Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES fluctuate. That is normal and nothing to worry about; but if the loss of weight is persistent after the athlete has come into good condition, then it provides a definite indication that he is upon the point of going stale. Loss of weight is usually accompanied by loss of appetite, a certain amount of insomnia, and a good deal of personal worry. The usual remedy for loss of weight is a revision ofthe training schedule, possibly a brief change of environment, some revision of the athlete's personal hygiene, and perhaps some alteration in his dietary. Every coach should keep weight charts for his athletes, or insist upon the athletes keeping them themselves and submitting them to him. When my son was training for the Olympic Games I kept a combined graph of performance and weight chart, both ofwhich proved very useful guides. This combined sheet for the three weeks leading up to the English Championships of 1936, which served as the British Olympic trials, is given at p. 145· It will be seen that in the leading-up training preceding the final three weeks my son had reached a weight of 160 lb., and also that he lost weight when the training schedule was heavy and gained weight on the light work-days and also on the rest-days, except those immediately preceding competition. This particular loss in weight was probably due to worry about the forthcoming contest. It will also be seen that when the English Championships, to which he had been working up, came along he lost as much as 2! lb., but regained considerably more than that in the two sub– sequent days of rest, when the anxiety was removed from his mind as to whether he would win the championship, and also secure selection as a member of the British Olympic team for the-Games at Berlin. Weight charts must, of course, be kept accurately, and the athlete's weight should be noted daily, the weighing and recording taking place both before and after practice or competition. The athlete should strip completely to be weighed before going out to train or compete. When he comes in after training or competition he should have his bath, and then dry himself thoroughly before being weighed, because sweat or bath-water on the body may make anything up to half a pound's difference in the weight recorded. I know that some coaches prefer to weigh their athletes in their sweat suits, rather than risk the men getting a chill, but _if the dressing-rooms are properly warmed this risk should not occur, and, in any case, it is foolish to weigh a man in his track suit, 1 44