Identifying And Developing

Elite Hurdlers In The

United States
This article was presented at the XXI Scottish International Coaches Convention, November
30-December 1, 1996, and was reprinted by the British periodical, Athletics Coach, in their
Summer 1997 issue. Sparrey has taken the complex training theory as espoused by Bompa and
others, and has described a four-year plan in the clearest terms possible. Her discussion of the
U.S. model is precise, and right on target.

REPRINTED FROM TRACK COACH #141 (Fall 1997)

athletes to participate in track and field only lasts three to four months. How-
THE U.S. MODEL through its present system. ever, the first exposure to track and
United States of America Track field tends to occur at the age of 14,
The United States has continually and Field (USATF), the national gov- through the high school program.
relied on a “self-selection” system erning body, offers a system of youth Collegiate institutions across the
which occurs through mass participa- or club support programs to identify U.S. have been the “real” training
tion and natural selection. This requires and develop talent in track and field. centers for American track and field
widespread participation across all ages USATF hosts a series of champion- athletes. Most, if not all, of our Olympi-
and all levels in track and field. Mass ship meets for age group track and the ans have been products of the American
participation in track and field in the junior elites. It also hosts junior camps collegiate structure. There exists several
US is an apparent problem because of and clinics for educating coaches as organized university athletic systems:
competition with other, more highly well as young athletes. In addition, it National Collegiate Athletic Associa-
organized sports such as football, base- provides funding for junior elites to tion (NCAA), National Association of
ball, basketball, and soccer (Henson, attend camps, summits, and the Junior Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and
1993). Many youths currently possess National Championships. National Junior College Athletic As-
the untapped potential to excel in track Young athletes will generally have sociation (NJCAA), to name a few. The
and field, but are either unaware or play- had some exposure to track and field most widespread is the NCAA with
ing another sport. Although there is a through track clubs and age group three divisions, with Division I being
need for a more formal method of talent track and field. Most club involvement the largest and most competitive.
identification, such as with Australia or supplements the high school program Track clubs exist throughout the
New Zealand, the U.S. has been able and vice versa, since the official high U.S. However, with NCAA rule limita-
to identify talent and encourage young school training and competition season tions, the club system best serves either

