Coaching and Care of Athletes

BUILDING TRAINING SCHEDULES particular feat or feats himself. There will, however, be a good deal of instruction in the theory of the event. During this first preliminary and conditioning period of train– ing the coach should be at pains to explain to his pupils the theory and importance of warming up properly, and should establish in their ·minds the necessity for recording their body-weights after each practice. He should teach them a natural style of run– ning, with the proper reaction. Exercises, such as hopping and bounding off alternate feet, should also come into the work, together, as I have already said, with gymnastics and callisthenics. After warming up properly there should be plenty of running of an easy nature, interspersed with or followed by gymnastic exercises. The training period of the day should be finished with showers and massage, both being taken under the super– vision of the coach, so that the importance of these matters also may be worked well into the athlete's consciousness. Another phase of this preliminary training should be the expounding by the coac4 of the theory of athletics and training generally and the principles of the events the athletes are going to practise in particular. They should be allowed to study the form of the champions by the exhibition ofcinematograph pictures, both slow motion and at normal speed. Photographs should be shown to them, and .the dangers explained of trying to model one's form on a photograph, which, after all, shows but one phase of the total effort, and may have been taken by some Press photographer from an unusual angle; or the champion athlete portrayed, fondly believing that he is showing correct form, may have posed himself in some quite incorrect attitude. The coach should illustrate his talks to the athletes by diagrams on a blackboard, to make clearer to them such matters as foot– work and the application of the athlete's weight in relation to his balance. If a scheme such as I have suggested for the preliminary _period of training is follow~d the coach should succeed in developing the speed, strength, and stamina of his pupils,_and, by a judicious use of gymnastics and callisthenics, should have given each athlete the beginning of proper co-ordination. By his lectures the coach will have taught the athletes the general rules of training, something about the technique of their events, and also how to look after themselves, with a view to preventing injuries and stalenes?. Above all he must emphasiz~ the absolute 125