Coaching and Care of Athletes

CARE AND CONDITIONING Smartness, as well as comfort, should certainly be considered, for the psychological effect of a good appearance is considerable. I feel that the athlete who is proud of being a member of a well– turned-out team will respect his privilege to the benefit of his performances. Next we come to the athlete's shorts. These garments should be really short-that is to say, they should never be longer than mid-thigh. They should also be wide in the legs, with a V-shaped vent on the outer side of each thigh at the bottom, as this will give play to the thighs. The shorts should fit comfortably round the waist and over the hips, with an elastic fastening over each hip for preference. A variation in the position of this tightening-band is to have it across the small of the back. It is best not to have a complete elastic top to the shorts, as this leads sometimes to a slight constriction of the abdominal muscles. Shorts are made in all sorts ofmaterials, but by far the best in comfort and appearance are those made of real silk. Tradition has it, however, in Great Britain· that only champions and Blues should wear silk shorts. The question of whether the athlete should wear socks is debat– able. Personally I think it is better for a man to have his bare feet inside his shoes, provided he does not get them chafed. An alternative is to wear chamois-leather toe socks-sometimes called 'pushers'-which just cover the toes as· far as the knuckle joint. These are often a great comfort to athletes whose toes are easily rubbed, and to those who have trouble with their toe-nails. For jumping men it is essential to have rubber pads in the heels of the shoes. Some shoes are made with heel-pads permanently fixed, but it is a simple matter to go to Messrs Woolworth and buy a sixpenny Sorbo ·sponge, which is elliptical in shape. If the sponge is cut downward through the centre to form two semicircular halves, and these are then divided edgeways, the athlete will have two good pairs of heel-pads, each semicircular in shape, for his athletic shoes. Almost more important than any other part of the athlete's equipment is his track suit or, as it is ~ometimes called, sweat suit. A cheap form of sweat suit comprises trunks with string fastenings round the ankles and the top and a shirt made of fleece-lined cotton. These are quite good suits, but many first-class athletes prefer to have their track trousers made of blanket-cloth, with zip-fasteners from just below the knee to the ankle on the outer side and a button-up fly, with buckle fastenings over each hip. • 109