Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES around the curve at about three-quarter speed to stabilize their cornering ability. Finish off with light agility exercises, shower– bath, and massage. Wednesday. Limber- up with jogging, stretching exercises and a selection of the formal-event exercises, including the inverted running, which you must watch carefully, to see that the points already referred to are being properly performed. Commence the day's work with starting practice with the gun for those who need it. For those who are best left without gun practice the starting should be made at under full speed. In each case, however, let the men go a full 50 yds., running the first 20 yds. at just under full speed, the next ro yds. at an easy <::oast, and the final 20 yds. at about three-quarter speed, with a finishing-tape stretched across the track. Make them maintain the speed at which they pass the winning-post for a further IO yds. beyond it. Finish off this day's work with a light jog of about a furlong, some quiet, easy agility exercises, a shower-bath, and light massage. Thursday. This is the day upon which the athlete who is going to. · take part in a field event as well as the sprints must put in some work to stabilize the technique he has already learned. His work-out, however, should take the nature of fairly light play at the subsidiary events. For the man who is going to compete only in the sprints a jog of about 300 yds., with some bending and stretching exercises, formal exercises, and agility exercises to end up the day's training, will be sufficient. He must get his shower-bath, but rriassage can be omitted on this day if,desired. Friday. Concentrate the men's attention· on the preparations they should make for the next day's competition, without in any way fussing them or getting them anxious about their event. If preliminary heats are to be held on the Friday see that each man has his meals so arranged that they will riot interfere with his competition, and that he knows exactly the routine to be followed. Especially does this advice apply to the process of limbering up. Each man should know and must do the amount of limbering up which will bring him to thG: proper point towards the stage of peak in the staircase effect for the competition in which he is going to take part. Mter a man has run his trial heat in the roo yds. he should cool down, rest, and get some light massage before taking part in his heat for the furlong. He may possibly have to go through tlie same procedure again before taking part in the relay. In any case he should finish off the day's work with a very light jog two or three times up and down the roo yds. path, or may, if he wishes, stride through an easy 200 yds. in his track suit. This cooling-down process should be followed by a bath and massage to remove from the muscle substance the waste products of exhaustion. The coach must see 204