Speed Activities
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6.3.3 Starting Practices
6.3.3.1 The Standing Up Test
It is very important that the young athletes get away at the start of the ‘bang’ and not the end of the
‘bang’. To illustrate this to the young athletes there is a very simple practice that can be performed.
The proper initial starting procedures are carried out for a sprint start:
‘on your marks’
‘set’
but instead of the ‘go’ command ‘stand up’ is shouted.
Some of the young athletes will start as they would in a proper race and some will stand up. Those
who stood up had listened to the complete command before they responded because, had they
started at the beginning of the command, they would have been moving forward before hearing
exactly what was shouted.
6.3.3.2 The Noise Test
The young athletes should be organised in one group in a line. They are instructed that on the ‘on
your marks’ command they crouch with their backs to the line and on the ‘go’ command they
quickly stand up. At some stage another adult should then, without the knowledge of the group,
shout ‘away’ instead of the coach shouting ‘go’. Some young athletes will still stand up whilst others
will look puzzled. It should be explained to the group that they should respond to the start of any
loud noise – not just to the noise made by the starter.
6.3.3.3 Reaction Tests
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