By Kathleen Raske Sparrey, Hurdles/Sprints Coach,

Miami University, Oxford, OH

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youth or post-collegiate athletes. It a. stress fractures ally is not the case with most coaches.
should be mentioned that most post- b. shin splits; Most coaches coach, or rely on, the
collegiate athletes choose to continue 6. Personality: developmental type of athlete, so doing
training with their college coach on a. “heart”/desire/courage a good job of coaching them is critical
their college campus for many obvious b. compatibility with coach to success in any program!
reasons (success, facilities, familiarity, c. developed goals.
etc.), but the predominant reason is the
fact that most often they have nowhere There is a need to highlight a few
DEVELOPMENT OF
else to go. The USOC has training items above that have helped me to ELITE HURDLERS:
centers, but these centers perform more recognize the athlete’s potential and
of a facility/summit function. Our elite identify critical factors that affect pro- ASSESSMENT OF THE
athletes generally will not live at a center
because their coach is somewhere else.
duction of positive hurdling results.
The areas that are crucial include:
INDIVIDUAL ATHLETE
So, in essence, the U.S. has a multitude technical/mechanical efficiency and How does this relate to the develop-
of “training centers” across the country horizontal velocity. Speed development ment of the individual hurdler? Once
and the collegiate institutions are the focuses on stride frequency in the 100m talent is identified, the coach should
training grounds for our current and hurdles (since the hurdles are a standard determine the individual strengths and
future Olympians. 8.5m apart) and a decrease in ground- weakness of each athlete.
contact time and air time. Both factors
TALENT are applicable in the 400m hurdles, with
stride length becoming more important
The Profile
When the athlete first enters the
IDENTIFICATION for stride pattern establishment. college program, the coach should
In addition, several other elements build a complete athlete profile. This
As a recruiting coordinator for an are significant to hurdling talent. First, should include a complete history, cur-
NCAA Division I university program, a gymnastics background is one area rent status, and goal setting. I utilize a
I have particular criteria which I rely where I feel an athlete develops im- questionnaire format for the athletes to
on to identify talent for my program. portant biomotor abilities for track and fill out). Questions asked are directed at
Specifically, for the female hurdler, the field, and specifically hurdling. These attaining the most useful information for
following criteria/information is most athletes tend to be fearless, more coach- the coach to develop his/her individual
important in talent identification. able, more flexible, more disciplined, training program. It should also take a
have a better kinesthetic feel, have holistic approach, looking not only at
1. True performance: better overall body strength, and lastly, physical facts, but also psychological
a. hurdles—100H, 300H, 400H they tend to be better competitors. The information, with the concept that mind
b. open sprints—100m, 200m, athlete with a gymnastics background and body must work together, train
400m or 600m (indoor) can master good hurdling skills within together, and learn together.
c. technical efficiency/mechanics 3-4 months (Korchemny, 1996). A psychological overview is critical
d. progression of performances; Second is the determination of to the coach in both the planning and
2. Anthropometric factors/body “heart.” I try my best to first create interaction points of view. Question-
type: a window and look into the heart to able motivations, dysfunctional back-
a. height/weight determine if that prospective athlete grounds, coaching changes, negative
b. body composition (per cent has the motivation and desire to be the behavior, traumatic experiences, etc.,
fat) best athlete he/she can be. This is one are key components that can sabotage
c. lower leg length (soleus) of the most important factors coaches even the best teaching approaches.
d. joint mobility (hip); should identify.
3. Training age: Based on the above criteria, the Testing
a. how many years preparing spe- coach must use his/her best judgement Coaches will be able to determine
cifically for the hurdles for identifying talent for their program. their athletes’ strengths and weaknesses
b. first exposure to track and Note that each institution will be re- through a series of testing parameters.
field; cruiting for their individual program, Testing also serves to identify talent,
4. Sports background: looking for hurdlers who can produce motivate athletes, and predict perfor-
a. other events in track and field— at the level they are at, with respect to mance. I use the following tests:
long jump/triple jump their athletic conference.
b. other sports played besides track Lastly, one must always remember 1. Anthropometric factors, e.g., height/
and field; that if you recruit thoroughbreds, you weight/per cent fat/length of so-
5. Previous injury/illness: get thoroughbreds. However, this usu- leus;

