Success in Athletics and how to obtain it

74 SUCCESS IN ATHLETICS the ground, and the other expends some of his power in getting elevation. The former will at first get better jumps, but in course of time the latter will far excel him, because by getting well up into the air he is travelling on the true parabola, and is able to resist the forces of gravity longer. Also, he is a longer time in the air, and is therefore able to carry out the whole of the necessary movements with greater ease. After he has ma; tered the task of getting well up into the air, he must learn to control and manage the body with proper skill throughout the somewhat complicated evolutions ·through which it passes. In this event the effort is sudden and of tremendously concentrated force, and the body is in the air for so short a time that the movements must all be ·knit . together with the greatest precision for the attainment of complete success. It is also important that the athlete should learn to use his arms to the greatest advantage to force his body forward and up as it rises and to shoot it along as it begins to descend. When the athlete comes to the board to take his jump, he should not hurry to make the spring, but should quietly assume his position and see that it is an absolutely comfortable one. The soles of the feet rest on the board, with the back joints of the toes at the edge, so that the toes them– selves, and consequently the two front spikes in each shoe, project beyond the edge of the board. Had the jumper no shoes on, his toes would be curled down over the outer edge of the board. The feet are sufficiently separated to give him a firm stand and complete control of the movements.