SOUTH AFRICA-Athletics Coaching Manual
SOUTH AFRICA-Athletics Coaching Manual
SOUTH AFRICA-Athletics Coaching Manual
Primary
school
Introduc on
Understanding athle cs
The aim of athle cs
Safety
Rules
Equipment
Warm-up ac vi es
Yo-yo
Zigzags
Flags
Whistle sprints
The Warm-down
Pu ng it together
Evalua on
Checklist
10
38
39
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Introduc on
Junior athle cs
coaching manual
Pro
fess
or Tim Noa
ke
We wish to change
our na ons children
by ins lling in them
the desire to be more
ac ve, not just now
but for all their lives.
We aim to achieve this
by teaching each child
a competence in and
passion for at least one
sport. This we will do
by building a sports
coaching culture for
our children ...
Vitality HealthStyle (Pty) Ltd, registra on number: 1999/007736/07, trading as Discovery Vitality. An authorised financial services provider.
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Understanding athle cs
The aim of athle cs
Athle cs is generally considered an individual sport where one
athlete competes against others, but there are some team
events as well (see Relays on page 21). The aim of athle cs varies
according to the discipline. The aim of track events is to be the
fastest runner over a given distance in a specific age group; the
aim of jumping events is either to leap the furthest distance
into a sandpit (the long jump) or to clear the highest bar (the
high jump); and the aim of shot-put is to push (or throw) a shot
(a metal ball) the furthest distance from inside a circle.
This will be explained in more detail in the sec ons that cover
the individual events.
Safety
The most important safety considera on in athle cs is the
warm-up. In order to prevent injuries, athletes must be
adequately warm before they par cipate in any athle cs events.
For a list of warm-ups refer to the Warm-up ac vi es sec on on
page 6. For more advice on safety in athle cs please refer to the
sec ons covering the individual events.
Rules
While the rules specific to each event are dealt with in more
detail in the following sec ons, it is important to men on here
that the rules for athle cs compe ons vary. The number of
compe tors and the length of the event are dependent on the
type of compe on held. So, treat each compe on individually
and understand its par cular rules.
Equipment
As an athle cs coach, your most important items of equipment
are your noteboard and stopwatch. These allow you to measure
and write down mes and details of what athletes are doing
during training. You will also need a whistle and cones. For field
events, a tape measure is required to measure throws, jumps
and run-ups.
It is recommended that you do not use weight training
equipment for young children. Rather let them use their body
weight as resistance.
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Phase
Length
Warm-up*
15 minutes
Skills
development
and training
35 minutes
10 minutes
Warm-down*
Total 60 minutes
All phases have drills and training games you can use to make sessions fun and enjoyable for
your athletes while also teaching skills and techniques. Each discipline requires dierent drills,
which will be explained in each sec on.
* Refer to the General coaching manual for a list of ac vi es and sta c and dynamic stretches.
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Warm-up ac vi es
The warm-up ac vi es are the same for all events. They should be fun and ease players into ac vity.
Skills should not be coached during this phase of the prac ce, and there should be very li le talking
except to encourage athletes to perform the ac vi es safely and correctly. Feel free to adapt the
ac vi es and create new ones to suit your athletes.
Yo-yo
This game will develop accelera on, coordina on and balance.
Set up
Set out three cones 10 m apart, as shown in the diagram.
Progression
For slightly older runners, or towards the end of the season when runners are fi er, increase
the distance between the cones to 15 m, then 20 m
You can have three or four relays running at a me.
Figure 1
10 m
Run backwards
from 2 - 1
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Zigzags
Set up
Set out a zigzag pa ern of five cones, as shown in the diagram
Each cone is separated from the next by 8 m.
Progression
For slightly older runners, or towards the end of the season when runners are fi er, increase
the distance between the cones to 12 m, then 15 m.
Figure 2
24 m
5
1
3
8m
2
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Flags
Set up
Place two cones 30 m apart with two flags in the middle exactly 15 m from each cone.
The flags can be tennis balls or relay batons, or any object the runners can pick up.
