Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES physically gifted. A beginner, in the early months of his novitiate, attempting something under ro ft. would make his hand-hold a foot above the height to be attempted. A champion, capable of clearing 13 to 14 ft., would establish his upper hand-hold from r8 to 20 ins. lower than the height to be essayed. Some champions, capable of a really high hand-hold, however, stabilize the grip of the upper hand at a definite, unvarying point, which is high enough for all the vaulting heights within their personal range of possibility. Although it is my preference to have the athlete carry the pole with the shaft more or less parallel to the ground during the approach run, it is agreed among coaches that the athlete should be given a range of choice in relation to pole carriage, the angle of pole carriage being governed by the position of the left hand and arm. I do not like the high carriage, in which the point of the pole is elevated to an angle of 45 o at the extreme of its range, because it necessitates a hand-spread of no more than 24 ins., and, in my opinion, brings the left forearm too close to the body. Further– more, there is a tendency induced in the vaulter to overstep his take-off ·mark, so that he takes off in advance of his hand-hold, and therefore snaps his body on to the pole, and may even forcibly strike it with his knee or side. When the parallel-to-the-ground or pole-point-below-parallel carriage is adopted the hand-spread may be as much as 36 ins., which permits of greater general relaxation during the approach run, and has a tendency to safeguard the athlete from over- stepping his take-off mark. · It is easier to use the low carriage with a fast approach run. The approach run itself must be based upon the personal ability of the · athlete to generate speed. It is to be assumed that the vaulter will take off with his left foot from a point 9 ft. to 9 ft. 10 ins. in front of the stop-board, and distances to be mentioned are calculated back from the take-off spot. The majority of coaches offer three separate stride plans, each calling for the laying down of four marks-i.e., starting-line, first check, second check, and take-off spot. In each case the athlete takes his position with the toes of both feet touching the starting-line, shoulders and hips square to the front, and trunk inclined slightly forward. For the average athlete, who generates speed normally, what 326