TRACK COACH — 4506

2. Isokinetic testing can be useful in you can compare the results from one The result is poor preparation for
identifying imbalances between season to the next or from one month takeoff and inability to raise the
legs, e.g., Cybex testing to deter- to the next to determine the effects of center of mass and, hence, drive the
mine harmstring-quadriceps ratios, your training program. If athletes are center of mass through the hurdle.
hamstring-hamstring, quadricep- recording a steady progression over As a result, optimal hurdle rhythm
quadricep, etc.; time, development is evident and the is not obtained.
3. Aerobic base. 2400m aerobic run program is effective. If the athlete is not
will determine aerobic/cardiovascu-
lar base and general overall fitness.
progressing, then one must identify the
problem area and change the program- DEVELOPMENT OF
Mostly used when returning from ming. ELITE HURDLERS:
summer break to determine if they
followed training regimen; Problems of the Youth Hurdler (Ages PLANNING AND
4. Speed. 30m fly/30m standing—de-
termines both absolute or top speed
14-17)
The following is a list of common
ORGANIZATION OF
and ability to accelerate; problems in hurdle development that I TRAINING
5. Power. Overhead back/between legs experience with the high school age
forward/vertical jump/standing long athlete: Four-Year Programming
jump—all indicate leg power or total 1. Under-development biomotor abili- Refined hurdling skill requires
body power; ties/lack of overall fitness. Fitness is years of training directed toward de-
6. Power/co-ordination/speed. Stand- the ability of the athlete to function velopment of strength, quickness, coor-
ing triple jump/3-5 bound—both efficiently and effectively in the dination, flexibility, and rhythm. These
indicate leg power, speed and co- specific demands of training and are the foundations of performance. The
ordination; performance (Sands, 1995). This coach must know how to develop the
7. Max and dynamic strength. 1RM includes lack of cardiovascular base, biomotor abilities in the most efficient
bench press/back squat/power work capacity, flexibility (especially and effective ways given the age, current
clean. in boys), postural/general strength, fitness levels, talents, and aspirations
It has been found that leg power is local muscular endurance, and of the athlete. The coach should have
a primary determinant of track and field coordination. There appears to be an idea of what level can be attained
performance (Henson, 1993). Thus, leg little exposure to strength training by the individual athlete in the long
power tests are useful; however, you in these years, as well as rehearsed term, such as two to four years down
must choose testing parameters that you coordinated movements. Many the road. If it is probable that an athlete
feel are pertinent to your program. The speculate that this is due to the lack will be involved in your program for
coach must keep accurate records, be of physical education requirements more than two years, the development
consistent with regards to when tests in the grade school systems. of the hurdler should be viewed as a
are performed, as well as how tests are 2. Training age is very young: Training two- or four-year project. The concept
administered or testing will be useless age is the number of years prepar- of periodization/planning a training
to you. You can then compare over ing specifically for the hurdles. program is essential for progress. It
time who are the best athletes, predict The exposure to the hurdle events should be 80 per cent thinking and 20
performance, or assess your training is perhaps occurring too late. This per cent doing, for planning is the key
program. could be due to the absence of hurdle to long-term success!
coaching or perhaps because they The following is an overview of
Test Analysis were not identified and encouraged a four-year program for the college
It is important for the coach to be to participate in the hurdle events hurdler.
able to interpret the results. Coaches early on.
can utilize test results in different ways. 3. Lack of takeoff mechanics and First Year Objectives (“Adjust-
There are many normative, elite, and rhythm. Rhythm refers to a three- ment”):
“sedentary” tables that a coach can step pattern performed between Develop all five biomotor abilities,
use for comparison. One way is to as- hurdles or one’s ability to display with emphasis on overall fitness and
sign scores to each performance and running speed and hurdling tech- general/postural strength. Address the
add them together to get a total score, nique simultaneously. The high weak areas first!
using tables such as The Hungarian school athlete tends to run flat- Transition into college life—es-
Tables (i.e., quadrangular test). Here footed and thus hurdle flat-footed. tablishment of productive lifestyle
you are able to identify talent and pre- The athlete cannot stay in “hips management, and academic success.
dict performances. With athletes who tall” position and on the balls of Empower athletes with knowledge
are already involved in your program, the feet for a long period of time. of the hurdle events; teach them to be

