Coaching the Sprinter
You have probably heard the saying "Sprinters are born and not made." This is true to a certain extent, but don't neglect working with your sprinters on other things besides starts and relay exchanges. Speed can be improved through an increase in stride strength and an increase in stride frequency.
You can help your sprinters improve these two variables through extensive training in flexibility, strength and running technique.
Techniques Involved In Sprinting and Starting
Foot Placement
The sprinter does not run on the toes. Ideally, the foot should make contact with the ground on the outside edge and rotate inward with and outside edge, heel toe movement. The foot makes contact with the ground slightly ahead of the center of gravity to allow the sprinter to push off into the next stride.
Knee Lift
Knee lift in sprinting is natural. It is an extension of proper foot placement and lift off of the track. The knee should be lift only high enough for maximum stride length. Be careful not to only stress knee lift as this will result in the upper body becoming upright which is highly ineffective. Proper foot placement and drive from the ground results in proper knee lift.
Trail Leg Lift
The trail leg is also very natural in its movement. It is in reaction to the drive of the opposite leg. The harder the drive, the greater the bend will be. Strength and flexibility will also influence the fold of the leg.
Arms
The arms are used to counteract the twisting and untwisting of the trunk caused by the leg action so that the sprinter will stay properly balanced. Concentrate on the backward movement of each arm. If one arm is swung back the other will go forward naturally to conteract its movement. The hands should be about level with the shoulders when in front of the body and the upper arm almost parallel to the ground when in its backward movement.
Hands
Do not clench the fists or let the hands flop at the wrist. Have your sprinter loosely curl the fingers with the thumbs resting lightly on the index fingers. Keep the thumb and index finger contact light. So light in fact that the sprinter should be able to carry a potato chip between them and not break it.
Body Alignment
Faster speeds require a greater body lean. The lean will come automatically with acceleration. The sprinters lean will vary according to their normal posture, flexibility, speed at the time, physical condition and wind and weather conditions.
Head
The head is held in a natural position with the eyes focused straight ahead. The head and back are in alignment with the face, jaws, and neck as relaxed as possible. Relaxation at top speed is the key to maintaining correct form. This is only accomplished through quality sprint workouts under simulated competitive conditions.
Coaching the Start
The start is relatively easy to learn and very rarely has a great deal to do with the final outcome of a race. Yet it is probably the most worked on phase of sprinting. The purpose of the start is not to be the first one out of the blocks, but to put the sprinter in the proper running position within four strides after the start.
Setting the Blocks
Set the front of the blocks one step from the starting line. Have your sprinter step several yards in front of the blocks in his lane to make sure they are in a straight line and then secure to the track. The front block is set by placing the elbow on the starting line and extending the arms and fingers back. Where the fingers come to rest is where the front block is set. The rear block is set by getting into the "on the marks" position. The knee of the free leg is placed on the track parallel to the front block placement. Where the foot of the free leg comes to rest is where the rear block is set.
On Your Mark
Just before the race is set to begin, the starter tells everyone to stand behind their blocks. On the "on your mark" command the sprinter should walk in front of their blocks and then back into them by placing the lead leg on the block first and then the rear leg.
The hands are placed behind the starting line with the index fingers and thumbs parallel to the starting line. The arms are straight with the elbows locked. The hands should be shoulder width apart.
When the sprinter assumed this position, he should lean forward and place his body weight on his hands. The sprinter does this so that on the "get set" command the sprinter only needs to raise the hips. Point the knees slightly in so that the feet will drive straight out on the track.
Get Set
On the "get set" command the hips are raised to a point slightly higher than the shoulders so that the trunk is gently sloped downward. The back is flat and the head is in natural alignment with the trunk. The back leg should have an angle of approximately 120° and the front leg less than 90°.
The sprinter should be concentrating on their actions once the gun is fired, not on the sound of the gun. Once the gun sounds there should be a strong pushing action of the front leg. The sprinter should not step out with the rear leg. The arm opposite the rear leg is driven to a point where the upper arm is parallel to the track. Do not stand up immediately, stay low and gradually become upright within 5 strides after the start.
Youth Track and Field Coaching the Relay Exchange
Overhand Relay Exchange
Since the overhand style is used in the sprint relays (400 and 800 meter relays), it is necessary for the runner to come out of the blocks holding the baton.
The baton should be held at one end with the majority of its length protruding in front of the right hand. The baton itself is gripped in the V formed by the thumb and index finger. The index finger is wrapped around the baton to hold it firm. In the "set" positionm, the body is supported by the thumb and the other three remaining fingers of the right hand.
Outgoing Runner
When the pistol fires, the runner begins sprinting. The runner to whom he will hand the baton is standing in the outside half of the lane. Both feet are pointed forward with the outside foot back and the inside foot forward. The sprinter is in a semi-crouched position with the right arm forward and the left arm back, looking under the armpit toward the incoming runner.
As the incoming runner reaches a checkmark, the outgoing runner drives off the forward foot, drives forward the left arm and back with the right arm, turns the head forward and begins to sprint..