Figure 3
15 m
30 m
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Whistle sprints
This game teaches accelera on and reac on me. Jumping up from a lying posi on also
develops strength.
Set up
Form a grid, about 40 m in length, by lining cones up on each side.
Figure 4
40 m
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Sprint events
Sprin ng is all about speed: how quickly the limbs move and the
ability to cover a short distance in as quick a me as possible.
Children are either fast or they are not, and training cannot
turn just anyone into a champion sprinter. Nevertheless, every
athlete, even those who are not gi ed with natural speed,
should be encouraged to work on developing their speed
through training.
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The objec ve
The objec ve is to cross the finishing line first and win the race. Depending on the age of the child,
the sprint distance in compe ons ranges from 70 - 400 m. The race is started with a gun and the
athletes run the whole race in an individual lane.
Rules
Disqualifica on
Runners can be disqualified for stepping outside their lanes
Athletes must only start running once the gun has been fired. Star ng too early (a false start) can
result in disqualifica on.
Number of athletes
The number of athletes is usually limited to eight per event.
Equipment
Well-cushioned, neutral shoes (though there is no problem with training barefoot if the track is clear
of thorns, nails and broken glass).
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Lets take a closer look at what skills are needed for each phase
and what you, as the coach, should look out for when young
athletes are sprin ng.
On your marks
This is the star ng posi on where the athletes are lined up
behind the star ng line in their individual lanes. Athletes should
be in a crouched posi on, as shown in Figure 5.
During this phase, it is important to ensure:
Fingers are behind the line
Fingers form a high bridge
Hands are evenly posi oned and slightly wider than
shoulder-width
Shoulders are back and posi oned above or slightly forward
of the hands
Arms are straight, but not locked at the elbows
Head and neck are in line with the spine
Eyes are focused on the track one or two metres ahead
Breathing is gentle
Face and neck muscles are relaxed.
One of the more common mistakes to look out for is the back
leg being extended too far behind the athlete (look at Figure 6).
This o en happens when athletes arent using star ng blocks,
since the blocks force the back leg to be tucked in closer to
the body (compare Figure 5 and Figure 6). It is important to be
in this tucked posi on so that maximum push-o power can be
generated. So if your athletes are not using blocks, check that
they get this back leg into the correct posi on.
Another common error is to have flat hands (see Figure 6) the
hands should ideally form a bridge or arch, and the palms should
not be flat on the ground, Figure 5 shows the correct technique.
Figure 5
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Figure 6
Get set
The starter will then call out get set, which is the cue for the athlete to li the hips up and slightly
forward. This puts the athlete in a posi on to push o the ground at maximum speed when the gun
goes o.
During this phase, it is important to ensure:
The breath is held
Hips are slowly raised to a posi on above the shoulders
Head and neck are in line with the spine
Eyes are focused on the track one or two metres ahead
Shoulders are ver cally above or slightly forward of the hands
Front leg knee angle is approximately 90 degrees
Rear leg knee angle is approximately 120 degrees
Feet are pushed hard back into the track.
The most common error made in the get set phase of the race is shown in Figure 8. Here you can
see that the hips have gone straight up so that the athletes weight is actually quite well behind him.
It is impossible to get a quick start from the blocks from this posi on. The correct technique is shown
in Figure 8; the athlete is leaning forward so that the shoulders are in front of the hands and ready
for a good start in the direc on of the finish line.
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9
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A tall ac on
Athletes should run tall, on the balls of feet / toes (not heels) with full extension of the back, hips
and legs. Make sure the athlete is not si ng down when running.
The hips should be forward to achieve this posture think of the athlete leaning forward at the
ankles. A common mistake made by young athletes is to lean forward at the shoulders, which
actually slows down running.
A relaxed ac on
Figure 11
Figure 12
Figure 13
In Figure 14 the runner has tensed up arms and is hugging herself. This is wrong because the arms
should counterbalance the upper body and prevent rota on when running. If the arms are held too
close to the upper body and do not swing freely, this wont happen and the shoulders will tend to
roll from side to side (try it for yourself and see). So, its a good idea to emphasise that arms should
be relaxed, bent at about 70 to 100 degrees, and that they should swing freely back and forth in
opposite me to the legs.
