Why? The Science of Athletics

SUCCESS OR FAILURE 211 suit him? Has he a private worry? The coach has to find out these things. "A trouble shared is a trouble halved", and some coaches make mighty good father-confessors.* Graphs and Training Books A grave mistake, of which some ultra– keen coaches are guilty, is that of over– coddling their charges. The young athlete must be given a certain amount of athletic independence, and to that end should be encouraged, or if necessary made, to do things for himself. He must study cause and effect, must think things out and make little experiments on '"' his own and, perhaps most im- 11 por;tant ofall, he must look after 1 t what may be termed the admin- 11 . ·-If itf '" istrative side of his career. "I! 41-' Peoplewhom I coach all keep 11 ., notebooks in relation to their 11 events. In those notebooks they 11 enter all the details oftheir par- 11 ticular event and are everlast- 11 ingly asking questions of other 11 athletes and coaches with whom they come in contact. The books also contain their records of self– eriticism. They take their books '-({ -5 -4 -~ ·Z to competitions with them and consult their notes frequently, I l \ I \ _\ I "' I I V' FIG. 38 to make certain that no details of form are being omitted which are necessary for perfect and consistent performance. If a coach will get his charges to keep training books, in addition to the notebook, and to make graphs of their performances, both in training and competition, it will help the athletes to maintain their interest and will provide both him and them with a wealth of valuable information. I have proved this for myself times out of number and give in Fig. 38 the graph of a young pole vaulter who * For an exhaustive discussion of this subject the reader is referred to The Games Master's Handbook, by F. A. M. Webster (John F. Shaw & Co. Ltd., London).