Coaching and Care of Athletes

I == COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES particular must be developed, because it is this reflex which pro– duces the instantaneous full extension of the rear leg at the end of each stride, and also gives the necessary snap to the subsequent knee-flexion. Middle-distance men do not carry their knees so 4igh as do the sprinters, but they usually have less trouble in developing har– monious arm and leg action. The necessity of harmony is obvious, because when the action is inharmonious it is difficult to main– tain balance, and energy also is lost, because the action of the athlete is uneconomical. ~xcluding the accepted principle that parallel foot-placing is imperative, the whole question of foot action has recently become debatable. Prior to I937 it was a matter of accepted principle that the sprinter should run as much as possible on his toes to gain greater ankle leverage, that the middle-distance man should run mainly upon the balls of his feet, and that the distance runner, copying the famous Finns, should first place down his heel at the end of a stride, then make contact with the ball of the foot, -and so rise up on the toes to secure the final leg-drive. Now there is a new school of thought which advances the theory that all running should be done upon the ball of the foot. The sponsors of this theory admit, however, that the sprinter and middle– distance man should run more forward on the ball of the foot than does the distance man. There is again a variation for the three groups, but it is far less extreme than that postulated by the older school, who said definitely, "Toes for sprinters, ball of the foot for middle-distance men, and heel-ball-toe for Marathon runners and other long-distance men." Whichever theory is accepted, however, the following prin– ciples still hold good : (I) The feet must be carried straight forward, with the heel and toe moving in a straight line. (2) Foot contact with the ground should be as brief as possible. (3) The feet must be carried directly under the body and planted squarely on the track. Common faults which the coach must watch for in all types of runners are as follows: (I) Throwing the feet to the sides. (2) Threshing the arms to the sides. I64