A smooth ac on
Athletes should virtually float across the top of the ground. Leg ac on should be ecient and
rhythmic, moving easily under the body like a wheel rolling smoothly along.
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Drive
Push from an extended rear leg. Drive the elbow back with a high forward knee drive, followed by a
strike and claw foot ac on just behind the bodys centre of gravity.
Some aspects of the running technique are shown in Figure 15a-e. (The sequence of pictures is really
important here because it shows the full stride of the le leg). These pictures are not of a sprinter,
but they illustrate the running technique very clearly. Note the balance and the smooth and ecient
stride, and how the arms pull in an opposite direc on to the legs.
Figure 14
Figure 15a
Figure 15b
Figure 15c
Figure 15d
Figure 15e
Interval training
Interval training is the structured part of training sprinters, and is an excellent way to develop speed,
stamina and strength. It involves breaking a run into shorter segments which are run numerous
mes. It consists of short- and long-interval training.
Short-interval training is when the distance run is less than or equal to the race distance, and the
focus is on developing technique, strength and speed.
Long-interval training is when the distance run is more than the race distance. It is run at a slower
pace with the inten on of building strength and endurance. This would probably be more suitable for
older children (aged 11 to 12).
These two types of training will be discussed in more depth on the next pages.
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Short-interval training
We will use the example of a 100 m sprinter to make sense of short interval training. A 100 m sprinter
can break the distance down into a 30 m distance that is repeated 6 mes, with rest periods of
3 minutes in between. This session would be summarised as follows:
6 x 30 m, with 3 minutes recovery.
The athlete is now running only 30 m. The focus can then either be on the start phase or the
accelera on and drive phase of the sprint.
If you focus on the start phase, make your athletes prac se running the first 30 m of their race from
the star ng blocks. Focus on technique and balance.
If you focus on the accelera on or drive phase, athletes do not start from blocks or the crouched
posi on. Instead, they jog from a point 20 m away, hit the line at a reasonable pace, and then work
on speed for 30 m. Here, the focus would be on developing technique and speed (remember that
teaching technique to young children is more important than forcing speed and performance).
The long 3 minute rest period between runs is very important if you are doing this kind of session.
It prevents the athlete becoming over-stressed and fa gued so they can concentrate more on their
technique. Athletes will not develop speed if they are unable to recover between runs.
The other way to manipulate rest is by introducing sets. You can build in very long rest periods
between sets to make sure athletes recover, while also increasing the overall volume of the session.
For example, instead of doing 6 x 30 m, with 3 minutes recovery (as explained on the previous page),
you could do:
2 x 4 x 30 m, with 2 minutes recovery between repeats, and 6 minutes between sets.
This means sprinters do four repeats of the 30 m run, with 2 minutes rest. Then they take a very long
rest of 6 minutes before repea ng the set. This way athletes do more running, but also get more rest
so they do not become too fa gued.
Long-interval training
In long-interval training, the athletes run more than they would in a race, but run at a slower speed.
The goal is not speed, but endurance and strength. It can be done once every two weeks.
To make more sense of it, lets look at an example of a 150 m sprint. The long-interval session could
be summarised as:
4 x 150 m, with 3 minutes recovery.
In this session, runners do four repeats of the 150 m run, with 3 minutes rest. It is very important
that all the athletes run the final repeat (in this case, the fourth one) faster than the previous repeats.
Remember, it is recommended that the total distance run in each session should be limited to
1 000 m. For example, a session of 5 x 200 m would give a total of 1 000 m.
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Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Whats covered in this session will depend on the me of season. If school events are
approaching, it is best to spend me focusing on starts and technique. Shorter intervals
would then be more suitable. During the o-season, when races are more than four weeks
away, longer intervals can be used.
Distance events
Distance events include long-distance running and relays.
Long-distance running
Many children find distance running dicult and dislike the military-like structure of it. As the
coach, you can make it more exci ng by using interval training. Here we show you how to do this, but
first lets take a closer look at the aims and rules of long-distance running.
