Coaching and Care of Athletes

SPRINTING are pointed, and what circle each heel describes in the recovery action. Arm-swinging exercises with light dumb-bells-not more than t lb. each-are also important, as are the knee pick-up and arm-swinging exercises in the standing position. Sprint– pattering should also be practised, and I think a very good addition to the programme will be W. G. George's "roo Up" Exercise. In this exercise the athlete toes a mark and, raising his knees alternately, copies the action of running as closely as pos– sible. He lands on his toes each time, and can vary the speed of the action as he wishes. And now let us consider a suggested schedule of training for one week at this period, which might work out somewhat as follows: Monday. Limber up with light jogging and stretching exercises, followed by one or more of the formal-event exercises, to which reference has just been made. Limber up for starting practice, not forgetting the breathing exercises and paying particular attention to the mental adjustment, which should be characteristic of starting. Note that starting practice is always to include a 30 yds. dash out of the holes. Mter the proper adjustment has been made take three starts at less than full power without the gun, and then two, or possibly three, starts with the gun at almost, if not absolutely, full power. Mter a rest of ro or 15 mins. take a furlong run, not at full speed, but with the attention concentrated on a good, swinging stride and going round the curve of the track without any loss of speed or form. Finish off the day with some very light agility exercises,: a bath, and light massage. Tuesday. Limber up with jogging, stretching exercises, and a selection of the formal-event exercises, including the upside-down bicycling or running exercise. Each athlete should next go through his formal, preconceived limbering-up-for-competition process. A 75 yds. time trial should then be run. Allow 20 mins. for rest, possibly with some light massage;· then limber the men up again, and let them run a time trial of 150 yds. Starting practice, as for Monday, may be undertaken, but is to be given in accordance with the tem– perament of each athlete. The coach will be able to judge for him– self which men need more starting practice and which men should be kept away from this part of the training. In any case do not give the men gun starts, or require them to come out of the holes at full speed. They have just had a couple of strenuous trials, and fast starting with the gun after ·strenuous exercise is likely to lead to pulled muscles. For those men in your team wl10 are able to stand still more work take them to the track and let them run I 20 yds. 203