Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES School is seen mastering the Western style with quick action of the under-hip. It should be noted that he took off from the right foot. This picture embraces a further stage of instruction. I have said that the novice shows a natural reluctance to getting his b<fdy into a full horizontal lay-out on the side at the peak of the jump. Even when such a lay-out is secured some jumpers have di.ffi– culty in completing the roll over the bar. These disabilities can both be overcome by the following practice. If the spring is made from the right foot, as in Plate XLII, Fig. :r3o, a piece of paper, or a white handkerchief, should be placed in the sand at the edge of the pit and approximately below the point at which the jumper's shoulders should be perpendicularly in line during his lay-out above the bar. If he is a right-footed jumper tell him that as he goes over the bar he must stretch down his right hand towards the paper, or handkerchief, mark in the pit, at the same time turning his head to the right and bending it back, so that he can look straight along his fully extended right arm at the mark. This action is shown clearly in Plate XLII, Fig. I30, by the Summer School student who is demonstrating the practice. The athlete must be taught finally to bring over his left arm and to drop his hands and his right foot to the pit from the position shown in Plate XL, Fig. 118, and Plate XLII, Fig. I30· Finally, teach him to pay no attention to the free leg, which should swing freely up behind him as the take-off foot drops towards the pit. The coach, however, should watch the free leg closely, as its reaction will tell him whether the athlete is jumping with properly distributed effort and relaxation. In stabilizing bar clearance try to get the athlete jumping from ~ his left foot to synchronize the simultaneous left-knee snap across the bar, downward drive of the left arm, which has passed over the bar, right-arm swing to the right, and forward sweep of the fully extended right leg across the bar to complete the roll. To commence instruction in the Straddle style let the athlete who takes off from the left foot walk up to the bar raised I 2 to I 8 ins. and step over it from his right foot to his left, using the action employed in mounting a horse, so that in passing from left foot to right he turns to face the direction from which he approached. Repeat the practice at a trot, raising the. bar pro– gressively to <tbout 3 ft. 6 ins. Raise the bar to a fair height andl let him jump straight up to bar-level without attempting clearance.