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The objec ve
The objec ve is to cross the finish line first and win the race. Distance events for children between
the ages of eight and 12 start at 800 m and go up to 1 500 m, with cross-country races of 2 km. The
race is started with a gun and the athletes run the whole race.
Rules
Disqualifica ons
Athletes must only start running once the gun has been fired. Star ng too early (a false start) can
result in disqualifica on
Athletes do not have to run in an individual lane. They usually run in lane one or two (the inner
lane) because it is the shortest distance. They will get disqualified if they step o the track
Athletes will be disqualified if they obstruct other runners. This includes blocking another runner.
Number of athletes
This is dependent on the number of schools par cipa ng and the type of compe
Usually each school gets three entrants.
on being held.
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Rest period
The rest period can be short or long. Short rests are less than
2 minutes, and long rests are longer than 2 minutes
If the focus is on speed, use longer rest periods (3 - 5
minutes) to allow full recovery a er each run
If the focus is on developing stamina or endurance, shorter
recoveries can be used because the running speed is slower.
The last repeat should be run faster than the previous
ones, so do not make recovery me too short (usually 2 - 3
minutes).
Speed of run
The speed of the run can be slower than, equal to or faster
than race pace
If the focus is on speed, run at a speed faster than, or at least
equal to, race pace. For example, if the athletes 800 m pace
is 2:30 (75 sec/lap), then they should run at a pace between 70
and 75 seconds/lap
If the focus is on stamina or endurance, run slower than
race pace. The exact pace should be determined through
experience. If runners cannot finish the last repeat more
quickly than the previous ones, the pace is too fast.
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Stamina or endurance
Relays
The training for running relays is not that dierent from doing interval training. Distance, speed and
the rest period are all based on the same principles described above. The major dierence is that
relays require teamwork and are more sociable than long-distance running. The other dierence is
that the distances in the relay race are shorter and the speed is faster.
B. 10 x 60 m, in a straight line
Place two cones 30 m apart
Divide runners into two teams
Each runner must sprint 30 m to a cone, then turn around (or run around the cone) before
sprin ng back to hand over the baton to the next runner
Repeat 10 mes for each runner.
C. Zigzag relays
This ac vity is exactly the same as the warm up game described previously (see page 7)
It builds strength and the ability to accelerate (athletes are forced to slow down around each cone
and then speed up)
Set the zigzag course up with the cones further apart (20 m instead of 8 m)
Each runner will run a total of 120 m each me they run
The session will be 4 x 120 m, with a short rest in between each run.
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Day 1
Interval training
Do no more than one interval session a week
Day 2
Relays
Day 3
Jumping
The two jumps we will look at are the long jump and the
high jump.
Rules
Disqualifica ons
Jumps are measured from the take-o board to the nearest
impression made in the pit by any part of the jumpers body.
Athletes must take o from behind a marked point on a white
take-o board. If they overstep the marked point, the jump is
illegal and is not measured.
Number of athletes
There are usually three athletes from each compe ng school.
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Run-up
Being able to hit the take-o board at a high speed is crucial for achieving distance in the jump.
Thats why the run-up is so important. The run to the take-o board is not a flat-out sprint, but
should be controlled and rhythmic.
As jumpers get closer to the board, they must begin to change body posi on from a forward lean to
an upright posi on. This is explained in the following sec on (take-o and landing). The Figure 16
sequence on the following page shows the en re run-up of a long jumper. Note the change in body
posi on over the final three frames as the jumper begins to lean slightly backwards in prepara on for
take-o.
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For young children, it is recommended that you limit the length of the run-up to no more than nine
strides. Longer than this is not really necessary and becomes more dicult to control. They can work
out their nine strides by taking nine steps back from the take-o board before doing the run-up.
Once jumpers are more confident, they can increase the length of the run-up if desired.
Figure 16a
Figure 16b
Figure 16c
Figure 16d
Figure 16e
Figure 16f
Figure 16g
Figure 16h
Figure 16i
Take-o
During the take-o, the jumper lands on the take-o board with their strongest leg and then pushes
o to gain distance through the air during the jump.
