How to Coach Track and Field

Track and field is often considered a niche spectator sport at the professional level. While huge audiences for track and field may be sometimes limited to the Summer Olympics, your role as coach is to ensure that all of your track athletes are technically sound. Specialty events like pole vaulting and the hammer toss require months of preparation facilitated by your coaching staff.

Instructions

1. Assemble a weekly practice schedule with an assortment of drills. The length of off-season and regular season training wears on your athletes. Web sites like Bodybuilding.com feature warm-up drills submitted by track and field coaches that help you keep your players focused (see Resources below).

2. Measure out your practice track and any other areas you use to coach your team. A measuring wheel allows you to keep track of the length in meters of a track, gym or practice field. After measuring the track to the desired end point, mark that point with an orange cone to give your athletes a tangible goal.

3. Post times and measurements from each practice outside of your office. You should use a stopwatch that measures down to hundredths of a second to help differentiate between runners. This empirical evidence will help your team work hard to improve each day.

4. Condition all of your track and field athletes using circuit training. Circuit training involves short bursts of running punctuated by various exercises, including squat thrusts and jumping jacks. Your team gains endurance and prevents injury by exercising every muscle in their body with this type of conditioning.

5. Travel with clothes, equipment and medical supplies to cover any weather condition. Your trainer and equipment manager can provide long sleeves for cold weather or ice packs for hot weather.

6. Attend conference and county-wide track meets to scout out opposing teams. After reviewing the competition, you can coach individual competitors the time or measurements they need to beat in order to succeed. You can also determine the quality of another team's track facilities.

7. Speak with your assistant coaches to develop a cohesive coaching philosophy. Your staff will include specialized coaches in long distance running, sprints and field events who possess different perspectives on motivating young athletes.

Tips & Warnings

• Motivate your track and field athletes with an effective off-season training program. Most track and field teams begin off-season training several months before the first meet. You need to incorporate running, weightlifting and stretching into your off-season workouts.