Middle school track coach!

You should talk to this guy, he has the same issues:

http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=2404165

You will do great. The fact that you are asking such questions says a lot. MANY coaches just do enough to get by, especially at that level. Keep things simple. Have them jog/stretch as a team. Break away into training groups. Keep the volume low on the training. Start with some easy aerobic running and strides after (barefoot, they seem to really like that). Keep the sprinter/jumpers in one group for a while. Do simple things like 100's, 150's 200's to start. Are you coaching all of the kids? every event? Leave me your email and I can send you some good stuff on the jumps.

good luck.

I'm not the original poster, but I'm doing middle school track and would love any advice you could give me.

-Kyle

yanks7785@yahoo.com

I commend you, for doing the right thing.

My son has the ability to be one of the best runners in Houston. He has the genes in that his mom ran for Arkansas and I ran for a while at Baylor. He is training with a private coach right now and loves running. He also decided not to run Middle School Track because the Football Coach that is coaching the track team apparently doesn't do anything and doesn't intend to do anything. He has the team running indoors in the halls!! I have been to meet this person and have decided that next year I will probably ask if I can volunteer to coach the Pin Oak Middle School team next year. This is the same team that was excellent in cross-country in the fall with two coaches that didn't know much about the sport but cared enought to learn.

If you need advice please don't hesitate to contact me at dstorey248 at sbcglobal.net. I have been coaching a few years and even though I am a distance coach, I have coached a few sprinters.

I have been coaching grade school track for a few years (Grades 1-8). We start off with a lap or two to warm up, stretch (dynamic stretching is good), plyos (which kids find fun - good work for sprinters), 2-3 laps of running the straights and jogging/walking curves (start off at about 60% speed, moving up to about 90% speed, stressing they work on form - knees up, good back kick, head still looking straight ahead, arms moving forward as opposed to across the body, which many kids do). We will also reverse that at some practices to running the curves and jogging/walking straights so they can practice "hugging" the curve. We then break into groups to practice field events, starts and distance training. We also practice hand-offs in relays at some practices. Is there a short, steep hill where you practice ? Powering up hills is good work for sprinters, and kids love running down hills just for fun (wheeeeee!).

The key is to try and get lots of assistant coaches to help keep the kids moving and focused when they are in their groups. See if you can't get some parents to help. Some parents are wary of volunteering, saying they know nothing about track. I try to recruit them as shepherds - just keep them in a group and moving. The more practices they attend, the more information they absorb, and then they find themselves able to coach particular events.

To finish the practice, we take a cool down lap then stretch with a few sit-ups and push-ups.

Good luck. Grade and Middle School Coaching is very rewarding. I doubt I will ever coach a kid with world class talent - even close. But we may be launching some of these kids into a lifetime habit of physical fitness. Definitely a worthy endeavor.

Good luck and congrats!