Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING AND CARE OF ATHLETES I ft. I I ins. short of the scheduled distance. The objective before him was 54 ft.; he achieved 52 ft. 5k ins., a difference of I8 ins. Would those needed inches have been forthcoming in the step and jump had he economized the I6 ins. he gained in the hop? The Swedes agree with the Japanese theory advocating a long hop, a comparatively short step, and a longer jump. American· coaches recommend teaching a IO ft.-7 ft.:-IO ft. proportion, and, after discovering the athlete's personal variation in each phase, correcting it to this ratio. All authorities agree that the hop must not be too long, that a high parabola in the hop effort is essential (as shown by Harada in Plate XLVIII, Fig. Lf4), and that the hop should be completed with the athlete's body-i.e., the centre of gravity-well over the foot on which he lands. The step, they say, should comprise a definite spring (as shown by C. Nambu in Plate XLIX, Fig. I47), and not be merely a giant stride. The jump should be of the 'sail' type, with the knees well tucked up (as shown in Plate XLIX, Figs. I48 and I49, by Tajima and Winter). The running-in-the-air action of the broad jumper is impracticable for most athletes in the jump phase of the hop, step, and jump. The landing technique, however, is the same as has been described in Chapter XXIV. Now let us summarize our ideas in this event. Except in name, it is not a hop, step, and jump, but really three 1 distinct jumps -three events in one. All three efforts should j;)e springs, not 'spring-stride-spring.' The run-up is the same as for the broad jump, and should be formed in the same way. Speed in the run– up should be developed gradually in training and increased progressively in performance. The take-off for the hop is made from the jumping foot, with a heel-ball-toes roll of the foot-i.e., .the athlete rocks up from his heel to his toes-as in the broad jump. In fact, the initial take-off in both events is similar, except that in the hop, step, and jump the athlete changes his feet during the hop, as described in, Practice 3 of the broad jump, Chapter XXIV, p. 369. Do not forget that if the spring is made from the left foot, as we will assume to be the case, it is the .upward drive of the right knee in this initial effort that elevates the hips. This action is well shown in Plate XLVIII, Fig. I44, by Harada, who took off from the left foot. Mter the right knee has been driven to hip height the right leg is allowed to swing back, the left leg swings forward, and the foot is put down to complete the hop 376