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a student of the sport. Here it is 75 per selection principles throughout the pro- The athletes who have started
cent teaching from the coach and 25 gram, easy to hard and part to whole hurdling specialization at an older age
per cent feedback from the athlete. is absolutely critical. However, skill (14-17), after being in a sport other
acquisition must be sequenced through than track and field, and who are also
Second Year Objectives a series of exercises that are simple relatively physically developed and
(“Strength”): to complex, easy to hard and part or coordinated, can go through an accel-
Continued development of five whole. erated learning process (Korchemny,
biomotor abilities, with a continued em- Coaches should remember that 1996). The coach must first address
phasis on overall fitness and strength. hurdling is a complex motor skill and the weak areas of the hurdler. Overall
Continue to teach athlete hurdle involves a fear factor, so“chaining” and fitness and improvement of biomotor
technique and race modelling; have “shaping” to modify form/technique abilities (strength, skill, suppleness,
him/her participate in program develop- should be utilized. For example, the stamina, speed) to build base founda-
ment. Here it is 60 per cent coach and coach should use stages of hurdle drills tion should be a priority; however, an
40 per cent athlete. for skill acquisition such as starting introduction to hurdling can occur dur-
Skill acquisition—this is where I with runs over sticks or pizza boxes ing this stage of development. Modified
see the most kinesthetic landmarks or placed on the track with a discounted hurdling with a focus on rhythmic units
“hot spots” in hurdle development. The three-step stride pattern that allows the can be introduced. The junior hurdler
sophomore transition is an exciting one athlete to sprint between “hurdles” to should rehearse a variety of hurdling
for me because I see huge gains during develop rhythm. Then implement a skills using barriers of different heights
this year! gradual increase of hurdle height and and distances. For example, she should
Focus on strength development in distance at the appropriate times. An- practice hurdle technique over 24-30
the weight room. Athletes need to truly other example would be to start hurdles inch barriers and run distances that
begin to challenge themselves! with stationary/in-place hurdle drills, facilitate fast execution of a three-step
then advance to walking/skipping drills, rhythm.
Third Year Objectives (“Speed”): and finally to running/rhythm drills. Whether the athlete is in high
Progress in developing the biomo- The coach should also be cognizant school, college, or post-college, a
tor abilities. Athlete’s overall fitness of “chaining,” which refers to the strat- combination of hurdle drills should be
and strength should be well established egy in which the teachable components utilized (stationary—marching—run-
during this year. (or links) in the chain are reinforced in ning). Hurdle drills are very important
Athlete should be knowledgeable a specific order, or sequence, to form to the advancement of mechanical
in his event, so much so that he is able more complex behavior that ultimately proficiency by improving hip, knee,
to, in essence, “coach himself.” Here it occurs as as single cohesive perfor- and ankle joint mobility, along with
is 50 per cent coach and 50 per cent mance (Sherman, 1995). rhythm specialization. During the base
athlete. In other words, divide hurdle tasks preparation period a higher volume of
Focus is on speed over the hurdles into smaller steps and arrange in se- drills (200-225 hurdle movements per
and development of top speed. quence for instruction, appropriate for session) are used with more emphasis
the level of that particular athlete. For on stationary and marching drills. Dur-
Fourth Year Objectives (“Skill”): example, use side-of-the-hurdle drills ing the pre-competitive and competitive
Development in all five biomotor to isolate trail or lead leg actions. The periods, marching and running drills are
abilities; should reflect the previous coach and athlete should use a detailed employed (75-125), mostly performed
three year’s progression. task analysis for skill acquisition to in the warmup.
Athlete’s knowledge level at its discriminate correct or incorrect move- Lastly, during the competitive pe-
highest; can coach himself or others ments. riod, the focus is on horizontal speed
and have an “educated eye.” Here it It should be noted that sequencing and technical perfection in the running
is 25 per cent coach and 75 per cent should be used in developing all five and rhythm hurdle drills. It should be
athlete, if you’ve done your job. biomotor abilities in the annual plan. noted that hurdler rhythm endurance
Top progression—athlete attains For example: needs to get special attention during
highest level of performance pos- Speed: acceleration—top speed—speed the competitive period, thus hurdlers
sible. endurance need to run over 12-14 hurdles that are
Skill acquisition is the highest. Stamina: extensive tempo—intensive discounted throughout.
Focus on getting to that next level tempo—speed endurance With regard to running both
by introducing most advanced hurdle Strength: general/postural strength— hurdles, it is my philosophy that a 400
drills/methods. max—power—maintenance hurdler should also train and compete
Adhering to the fundamentals of Skill: stationary—marching—running in the 100H (remember that this cannot
sprint training principles and exercise work both ways). This will enable long

