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I have often wondered about the far reaching effects on all runners of how we actually learned to run. Was everyone taught to run up on their toes with a method that included preventing their heels from hitting the ground? Were you taught to have a big swing of your legs behind your body? Were you also taught to lean forward a lot and at the same time to drive your arms very high?
It seems that these ideas of teaching kids to run have lasted over 30 years because I still see and hear kids being taught to run this way. The problem is that it is all very out of date and wrong.
At a recent Australian major meet I noticed in the final sprint of a 5000m a number of athletes trying to sprint this way and immediately wondered how they were taught to run as kids. Kenyan athletes nearly always look very different especially in how they swing their lower feet. They tend to maintain much better dorsiflexion than their Aussie counterparts who look quite floppy ankled. In the running cycle many Australia athletes tend to spend a big part of each with toes that are well away from the shin. These habits are things that start early and can be shaped to be much better.
I believe all kids need to be taught a better way to run and have it shaped as they develop by acquiring the strength in a variety of ways to move with better habits. For this to happen all coaches need to have a clearer understanding of what is good movement in their heads. Without good coaching an athletes "natural style" is something that is more related to compensation for their lack of strength and mobility. It is not usually something "good" especially when in our kids are doing less and less general strengthening and activity. Kenyan kids may develop good technique naturally because they don't eat junk food, develop strength from their way of life instead of sitting in chairs playing or watching TV.
The good news is that speed can be improved in anyone especially in young kids and the gains for them may stay with them for the rest of their sporting life. It is important for any running sports player to have as much speed as possible.
There is a new way that many athletes are running with eg Marion Jones & Maurice Greene. It involves running following certain principles that kids can learn quite easily.
This is a favorite topic of mine for a few years so I have just released an E-book called Training Kids for Speed. Its cost is US$6 and it can be downloaded. Below are the details of what it has in it.
This e-book aims to integrate Modern Sprint Training Ideas into the methods used for the improvement of speed in any developing athlete of any age. The aim is for this book to help all coaches/parents/teachers of young sprinters and also those that play sports that involve running. It introduces a large range of ways following recent research to be more effective in shaping running technique and improving speed.
Index of Contents
Chapter 1
The New Biomechanics of Sprinting
A detailed description of the latest technique of Sprinting that is displayed by Athletes like Marion Jones and Maurice Greene. Also discussion of how a knowledge of this can be applied to any developing athlete.
The New Biomechanics of Sprinting
A detailed description of the latest technique of Sprinting that is displayed by Athletes like Marion Jones and Maurice Greene. Also discussion of how a knowledge of this can be applied to any developing athlete.
Chapter 2
Sprinting & the Nervous system
The Nervous system is quite limited in its capacity to recover from certain types of stresses. This is a very important area to understand when aiming to produce and train for high speeds.
Sprinting & the Nervous system
The Nervous system is quite limited in its capacity to recover from certain types of stresses. This is a very important area to understand when aiming to produce and train for high speeds.
Chapter 3
Strength Development
How can strength best be developed in Kids?
Strength Development
How can strength best be developed in Kids?
Chapter 4
Power Development
Any athlete that wants to accelerate fast and have a higher maximium speed will need to be able to develop more power. What can be done to improve power?
Power Development
Any athlete that wants to accelerate fast and have a higher maximium speed will need to be able to develop more power. What can be done to improve power?
Chapter 5
Endurance Development
How can athletes develop endurance without decreasing speed. What is good long-term? What is bad practise?
Endurance Development
How can athletes develop endurance without decreasing speed. What is good long-term? What is bad practise?
Chapter 6
Improvement of Technique
Important guidelines in the development of improved technique. Making sure there is technical improvement is the prime indicator of what is good coaching and what is not.
Improvement of Technique
Important guidelines in the development of improved technique. Making sure there is technical improvement is the prime indicator of what is good coaching and what is not.
Chapter 7
Training Session Ideas - Over 10 A4 pages of ideas for training sessions. The section also contains guidelines for designing appropriate sessions to be more effective at improving technique and performance both long term and short term. There are many special sessions that should be done with young kids. This section aims to explain how to design sessions that are appropriate - it is not just a collection of standardized sessions. Creativity is a big part of the fun of coaching and athletes love variety. The key to fun and effectiveness is a coach delivering a variety of effective training activities within certain guidelines.
Training Session Ideas - Over 10 A4 pages of ideas for training sessions. The section also contains guidelines for designing appropriate sessions to be more effective at improving technique and performance both long term and short term. There are many special sessions that should be done with young kids. This section aims to explain how to design sessions that are appropriate - it is not just a collection of standardized sessions. Creativity is a big part of the fun of coaching and athletes love variety. The key to fun and effectiveness is a coach delivering a variety of effective training activities within certain guidelines.
References & Recommended Resources - Includes about 30 links to special articles on the web and other resources.
Download a demo from www.oztrack.com/kidspeedv101.zip or
It is about 700Kb
The major chapters are locked. and to unlock the file you will need to pay via paypal and email me your unique 10 digit code.
More information about Training Kids for Speed is at www.oztrack.com/orderkids.htm
regards
Steve Bennett
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