Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES procedure of washing, brushing his teeth, and gargling his throat. He should also take care to clear his throat and blow his nose well. Mter this has been done a few simple stretching and suppling exercises and some deep-breathing exercises should be practised. Then it is not a bad thing again to brush the teeth, gargle the throat, and blow the nose. When the athlete is actually in bed he should have his cup of warm O~altine and milk, and then, for at least twenty minutes, he should not try to go to sleep. During this time he will make his mind as much a blank as possible, and will slowly relax every muscle, from his toes right up the front of his body to the top ofhis head, and then from the back of his neck right down the back of his body to his heels. If the feet are then crossed at the ankles and the hands joined over the abdomen, while the man is still con– sciously relaxing for that period of twenty minutes he will prob– ably find that before the period has elapsed he will have turned over on his side and gone peacefully to sleep. The room in which the athlete sleeps must be absolutely quiet and very airy. The bed must be essentially comfortable, but not too soft, and above all it must be of sufficient length to allow the athlete to lie fully extended. Warmth must, of course, be preserved, but the. bedclothes should not be too heavy. The pillow is very important. So many athletes rest with their heads far too high. One pillow is usually sufficient, provided it allows the athlete to lie with his head in a perfectly natural position. It is preferable to train oneself to sleep upon the right side, as this relieves the pressure on the heart. If an athlete suffers from ·insomnia he should not merely lie awake wondering why he can'·t get to sleep again, but get up and go through the pre-sleep routine as already described. If the insomnia is persistent a thermos flask of Ovaltine and milk should be kept at the side of the bed in order to complete the pre-sleep process. Apart from the foregoing, insomnia is a se,rious affair. It may be due to many causes, and it may' be an indication of approaching staleness. In any case the coach must get at the cause if he is to cure the condition. Do not forget that loss of sleep in the athlete is a main cause of both mental and physical lethargy. Insomnia may, I think, be dealt with under the heading of staleness, since it is so often a symptom of that unenviable con– dition. Staleness may be defined as the final phase of a number of !42