Youth Runners (Read 811 times)

Anyone have some suggestions for training Jr. High kids for the track distance events and/or XC knowing that:

1. Most of these kids haven't ran either all winter/summer
2. Most think 2 miles is a LONG way.
3. The season is at most 2 months long
4. Many kids are going out for the sport just to get in shape for something like basketball, or some other sport of choice. 

What's the best way to keep it fun, see some improvement out of each kids, and help them achieve their goal of getting in shape for a different sport?

My idea were to run by time not distance, do lots of fartlek type runs, play games that involve constant running alternating between jogging and sprinting, etc. 

here is a good way to do an interval/fartlek workout.  If you have say 12 kids divide them into a faster group and a slower group.  Then have each group run an easy pace around the track for 8 laps running single file.  After a 2 lap warm-up have the person in last do a sprint to take the spot first in line.  As soon as they reach the front the new last person sprints ahead.  After 5 laps like that they can do a 1 lap cool down. 

 

basketball players and soccer players get decent return on this type of 40 yard sprints and also develop some aerobic ability by running the 2 miles. 

 

I've coached that age and one thing that they really seemed to enjoy was relay races (you don't need to have to have a baton) just let them tag each other.  They get to be competitive and are running with people.  If you have some folks who are slower you can make unbalanced teams like 5 fast kids versus 4 slower kids.  You can even make some sort of prize for the winning or losing teams.  Like the losing team has to do 5 push-ups (you should do these with the kids)

  For interval-type training we did a sort of continuous relay. We were split into teams that were roughly of equivalent ability, and when the last guy finished his lap he handed off to the first guy to start the cycle all over again. We repeated until everyone had completed the equivalent of 8 x 1/4 mile.

 

  For longer runs, you could try some sort of variation of the Hash House Harrier's approach. Have two of your better runners (or maybe a couple of volunteers from the High School) set the course, and everyone else has to catch up to them. Maybe give both groups a time limit to make sure they don't walk the course while you're not looking.

 For longer runs, you could try some sort of variation of the Hash House Harrier's approach.

 

just make sure the first beer stop is less than a mile in.  you don't want them getting discouraged on their first hash. 

In keeping with the relay ideas - My high school track coach used to make us do 2 person mile relays (or that's what he called them anyway).  We each would run 200 m at a time and tag the other person.  While my partner was running her 200 m - I had to get across the track to the spot that she would be tagging me.  It was a hard workout - Made harder if Coach paired you up with the quickest person on the team!

 

ooo, another good idea. That at least keeps them jogging. 

 

Yes...my Viking ancestors are rolling in their burned-out burial boats at the suggestion that fartlek is Latin... 

 

my bad... it's Sweedish. I swear I read somewhere it was a Latin term.

fartlekni, fartlekdi, fartlekci.