TRACK COACH — 4508

hurdlers to become much more tech- coaching since there is so much infor-
nically efficient and better train their CONCLUSIONS mation needed to organize a training
strengths. During the indoor season, program. Inventories will be able to
have them run the 200 and the 55H. The development of elite hurdlers categorize each area, for you to then
Always remember that the greatest requires approximately six to eight choose the appropriate exercises.
difference in the 400H is the metabolic years of specialized training and an As with any training program,
challenge! additional four years of general physical there is a need to continually assess and
conditioning to reach top performance monitor. A coach can do this through
Guidelines for the Annual Plan (Korchemny, 1996). Fifty per cent of the testing, biomechanical evaluation/film
Use of sequencing in your train- world’s best 400m hurdlers are over 27 analysis; postural/alignment/joint sta-
ing program should also be applied to years old (Stepanov, 1989) and average bility checks; tactical and technical
mesocycles (Bompa, 1990). This can age of the female world class 100m evaluations; specific endurance evalua-
be referred to as “block training.” A hurdler is between 24-30 years of age. tion; and performances. Coaches should
block of training generally lasts four With this in mind, the U.S. continually then make adjustments accordingly.
to six weeks. Each block should have looks to the college coach to target this It is advisable for the coach to
an attached theme, for example, “work select group of upcoming hurdlers and experiment throughout the year to
capacity” or “strength” or “speed.” develop them accordingly. The high find the optimal means of eliciting
Within this block, regeneration and school or club coach is responsible peak performances at the proper time.
recovery must be planned. For example, for the development during the ages It is important for the coach to record
gradually increase the workload over a of 14-17. or write down as much information
three-week period, then “unload” on the The idea of periodization in setting as possible in addition to the overall
fourth week. Regeneration must receive up a training program is a must for periodized plan. A coach should write
special attention to avoid overtraining. progress. A good coach will be able to a justification for each segment of the
Almost half of the athlete’s success will train all athletes together early in their training plan, important observations at
depend on recovery! program with the focus on developing practices or at competitions, how the
A multilateral approach to training all the biomotor capabilities. Once athletes respond to you, others, and
must be employed in the annual plan. prospective hurdlers are identified, an training. Many work with dozens of
Multilateral training simply refers to introduction and encouragement to the athletes during a year and this assists
applying a variety of exercises to the hurdle events is necessary. Special atten- the coach in retaining critical informa-
training program. This is the “spice of tion must be given to developing hori- tion for each individual.
life” method of training to maintain zontal velocity, mechanical efficiency, Developing the hurdler physically
an overall balance. Failure to balance mobility of the hip joint, and hurdle is just part of the challenge in coaching.
training will lead to injury, a detrain- rhythm. Following sound sprint training Athletes in my program are developed
ing effect, and an improper peak. A and exercise selection principles, such from a holistic standpoint. The concept
coach cannot over-specialize for a long as sequencing, is certain to be a critical here is based on development of mind,
period of time, and improvement of the asset to the training program and hence body and soul together. Encouragement
biomotor capacities should be viewed overall development. and support to become good citizens,
as long term. Varying the practices and It should be noted that many successful students, and quality people
training environment will produce a coaches find it difficult to transfer the is the first and foremost objective that
greater transfer to competition. planning and organization of training any coach can be proud of.
Use of dynamic flexibility and mo- to the actual practice. The practical
bility should be emphasized throughout
the four-year and annual plan. Coaches
application of any training theory
relies on the ability of the coach to REFERENCES
should use a steady diet of dynamic “unfold the art.” The art of coach- Bompa, T.O. Theory and Methodology of Training,
flexibility/mobility for the following ing takes into account common sense, Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt, 1990.
intuition, and perceptions. Bompa, T.O. Power Training for Sport. Ontario,
reasons: prepares joints, aids muscle Canada: Mosaic Press, 1993.
recruitment, event specificity, wakes up Transferring theory into practice Freeman, W., et al. Factors Influencing Skill Ac-
the central nervous system, establishes when planning the training program quisition. Track Coach, Vol. 131, Spring 1995,
pp. 4176-4178.
correct motor pattern, and can act as can be made easy with a training menu Henson, P., et al. Predicitive Testing for Athletics.
a catalyst for subsequent explosive system or inventory. This piece of guid- Athletic Science Bulletin, Vol. 5, No. 2, 3, 4:
Feb-July, 1993.
actions. I use a dynamic flexibil- ance can make a significant impact in Korchemny, R. and John Millar. Introduction to
ity warmup circuit or the continuous any training program. Use of training Hurdling. USATF Women’s Hurdle Development
inventories can better enable the coach Newsletter, Aug. 1996.
warmup daily throughout the year. McFarlane, Brent. The Science of Hurdling. Ottawa,
to set up and follow the overall flow of Canada: Dollco Printing, 1988.
an annual plan. Planning is essential to O’Donnell, K. and Loren Seagrave. Information
from Speed Dynamics Elite Seminar; Cleveland,

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 Ohio 1995.
Sands, Bill. Physiology—Neuromuscular Prin-
ciples. Track Coach, Vol. 130, Winter 1995, pp.
4151-4155.
Sherman, Cheyne. Shaping and Chaining Motor
Skills. Track Coach, Vol. 130, Winter 1995, pp.
4148-4150.
Stepanov, V. Women’s 400m Hurdle Problems. Track
Technique, Vol. 108, Summer 1989, pp. 3457.
USATF Level II Curriculum Materials, Coach-
ing Education Certification, 1996.
Winckler, Gary. Principles and Resolution Problems
in the Hurdle Programme. USATF Level III
Seminar, November 1996.

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