The Do’s and Don’ts of Coaching Hurdlers
Since starting up this website back in 2004, the one type of correspondence I have consistently received over the years is that of a hurdler complaining about his or her coach. Whether the coach is not knowledgeable about the hurdles, coaches hurdlers the same as the sprinters, doesn’t allow them to hurdle enough in practice, it seems that many, many hurdlers struggle to find the type of guidance they are seeking in their attempts to develop and run faster times.
As a result I’ve decided to go ahead and come up with a list of do’s and don’ts for coaches. So coaches, take heed:
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1) Have at least two days a week in which practice sessions are devoted exclusively to the hurdles. As simple as it sounds, hurdlers need to hurdle, and they need to hurdle often in order to develop muscle memory, rhythm, and technical profession. Probably the most common complaint I hear amongst hurdlers is that “we don’t hurdle enough.” So hurdlers go into races not trusting themselves, unsure if their technique is where it needs to be, afraid of what might happen when they start running up on hurdles in the middle part of the race.
One of the two days should be devoted to technique, with a lot of teaching and a lot of drilling. The other of the two days should be more focused on race simulation, adding in the speed element and the block start. The drill day should come early in the week, and the speed day should come later in the week. That way, the lessons learned in the drills can be applied on the speed day. Gradually, the hurdler’s technique and rhythm will look better and better as the body learns to ingrain the movements performed in the drills.
2) Don’t send hurdlers off to hurdle by themselves. It amazes me how many times I’ve received emails from hurdlers who have coaches who provide no guidance. Would you tell a pole vaulter to “go vault”? Would you tell a triple jumper to “go triple jump”? Would you tell a discus thrower to “go throw”? Heck no. So it doesn’t make any sense to tell a hurdler to go hurdle. It’s a technical event, and technique needs to be taught, and it needs to be monitored. Hurdlers need instant feedback, the same as a vaulter, thrower, or jumper. The problem often arises because the hurdlers are coached by the sprint coach, and the sprint coach doesn’t want to be bothered with the technical aspects of hurdling.
3) If you have no expertise in the hurdles, allow the athlete to find someone (a private coach) who does. There’s nothing wrong with admitting you don’t know everything. As a hurdle coach, I have often worked with athletes from other schools once or twice a week as their private coach, and I have never had a problem with athletes seeking outside help in areas where I am not the expert. For example, the block start is something I can coach effectively, but I know plenty of sprint coaches who are better at it than I am. So in many cases I have worked cooperatively with sprint coaches. They’ll help my hurdlers get their start right, and then I’ll incorporate their new and improved start into the hurdling.
The important thing is not to let your ego get in the way. Don’t be possessive; don’t feel like you have to say “this is my athlete.” If getting help from another coach will help the athlete to get better, then the athlete should have the right to do so. Of course, the team practice sessions take first priority, but it is wrong to think that the athlete is trying to undermine the team by seeking outside expertise. There are many pole vaulters, for example, who are coached privately by a coach not affiliated with their school. Same for high jumpers.
4) Don’t point out a technical flaw without giving advice regarding how to correct it. I hear this one a lot too. The coach says, “You could run a lot faster if you’d fix that trail leg,” but he or she doesn’t say what to do fix the trail leg. Thanks for nothing. As if I didn’t already know my trail leg sucks. If you’re going to point out a flaw, give practical advice regarding how to correct it, and have specific drills and/or workouts in mind to address the flaw. Otherwise, the hurdler will lose confidence rapidly.
5) Don’t have hurdlers hurdle after completing a sprint workout. This ties into the “go hurdle” thing. Sprint coaches who consider the hurdles to be an afterthought want to make sure that the sprinting portion gets top priority. They aren’t willing to give hurdlers hurdle days, and they tack on hurdle workouts at the end of sprint workouts. No hurdler should be forced to hurdle on tired legs. That’s a good way to increase the risk of injury, and that’s a good way to promote sloppy technique, and it’s definitely a good way to take a hurdler’s frustration level to new heights.
If you’re going to have a hurdler work on hurdle and do a sprint workout on the same day, make sure the hurdling comes first. Target times in the sprint portion of the workout should be adjusted accordingly. Personally, I’m okay with light drills after a running workout – some teaching on my part, some learning on theirs, but nothing that taxes the muscles.
6) Let hurdlers focus on the hurdles. They’re not being selfish. I’ve received much correspondence over the years from hurdlers upset that their coaches and teammates have accused them of being selfish because they didn’t want to take part in a relay or a sprint event at a particular meet, even though the relay might be right before a hurdle race. I understand the need for team points, but I feel that hurdlers can best serve the team by focusing on the hurdles and excelling in their hurdling events. Coaches have to understand that an event that includes hurdles in your lane requires a specific clarity of focus. You can’t be thinking about your 4×100 leg while you’re warming up to run the 300 hurdles. You can’t be practicing baton exchanges in the infield when you need to be getting in a practice start over the first hurdle. For hurdlers, the hurdles have to come first.
7) Allow experienced hurdlers to hurdle by themselves on occasion, if they so desire. This one kind of goes opposite to number two, but it really doesn’t. Experienced hurdlers start to develop their own feel and their own concepts of what will work best for them from a technical standpoint, so, just as it’s important to be there for them when they need you, it is equally important to give them the space to experiment on their own when they have matured to the point where doing so can be beneficial.
Back in my day, I would often head out to the track by myself on a Sunday to work on things that had gone wrong in the previous day’s race. Without the noise of all of my teammates and coaches all around, I could focus on myself. I had the mental space to think things through. In my years as a coach, I have benefited greatly by discoveries made by my athletes when they’ve had the opportunity to experiment on their own. I’ve incorporated things that I’ve learned from them. I would go as far as to say that of all the knowledge I’ve accumulated over the years, the primary source has been my own athletes.
8) And last but not least: listen. Perhaps this one encapsulates all the others. Listen to your hurdlers. When they ask questions, don’t feel like they’re questioning you. They’re not. Hurdlers are curious. Hurdlers are thinkers. They’re going to ask a lot of questions. They’re constantly trying to figure things out. Listen to their questions. Listen when they say that they a particular workout isn’t working for them. Listen when they say they need you there to watch them hurdle in practice. Listen when they say they’re too tired to hurdle after a sprint workout. Listen when they say they need to focus on their hurdle race at a particular meet. If you build a relationship with your hurdlers that allows for two-way communication, you will grow as a coach, and your hurdlers will grow as athletes. And that’s what it’s all about.
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