Why? The Science of Athletics

ATHLETIC PSYCHOLOGY 347 disposition, worry is not infrequently caused by the coach who creates a too completely athletic atmosphere in which his charges must dwell. And with worry we Worry must associate disappointment, for the pur- pose of the present argument. It is the duty of a coach to get the confidence of his charges, so that they will be only too ready to share their troubles with him; it is also part of his job to inspire them with confidence in their own ability to succeed, but when success does not eventuate he must be prepared to tide them over their bad periods of disappointment. Here' a difficulty arises. -So many coaches, in the hope of getting something rather more than his best out of a boy, will lead him to believe that he can perform feats which are really beyond his compass. He may win, although not so impressively as has been prophesied. If he does win all will probably be well, for it is easy enough to tell him that he did not produce the anticipated performance because so big an effort was not needed. But if he loses to another whose own best is far lower than the beaten man was led to ~believe he could do himself, then his dis– appointment will be proportionately the greater and his faith in the man who is coaching him is bound to be shaken. I think it is, in fact, true to say that that sort of "encouragement" only comes off once in a very long while, and probably only when circumstances have com– bined to create in and for the athlete that supreme state of excitement which enables him to perform phenomenal feats. Disappointment is not by any means Disappointment confined to the competitive sphere. Any and Peak good coach knows that the laws of training Performances correspond to the rules of exercise and rest, and every coach should make himself con– versant with a certain "Chart of Expected Rate of Progress for Men in Training", just as he should know the "Weight Chart for Men", which is subdivided into Light Boned,