Coaching and Care of Athletes

COACHING ORGANIZATION AND ROUTINE and also in order that each man may have a share of your indi– vidual attention. Class instruction is very valuable for a number of reasons. In the first place, men learn more quickly in this way than in any other, because by endeavouring to imitate the actions of athletes who are better than themselves they are bound to improve their own performances. Secondly, they acquire knowledge, and there– fore technique, by learning how to pick out the faults of others and by criticizing not only other people's defects, but also the good points in their style. During class instruction, moreover, athletes can be prevented from using too much force and expending too much energy. If you have a large number of athletes on your hands it is essen– tial to make out your own programme of work daily for each training session, and to go to the training-ground knowing exactly what you are going to teach and quite determined to stick to your programme and not to go beyond it. The coach must, of course, make up his mind that his coaching is going to be enjoyable both to himself and to his pupils. Encouragement helps. Bullying and sarcasm do not. Talks by the chief coach, as distinct from 'lectures,' are impor– tant. No matter which subject may provide the substance of one's talk, all the students or athletes should be encouraged to attend. Even the hammer-throwers may learn something by listening to an intelligent talk about sprinting or pole-vaulting. In any case, all athletic events have at least certain fundamentals in common, such as reaction, for example. Apart from this, it may well happen that a man practising one event with no very great success may, through one of your talks, learn something he has not known be– fore about another event, which he will find subsequently suits him better than the event he has been practising. Again, it is a good thing either at a school of instruction or in the school or other institution at which one happens to be a coach t~ build up a certain atmosphere of athletic-mindedness, and it is only by the discussion of all the athletic events, together with their history, anecdotes about great performers, and discussions on the kindred subjects, that the sort of atmosphere I have in mind can be created. There are many more points in coaching organization, routine, and policy which must be considered. Some are general, some particular. 77