Coaching and Care of Athletes

SPRINTING the sprinter's legs. Jog a quiet 440 yds., with one slight burst of speed from the 330 yds. mark for about 25 yds. Wednesday. Sprinters give the coach their impressions of starting, which he will criticize and, where necessary, correct. Spend 5 mins. i.n practising stretching and muscle-building exercises. Practise a few starts. Take a short work-out with the hurdlers for stretching the sprinting muscles. Go through the whole procedure of the start half a dozen times, coming out of the holes without undue drive or speed. Try to adjust yourself mentally to starting. Finish off the outdoor exercise for that day with 2 or 3 mins. of hopping on alter– nate legs, and then jog an easy furlong to 300 yds. to settle down your muscles. On this evening the sprinters should think over and write out their impressions of what they have learned so far, and should submit these impressions to the coach upon the following morning. Thursday. The day's work will start with the coach criticizing the impressions of what the sprinters have learned. The tea,m then goes out to the track, and every one jogs a steady 440 yds. Limbering up can be continued by skipping, hopping on alternate legs, or with a steady course of muscle-bui~ding and stretching exercises. Some starting practice can follow, but again without the full drive or speed out of the holes being used. The sprinters may then run a furlong, with the coach showing them how to introduce the coast, or relaxa– tion period. Finish off the day's work with an easy jog of a quarter of a mile. Friday. Limber up with some stretching, suppling, and muscle– building exercises. Jog a very easy 440 yds. Some skipping should follow. Finish off by a work-out in the gymnasium on the apparatus for strengthening the arms and the shoulder girdle. Saturday. The coach should begin the day's work with a talk to his team upon some particular aspect of sprinting. Limber up with a gentle jog and a little light skipping. The coach should then work at the starts, with particular attention to concentrating the minds of the athletes on the job in hand, and with a view to finding out how each man's reflex action is working. The coach should plan a work– out for his sprinters which will induce a good sweat. If they are not yet in sufficient condition to withstand the strain of a sprint, then the work-out must consist partly of exercises and partly of running; but if the men's legs are strong enough he may give them a short– distance time trial. The last practice should be followed by a jog run, which should be made to represent in the athlete's mind the cooling-down process after practice or competition which I have already so strongly recommended in an earlier chapter. The coach can then teach the athletes how to run round a curve, and at the same time may introduce the coast into the furlong distance. If the men rgr