Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES It is customary to throw half a dozen handfuls of sand into the slideway as a shock absorber. I place a cigarette card. sighting– mark in the sand, so that three-quarters of the card is visible. It is most important that the point of the pole should make impact at the angle between- the stop-board and the floor of the slideway. If the point of the pole hits the floor of the slideway before reaching the stop– board it will bounce and unbalance the take-off. Opinion is divided as to the situation of the hands at the instant of taking off and the position of the arms in the early stage of the swing-up. Regarding the hands, one school holds the opinion that th:ey should be directly above the head and the arms fully extended at the take-off, others that the hands should be out in front at full arm extension upward or three-quarters flexed. Coaches who advocate the latter method tell the athlete to drop to a full arm extension as his foot leaves the ground. My preference is for the arm-flexion shown in Plate XXXIV, Fig. gg, and I require my athletes-to hold that flexion during the swing-up and until the pull-up begins. Any arm-flexion does, admittedly, shorten the arc described by the feet in the pendulum swing, but it speeds up the action, and, I think, gives the vaulter a more controlled position. When the full-arm pendulum is used the athlete is very liable to regard his hands, instead ~f his shoulders, as the pivotal point of the pendulum. In which case his body swings past the pole, so that he cannot get his chest above his hands for the execution of a full-arm push-up. The body must be kept close to the pole, and the pole must be made to do the work. There is disagreement among coaches also as to when the pull– up should begin. Some consider that the pull should follow im– mediately upon the take-off, others that the pendulum should be almost completed before the arms pull on the pole to lift the body up to just below the level of the hands. There is agreement that the body should be well flexed at the hips during the swing-up. In the two styles already discussed the timing of the pull-up -as with the stride plan in the approach run-depends largely upon the physical and mental attributes of the athlete himself. If a vaulter has speed and good co-ordination, but lacks strength in the arms and shoulder girdle, he will have to use an early pull-up. There are contributory factors to be considered, since an improperly timed pull-up i~ bound to produce poor vaulting 328