Upper Body Strength and Power for Baseball

The sport of track and field can be enjoyed by participants of all ages. It is important to remember that in order for the sport to be successful, we as coaches must provide positive experiences that encourage athletes to stay involved with the sport beyond their interscholastic participation.

Coaching is not always about knowledge of the event. It is important to build a good relationship between the coach and athlete and find the right course of action for each individual.

Every successful coach knows that you need to have a plan. There should be a plan for the season, month, week, session, etc. However, just because a plan is written down, does not mean it is written in stone. There should always be room in the plan to make adjustments on the fly based on what is seen in athlete performance or enthusiasm.

Jamaica’s Usain Bolt proved his 2008 Beijing Olympic world-record wins in the 100 and 200-meter dashes were no fluke. Bolt lowered both of his world records by taking the 100 in 9:58 (becoming the first man to ever run under 9.6), and the 200 in 19.19 (becoming the first man to ever run under 19.2) at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. Find out how the Americans did.

As with the shot put, throwing the discus also has 3 Basics Steps. The Grip and Release: Holding the discus is a very important part the process.

In my eyes, few track and field events are more exciting and interesting than the long jump. The powerful sprint down the runway, the graceful leap as the jumper seems to float through the air, the sudden landing with an explosion of sand – the long jump is truly amazing. But then I’m biased!

Are you wondering what it takes to get an edge on the competition in track and field recruiting? If you are involved in track and field, you know there are a ton of great athletes out there competing for just a few scholarships each and every year.

Let there be no doubt about who was the star in the Track & Field venue at the 2009 Washington State Senior Games. Henry James literally knocked the socks off of his 50-54 age-group competition in the 400 and 800-meter runs, clocking 55.17 for the 400, and 2:03.55 in the 800. James electrified onlookers with his performance, smashing Bob Prather’s 2:11.11 mark in the 800 to set a new Senior Games record. Get the full story.

Two young at heart athletes-Roger Vergin and Carol Bichon Jackson-came not just to compete but to win events at the 2009 West Sound Senior Games in Bremerton (WA). Vergin (competing in the 70-74 age group) won 7 gold medals, and Carol Bichon Jackson (60-64) took home 5 gold medals. Get the full story.

Are you doing everything you can to get a cross country scholarship? Have your results been less than spectacular so far? Are you beginning to feel like running cross country at the college level may not happen for you?

A track and field strength and conditioning program is essential for any half serious competitor. What should you be looking at?

Here are the current USA High School Boys Track and Field Records through July 2009. This list gives every high school runner, jumper and thrower an idea of what it takes to become a world-class athlete at the prep level. Check it out.