The correct method for take-o:
Sink hips when two steps away from the board
Begin to li hips during the last step towards the board (this makes the final stride shorter
than usual)
Come into an upright body posi on
Make sure the foot lands on the board
Li up the arms and the non-take-o leg. The quicker these limbs are li ed upward, the be er
the height and distance of the jump.
Figure 17 a and b on the following page emphasise this movement. Note the non-take-o leg driving
up and the movement of the arms.
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Figure 17a
Figure 17b
Landing
Once in the air, jumpers tend to rotate forwards, which cuts the possible distance they could jump
because their feet hit the sand early. This can be prevented by focusing on their technique in the air.
For children aged 10 to 12, the best technique to teach is the stride technique.
The stride jump technique
Once in the air, the athlete must maintain their take-o posi on for as long as possible. The take-o
leg should be behind and the non-take-o leg in front of the body, reaching out for the landing.
This is shown in Figure 18 a-d below. Land with legs out in front of the body and not under it because
this reduces the distance by a large amount.
Figure 18a
Figure 18b
Figure 18c
Figure 18d
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The objec ve
The objec ve in high jump is to clear a bar that is balanced
between two suppor ng poles (called uprights). Those who fail
to clear the bar three consecu ve mes are eliminated, while
the rest con nue. This goes on un l only one athlete remains
and is the winner.
Rules
Each jumper gets three opportuni es at each height. If they clear
a height they move onto the next one. They also have the op on
to pass at a given height and choose instead to wait for the
bar to be raised before taking a jump. There is no set number of
jumps that can be performed.
Disqualifica ons
An athlete is eliminated for three consecu ve failures at
any height
Athletes must take o from one foot only.
Number of athletes
There are usually three for each compe ng school.
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The run-up
When training children to do the run-up, first let them experiment un l they find what is most
comfortable for them, then provide more input and correct their technique.
The correct method for the run-up:
The run should be controlled and rhythmic
If take-o is on the le leg, the jumper runs in from the right-hand side of the mat. If take-o is
on the right leg, the athlete runs in from an angle on the le of the mat
Take eight to 13 strides
Run in a curved shape. This allows the jumper to take o and rotate in the air for maximum height
The first few steps should be done in an upright posi on
When running the last few steps the jumper should lean inwards from the ankles so that the
whole body is lted towards the central point of the curve.
The run-up is shown in the Figure 19 a-d sequence below. Note the jumper leaning in the third and
fourth pictures of the sequence.
Figure 19a
Figure 19b
Figure 19c
Figure 19d
Figure 20 below illustrates the curved approach used for the jump, which is also the suggested
approach for the drills that follow.
Figure 20
5 strides
curved
5 strides
straight
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Figure 21b
Figure 21c
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Figure 22b
Figure 22c
Figure 22d
Figure 22e
Ac vi es
The first drill to prac se is the scissor jump. This is a method that can be used to clear the bar if the athlete
is s ll learning and does not want to a empt the Fosbury Flop technique. It is also a good drill to teach the
basics of the run-up and take-o. A good high jumper can clear a decent height using this method, so you
will be able to spot talented athletes quickly.
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Back flips
This drill helps teach young athletes to clear the bar in the correct
posi on, and gets them used to landing on the mat.
These methods help young jumpers see which leg they should
take o with.
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Throwing
Throwing events such as discus, javelin and hammer throw are only done from high school onwards.
At primary school level, children par cipate in shot-put, so this is the event we will focus on.
Shot-put
Shot-put is an event that requires strength, speed, power, balance and coordina on. It is ques onable
if young children should learn shot-put because they have not yet developed all these skills, so prac se
safety through proper supervision and teaching the correct technique.
If young children are taught the wrong technique, it will be dicult for them to unlearn this later on when
the shot gets heavier and technique becomes more important. If incorrect technique is taught, there is
also a risk of injury because the shot can place stress on the shoulder joint and bones of the arm.
To avoid injury, children should not do shot-put training too o en, and the type of training done should
teach children correct technique. Before discussing correct technique, lets take a closer look at the
shot- put event.
