Yesterday afternoon I was in Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port
of Spain Trinidad watching over three hundred track & field athletes of all
ages train but I could have just as well been in London, Brisbane or back home
in Sarasota. What I saw was a bunch of drills and exercises; it was obvious in
most cases the drills were just imitations of what someone had seen on YouTube
or learned at a workshop. Drills and exercises without purpose and context are
nothing more than busy work, just stuff. If you use drills know the purpose of
the drill. Know why you are using the drill or exercise at this time with these
athletes. Just doing work and getting tired is not training. There must be a
purpose and direction to everything you do to prepare the athlete for the
demands of competition. Drills often get the athlete better at the drill and do
not transfer to the actual event. I have learned over the years that less is
more. Fewer drills and exercises done with a specific purpose that the athlete
clearly understands are more effective that a bunch of stuff wishing and hoping
they will work. Training with
direction, intent and purpose will produce results.
