Why? The Science of Athletics

WHY?-THE SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS off athletics, or at any rate, off their own event when they are resting, but that is by no means easy to do. For the past two years I have been in charge of the A.A.A. Summer School for Athletes at Loughborough College, Leicester– shire, and during such times have heard hardly anything else but athletics being discussed either in hall, common room or study. Everyone there was for the time being athletically mind~d, and that is just what you get in any: training camp. When you have large numbers of youngsters livi-ng and training together, the thing works out its own salva– tion, for the boys are only too eager to have a cut at the intricacies of some event other than their own, and that in itself is a form of recreation. What is even more important is that athletes living and training communally get into the habit of discussing their problems and the points of detail in various events which they do not themselves practise one with another. And here you get perhaps the best type of relaxation, because a boy gets on to a different phase of athletic interest, without losing his mental athletic outlook, which it is importapt t<;> preserve. · Another means we found of keeping the students alert and contented was by rigging up a private cinema in the College library. By the use of a Pathe baby cine we were able to take pictures of the students them– selves in action. The films were processed and returned from the Pathe works at Cricklewood within fou._r-and– twenty hours, and the students found endless amusement in studying the performances of themselves and their friends. In the case of the athlete training alone, he should teach himself, or be taught, to deliberately relax for a certain period each day. During that time he will probably find it best to amuse himself with a book ; but, whatever he does, he should try definitely to banish all thoughts of athletics from his mind while he is resting. On the other hand, I have known youngsters who found