Just found this site, lots of great information. I recently volunteered to help with the throws at a small private graded school. I've been viewing throw videos and have at least a starting point for working on form. My question revolves around the best way to structure practice. We have 1 hr 15 min for practice 4-5 times a week. The entire track team does team conditioning for around 20-25 minutes or so consisting of a 10 minute run, and several running related drills. Myself and the other throws coach have the remaining 50 minutes or so. We have a group of kids that are throwers only and another group that also do other events so they split their time. We work with grades 5-8, boys and girls. Skill levels range from state qualifiers to kids that have never touched a shot or discus before.
Was looking for ideas on how to split up our time. We've been doing some sled pushing, plyos and med ball work, plus actual throwing of the shot and discus. We do not have access to a weight room (not sure you'd want it with most of the kids in any case). Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Hi,
Unfortunately I don't have any good answers for you as it sounds like you are much better set up to deal with the issue than most HS's, much less Middle schools, haha. Sorry.
But, I do have a somewhat similar problem at my high school that I figured anyone else answering you might also have some suggestions for me.
I am at a small HS in AZ. We have a large group out for track this year (50+) which is at least 10 more than normal, but my throwers' numbers have increased even more, and I'm at a loss for what to do with all of them with only 2 rings available at any one time (and it's hard for me to coach discus AND shot at the same time, but it is what it is). Anyway, I have 16 throwers this year, and it doesn't look like I'll be losing any, like usually happens. I've had to become more organized and have fill-in things for them to do while waiting to throw in the ring (medicine ball/ab work, dry spins/glides, puds, sprints, plyos etc...) but it just doesn't keep them all on task, and obviously I cannot spread my attention to each kid doing each of those things. So not only do I risk some of them training bad habits into themselves because I'm not watching closely enough and correcting them, but I also STILL have kids SITTING around, goofing off, being lazy.
I definitely have it in me to be a major pain in the a$$ for them, but 1) it's raising my blood pressure trying to coach and be a babysitter for 2 hrs every day, and 2) HS sports is supposed to be a good experience for kids, not one they hate becauses the coach does nothing but yell every 10 minutes (we aren't football, after all).
So... Just looking for ideas or direction from those of you who've found yourselves in the same position. Any advice would be appreciated.
We're lucky that we have a nice facility to use at a relatively new HS. We only have one shotput ring to work with (construction of a new park took 2 discus and 1 shot ring out of use). One thing we did is make a bunch of homemade med balls so each kid or a least every pair can have one, helps minimize standing around time.
We also tried to incorporate games into the training (i.e., instead of doing a jump squat with the med ball, we have them jump squat and try to throw the ball over the crossbar of the goalpost on the football field), just goofy things to keep interest going while we try to get some individual work in.
I am a HS coach but I have about the same amount time. When my kids are throwing the discus I try to have the throwers that need the most practice stand out in the sector and retreive the discus by throwing them back into the other throwers. This tends to give them more practice than usually and you can still watch them and the better throwers at the same time and give them both tips. And did you say there were two of you. Thats even better you could alternate days one of you teach half the kids shot one day and the other discus and then switch them the next day. Try that and see how it works. but it sounds like you are doing the right thing with plyos, and sprints. Weight training you just don't really have time to teach them proper form and get your throws in. Besides there is a big arguement going on about age when children should start weight training. good Luck!
Favoured: 0
