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Coaching Session, Warwick University 12.12.07

The club is very grateful to Graham Knight for agreeing to spend an evening with us, and the following is a summary of his practical presentation :

(Note: an overview of Graham's experience is available here)

  1. WARM UP
    • High Knees Walk/Skip/Run Forwards/Run Backwards/Side L/Side R
    • Repeat above with Basketballs
    • Variety with aerobic element

  2. CO-ORDINATION
    • Groups of 5-6 Basketballs + Medicine Balls
    • Stand/Sit/Kneel

  3. REACTION WORK
    • Gym Bench L…R….Either…Sit/Stand…Floor/Stand
    • No noise, emphasis on 1st movement
    • 10m…Fall-in…
    • Short, continuous, fast strides

  4. RELAY WORK
    • Standing in 2s, 4s, Teams…..Competitive
    • Both hands, 4 batons
    • 4 x 400 (not included at session)
    • Paarlauf, 200 reps in teams of 3, visual exchange

  5. APPLIED MOBILITY
    • Walk-over training hurdles, both sides and over top,
    • Full range of movement
    • Tall with arms raised, wooden bar, weighted bar, med balls etc
    • Hips high, and posture good
    • 1 stride @ 4 ‘feet’ (Puma size 9)
    • 2 stride @ 7 ‘feet’
    • 3 stride @ 9 ‘feet’
    • Synchronise to add an extra thought process for athletes

  6. MECHANICS
    • Small hurdles x 10
    • 2 x Walk both sides, 2 x walk over middle
    • 2 x Skip both sides, 2 x Skip over middle
    • 2 x Run both sides, 2 x Run over middle
    • Hurdles @ 4 ‘feet’
    • Emphasis
    • -“1st movement, Heel down, Toe up, Shin back, Tall”

  7. SKIPPING (not included at session)
    • Variety…1 bounce -HIGH KNEES, 2 bounce HIGH KNEES,
                     3 bounce HIGH KNEES, 4 bounce HIGH KNEES,
                     2 bounce…….Reverse Rope
    • Nintendo Levels…1 – 6 – this raising the intensity by levels as in
      Gameboy so that the athlete tries to raises the speed incrementally
      (10 or 15 secs x 6) WITHOUT losing the rhythm and skill

  8. ARMS
    1. Clap Press-ups x 3 positions
      • i) hands on gym bench
      • ii) regular on floor
      • iii) feet on gym bench
      • Clap hands from press-up position, x1, x2, x3
        (not included at session)
    2. Running arms – batons…..light weights
      One foot on bench, body upright, back leg extension
      Use target times with change of legs
    3. Arm circuit (not included in session)

    Work on the arms will reduce the continued impact of running/leg work, and I
    believe that control of the arm action will help the athlete to offset technical
    fatigue when running.

  9. WALK-OVERS
    • Small hurdles 2’3” and progress, if possible
    • Forward/Back…different sequences
    • High Knees Walk/High Knees Run/Forward & Back….10-20 secs on each

  10. YOUR OWN THING
    • Be creative with what equipment you have, the area available and the
      number of athletes you are working with.
    • Combine with other coaches, and pick each other’s brains

In the early part of the training year, the emphasis must be on the “HOW” rather than the “WHAT”. Skills can be improved but every drill must be a definite means to the end.

This means that the COACH must understand WHY and be able to explain HOW, and the athlete must understand both, and, more importantly, be convinced that this skill work will help him/her to achieve his goals in the long-term.

Graham Knight 12.12.07

 
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