Coaching and Care of Athletes

CHAPTER I THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MODERN RECORDS CoACHING is the science of bringing human beings to the highest pitch of physical perfection for the achievement of athletic per– formances. It also includes the care of athletes. To-day the world's records in every form of athletic competition have reached a level quite undreamed of even as recently as the immediate pre-War period. Let us, for the moment, examine these world's ·records, as passed at the Fourteenth Congress of the International Amateur Athletic Federation at Paris in 1938. In the sprints the difference between the pre-War and present records is not, perhaps, so marked. In 1902 the great A. F. Duffy, U.S.A., covered roo yds. in 9·6 secs. In 1930 Frank Wykoff, U.S.A. (Plate VI, Fig. 15), reduced that record to 9·4 secs., a performance that was equalled five years later by the astounding American negro J esse Owens, who carried off four Gold Medals at the Olympic Games in 1936. In 1936 Owens ran IOb metres (109 yds. I ft. I in.) in ro·2 secs. More surprising, perhaps, is the ~resent furlong record. In 1896 B. J. Wefers, U.S.A., ran the distance on a straight track in 2 I ·2 secs. This record was equalled subsequently by several American runners and one British athlete. In I 92 r· and I 924 C. W. Paddock, U.S.A., returned 20·8 secs., and in 1925 R. A. Locke, U.S.A., 20·6 secs. This record stood unchallenged until ]esse Owens in 1935 covered 220 yds. in 20·3 secs. We may assume, therefore, that in the not too distant future 'even time' will be returned for the furlong. At a slightly longer distance 'even time' has already been recorded, for in 1935 J. Ko'vacs, of Hungary, ran 300 yds. in pre– cisely 30 secs. This is ! sec. faster than the pre-War record made by B. J. Wefers in 1896. Mr Wefers, incidentally, now holds the position of head coach to the New York Athletic Club. The doyen of pre-War quarter-milers was Maxey Long, U.S.A.., who covered the distance in 47 secs. on a straight track at New Jersey, U.S.A., in rgoo. In the same year on an oval track 19