Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES distance running. The field events divide naturally into jumping, which includes the pole vault, and throwing, which includes the shot put. Hurdling, although a track race, approximates closely to a field event in technique, and must be regarded as an event sui generis. In each case it is necessary to have some general discussion of the main subjects before proceeding to the dissection of each part. Let us therefore give our attention to begin with to the matter of running in general. As I have said, runners may be placed in three categories– that is to say, sprinters, middle-distance men, and long-distance men. Whatever a man's distance may be, his action will be governed, within certain limits, by the length and shape of his legs, the degree of looseness and control of his hip muscles, and the rapidity of his reaction. The speed and length of the stride are determined by the swing of the runner's thigh. The carriage and angle of inclination of the runner's body vary in accordance with the characteristics of the category in which he is placed. That is to say, the sprinter, the middle-distance runner, and the long-distance runner all have slightly different actions. Mter the coach has grouped his athletes the first thing for him to teach them is body-poise, for that is one of the fundamentals of running. A man should run with his body inclined slightly forward, the angle of inclination depending upon the nature of the running event he is practising. If he is a sprinter his body will be inclined well forward . The middle-distance man has a more erect carriage and shows greater relaxation. The long– distance runner and the Marathon man use an even more erect carriage. It is very necessary that runners should have strong thighs, and it is equally important that the coach should be at pains to build up the muscles of his athlete's back. Such muscles must have tone and be under perfect control. A weak back is an almost insurmountable handicap. It has often been said that the athlete's head should constitute his rudder. This is very true, and the coach must train his athlete to have the head and neck in a perfectly free and natural position while he is running. At no stage of a race should the head be thrown back. Athletes must be taught that their hope of success does not lie in the strength of their legs alone. The body must be built up, and it is particularly important that the arms should be so devel– oped that they can work in perfect harmony with the action of the 162