The objec ve
The objec ve is to push (or throw) a shot as far as possible from inside a circle. Each athlete usually
gets three throws, but, depending on the rules of the compe on, the top athlete gets extra throws.
The athlete who achieves the greatest distance is the winner.
Rules
Disqualifica ons
When comple ng a throw, the athlete is not allowed to step outside the throwing circle. This is called
an overstep and results in a fowl throw. A board, called a stop board or toe board, is placed at the
front of the circle and forms a barrier that the thrower is not allowed to cross while making a throw.
Foul throws also happen when the shot lands outside the designated throwing sector, known as the
arc. This throw is out of bounds and will not be measured.
Athletes must enter and leave the shot-put circle from the back as shown below:
Figure 24
2.135 m
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Number of athletes
There are usually three athletes from each compe ng school.
Equipment
A shot (a metal ball weighing 2 kg).
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Neck placement
Figure 26
Figure 27
Release
As explained, the glide technique for shot-put is o en taught in
reverse order. For this reason the release point of the technique,
shown in Figure 28 below, will be taught first.
Face in the direc on of the throw
Push up o the toes
The non-throwing arm (the le arm in this case) is pulled back
to help create a catapult eect for the throwing arm to generate
speed and power.
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Figure 29b
Figure 29c
Figure 29d
Start out holding the shot up against the neck and facing the back of the circle. The le foot (for a
right-handed thrower) is up against the front edge of the circle (there is usually a board here)
Begin to turn so as to move into the release posi on, facing the throwing sector with the chest
At this point, rotate the upper body and move the right foot up against the front edge of the circle
Note that the le arm, the suppor ng arm, must remain high because it is responsible for
pulling the body through during the final phase. Body posi on must also remain low with knees
bent for as long as possible.
You will see that the athlete eventually ends up in the release posi on, which we described previously.
Figure 30a
Figure 30b
Figure 30c
Figure 30d
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The step begins with the athlete in the star ng posi on,
shown in the first frame of the sequence (Figure 30a)
The right knee (for a right-handed thrower) must be bent, the
shot against the neck, the right elbow raised (as described
previously for shot placement) and the le leg extended out
behind the athlete, poin ng towards the throwing sector
(Figure 30a)
The le arm is bent at 90 degrees and is li ed up in front of the
body. It is important not to drop this arm
Shi weight towards the eventual release point, leading the
way with the le leg (shown in frames b and d of the sequence)
This involves bending the knees to get into a very low
posi on, and then pushing o the right leg so that the whole
body moves in the direc on of the throw
The le leg, which is now leading in the direc on of
movement, will reach the front edge of the circle
The step ends with the athlete in the posi on where the turn
or rota on (described previously) begins, as seen in Figure
30d. Here, the le leg is against the front edge of the circle,
and the athlete is preparing to rotate and drive forward into
the release posi on. (Figure 31 on page 37 shows the en re
shot put technique).
The slide
The movement from star ng posi on to release is called the
slide. This is where the thrower slides from the back to the front
of the circle. We suggest first teaching the throw from a standing
start with knees bent. The slide can be learned much later when
the throwing technique has been perfected.
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This transfers the weight onto the le leg, and the le arm stretches out in front
The right elbow must stay high and behind the shot
The hips move from the back to the front of the circle and start to rotate so that the thrower
eventually ends up with the chest facing the front
The le arm swings across the body while the right arm comes through and punches the shot out.
The le shoulder must not drop at any me during this slide and the thrower must concentrate on
keeping the le side of the body rigid or braced. A strong le -hand side helps to generate speed and
power in the throw.
Every aspect of the technique is important, but perhaps the most crucial aspects are:
Ge ng the posi on correct before the throw
Making sure that the elbow remains high when throwing
Making sure that the le arm is tucked in close to the body.
Figure 31a
Figure 31b
Figure 31c
Figure 31d
Figure 31e
Figure 31f
Figure 31g
Figure 31h
Figure 31i
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The Warm-down
Finish o with one or two of the warm-up ac vi es, described on
pages 6 to 9. Also, reinforce key skills and aspects that were covered
during the session. While you do this, you can also have them do
some gentle stretching before closing the session down. (Please
refer to pages 12 to 16 of the General coaching manual for more
informa on on the warm-down.)
