Coaching and Care of Athletes

\ COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES It is suggested that in addition to the foregoing the athlete should work in the gymnasium on stretching and strength-building exer~ cises on Tuesday and Thursday. Friday will normally be a rest-day, but the coach may well utilize one hour of this day in talking to his sprinters on some particular phase of their event. By the fourth week of the first month of preliminary-season training the athlete will have advanced quite a considerable distance, and I am therefore going to give a specimen table for that particular week: Monday. Run f5o yds., using a swinging stride and at half speed. Practise the crouching-start position for 5 mins., with the coach giving supervision and correcting faults. Finish off with 150 yds. at half speed, concentrating on balancing the arm-swing. Wednesday. Run goo yds. at quarter effort, balancing the arm– swing. Practise for 5 mins. the "On your marks" and "Get set" positions, with the coach correcting faults. Finish off with 220 yds., running with a swinging stride at half effort. Saturday. Commence the work with goo yds. at quarter effort, with a swinging stride. Again practise the "On your marks" and "Get set" positions for 5 mins. Finish off with 150 yds. at half effort, again balancing the arm-swing. Each d;;ty before training commences the coach will instruct his athletes in limbering up, and see that they carry out various practices properly. On Tuesday and Thursday the men will continue muscle-building and muscle-stretching exercises in the gymnasium, and on Friday the coach will talk to them about some particular aspect of their event. In the second phase-early-season training-the following would be a full week's programme': Monday. Jog a gentle 50 yds. half a dozen times, with intervals between each jogging practice. Spend 5 mins. in building-up and stretching exercises. Practise the starting position in relation to the spacing of the feet. Practise coming out of the holes very quietly half a dozen times. Readjust the foot-spacing in the starting position as directed by the coach. Practise baton-passing three or four times at a moderate speed. Jog a quiet furlong to finish off with. Tuesday. Athletes describe to the coach their impressions of the effect upon themselves of warming up. Jog 75 yds., finishing off with a speedier 25 yds. Practise a few starts, with concentration on particular points of the art of starting as directed by the coach. Work for a short time with the broad jumpers. This will strengthen rgo