Checkmarks
Checkmarks are used so that the baton exchange will be smooth and legal. Poor exchanges and disqualifications occur because the outgoing runner starts too early or too late. The outgoing runner needs a signal to tell him when to start. This is done with the use of a checkmark placed on the track outside the exchange zone. The faster the incoming runner, the farther away the checkmark should be. The faster the outgoing runner, the closer the checkmark.
Find your checkmarks through trial and error. Work the incoming runner with outgoing runner. Outgoing runner stands in the exchange zone and looks back at a checkmark ten meters before the exchange area. The incoming runner starts 40-60 meters back and sprints towards the exchange zone. When the incoming runner reaches the checkmark, the outgoing runner takes off sprinting. When the outgoing runner reaches the center of the exchange zone, he will extend his hand back to receive the baton. If the outgoing runner runs away from the incoming runner, then the checkmark should be set closer to the exchange area. If the incoming runner overruns the the outgoing runner, then the checkmark should be set further away.
Handing Off the Baton
As the outgoing runner reaches the middle of the exchange zone he or she places their arm back almost parallel to the ground with the palm of the hand facing up. The incoming runner makes a downward pass across the palm of the outstretched hand. The outgoing runner then takes the baton away from the incoming runner.
In sprint relays, the baton is handed off alternately from hand to hand. The number one runner sprints with the baton in the right hand and hands off to the left hand of the number two runner. The number two runner hands off to the right hand of the number three runner and the number three runner hands off to the left hand of the number four runner.
Setting Running Positions
Position your runners as follows:
· First Leg: Second fastest runner and quickest out of the blocks.
· Second Leg: Best straight away runner.
· Third Leg: Best curve runner.
· Fourth Leg: Fastest runner and best competitor.
Principles and Techniques of Hurdling
Starting for the Hurdler
The regular sprinters start is employed by the high hurdler, the only difference in technique is that the hurdler will tend to rise sooner that a sprinter in order to prepare for the first hurdle.
An eight stride pattern to the first hurdle is most common for hurdlers. Seven strides may be used by the rare strong hurdler. If a hurdler has a dominant left leg it should be used in the blocks as the lead leg. It will also be ussed as the take-off leg when clearing the hurdle. If this is the case then no adjustments need to be made.
The problem arises when you have a tall, strong athlete who finds eight strides place them to close to the hurdle. In this event, there is a need to change his block placement and place the right foot forward at the start.
Whether using a seven or eight stride pattern to the first hurdle, in each case the take-off should occur from 6 1/2 - 7 1/2 feet from the hurdle.
Hurdle Clearance
To clear the hurdle, the athlete leads with the knee of the lead leg, not the foot. THe leg is picked up and brought straight through over the center of the hurdle. It should not be rotated outward or slung out and then over the hurdle. The knee of the lead leg is slightly bent, a straight leg will increase clearance time.
The arm opposite the lead leg reaches forward toward the toe of the lead leg. The opposite arm is brought back, bent at the elbow just as if it were part of the normal running stride. It should not be thrown to the side to aid in balance..
The uppder body leans forward into the hurdle to aid in sustaining momentum after the hurdle is cleared. The eyes remain looking forward to the next hurdle. If the body is held too upright on the clearance, the hurdler will have to raise his center of gravity higher to clear the hurdle. This will also cause the hurdler to be leaning back upon clearance, destroying momentum.
As the hurdler begins to clear the hurdle, the lead arm is rotated outward as if opening a door and brought down and back. This rotation will keep the elbow in to the body. This action will also cause the body to straighten and the lead leg to drop. The dropping of the lead leg causes the trail leg to come through more quickly. As with the lead leg the trail leg is brought through knee first with a high knee action. It passes under the lead arm which is passing back at this moment.
The opposite arm is now brought forward to aid in the preparation of the step toward the next hurdle. The foot should strike the track first on the outside and then roll inward and up onto the ball of the foot.
The main problem to avoid in clearing the hurdle is that of "floating" over the hurdle. The clearance must be an active one to maintain momentum and proper sprinting form.
Between Hurdles
Once the lead leg touches down, three more strides should be taken to the next hurdle. These three strides are no different than the previous ones although the tall, strong, hurdler will have to shorten the third step in order to avoid running up on the next hurdle.
The main mistake a hurdler will make is galloping between hurdles instead of sprinting in order to acheive the three strides. The stride must be quick and regularly spaced. By galloping, the hurdler is overstriding to much and will lose speed.
Coaching the High Jumper
Dynamics of High Jumping
The high jump has been dominated by two basic techniques. The straddle and the flop.
The straddle technique was the most popular until Dick Fosbury won the 1968 Olympics in what was to be called the Fosbury Flop. The flop has become the most popular technique for several reasons.
In order to clear the bar with the straddle technique, the jumper must raise his center gravity 2" over the height of the bar. With the flop technique, the jumper needs only to raise his center gravity by 1/2" over the height of the bar.
The flopper can approach the bar at a much faster speed than can the straddler.
The flop technique is easier to learn for a youngster.
The Straddle Technique
Approach
In the straddle, the athlete should approach the bar from a 20° to 35° angle at maximum controlled speed. Approaching at this angle will allow the jumper to plant the take-off foot closer to the bar.
The number of strides taken in the approach to the bar should be from 7 to 9. The first step of the approach is always with the take off foot.