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Pu ng it together
To put the prac ce session together we gave a number of examples of drills and ac vi es you could
choose from. These are guidelines only and you should feel free to adapt the drills and create new ones
depending on your athletes.
Evalua on
One of the most important things you will learn to do naturally while coaching is evaluate your
athletes. At every prac ce session you will watch and observe, looking for athletes who are learning
the skills and those who are ba ling with certain concepts.
In order for you to be a successful coach, it is important that you constantly no ce which of the
athletes is ba ling with certain skills so that you can address problems early. The typical problems
encountered will be diculty in execu ng the key components of a skill and a tendency to fall back
into bad habits.
The checklist on the next page is a summary of some of the key coaching points that were explained
in detail in the skills development sec ons earlier. We recommend that you pay very close a en on
to all those skill descrip ons, but use this checklist as a quick evalua on for individual athletes.
Checklist
Running track events
Skill
Yes
No
Do athletes show good technique in the star ng posi on? Are the body and hand posi ons
correct, and are the shoulders posi oned over the hands as depicted in the diagrams?
Are athletes aware of the common mistakes in the star ng posi on, such as extending the
back leg too far out and away from the body, and being flat with the hands?
Do they exhibit a good get set posi on by moving the centre of body mass forward and over
the hands instead of li ing the hips straight up?
Do they start with good technique by gradually rising into the running posi on rather than
jumping straight up?
Do runners show good technique when running? Arms must not cross the mid-line, posture
should remain tall and not hunched over, and arms should be carried loosely at the sides of
the body.
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Long jump
Skill
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
No
Can athletes measure out their own run up, check that they have measured it accurately and
prac ce the run-up to ensure they are ready for compe on? In order for them to do this,
they need to know which leg they must take o from and how much distance they will need
to hit a top, relaxed speed before take-o.
Do they modify their running technique as they are about to hit the take-o board? For the
modified running posi on, the hips should be lowered and the body posi on should become
more upright.
Do they display good ming and coordina on in the last steps leading into the board and the
jump phase? The hips should sink and then rise, which is followed by a drive of the
non-take-o leg.
Do they perform the stride-jump technique and reach out into the sand? They should not
fall backwards on landing, but rather rely on their momentum and leg drive to carry them
through the pit.
High jump
Skill
Do jumpers understand how to approach the bar and take-o point? In order to do this, they
will need to know which side they will take o from, how many steps they will need to take
before take-o and that a curved run-up is the best angle of approach.
Do they have good rhythm in the run-up, or do they run straight at the bar with either too
much or too li le speed?
Do they show good technique at the take-o point, as described for the jump phase?
Have they mastered the simpler ac vi es such as scissor jumps and backflips?
Shot-put
Skill
Are throwers competent in performing all the exercises as described on pages 32 and 33?
Do they use good technique by genera ng power from the legs and keeping their backs straight?
Do they hold the shot put correctly? It should be held at the base of the fingers and not deep
in the palm, and the wrist should be slightly cocked.
Have they mastered the various phases of the glide technique the release phase, the turn
(second step) and the star ng point?
40 | Discovery Vitality
Discovery has endeavoured to ensure that all the informa on contained in this manual is accurate and based on credible clinical and
scien fic research. Discovery cannot however, be held responsible for any injury, loss or damages that may result from reliance on the
informa on, and by u lising the informa on you specifically waive any claim you may have against Discovery in this regard. You are
advised that each individual has their own unique clinical make-up and while the lesson plans were designed with all individuals in
mind, some may respond dierently to others. You are therefore advised to take due cau on when par cipa ng in any of the
ac vi es recommended.
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41
Notes
42 | Discovery Vitality
Notes
Discovery Vitality |
43
Discovery Vitality | 155 West Street | Sandton | 0860 109 939 | www.vitalityschools.co.za | vitalityschools@discovery.co.za
GM_13629DHV_5/07/12