, and I gave him an hour's massage while we chatted pleasantly. Before starting this period of training I had decided in my own mind on one or two rest-days each week, and always three rest– days before a competition, but that "there should be no trials for maximum height in this training. Instead I planned for him to have perhaps three competitions before the English Champion– ships were held. These were to be also the trials for .the selection of the British Olympic team. . The first of these competitions was at Callender's Sports on IOI