Prevention OF Over-Training By GEORGE EDWARDS Head Basketball Coach—University Of Missouri . This article was written for “THE FIRST AIDER” in 1934. We are reprinting it for three reasons. (1). Be- cause many of our regular coaches are in the Service and others must pinch-hit for them. (2). Because we consider it the best training article we have ever pub- lished, (3). It is timely. From the technical angle, the coach of any sport designs the prac- tice sessions with two main object- jves in mind. First, he wishes to aid his players in development of indi- vidual skill and weld them into a smooth working team; and, second- ly, he hopes to bring about a fine balance between mental and physi- cal conditions of each athlete to insure the most efficient perform- ance in the approaching contest. Simultaneously, then, the coach is both TRAINING and CONDITION- ING his players. Coaching methods are good or bad, according to the manner in which these two. factors are handled in the practice periods. If attempts to build excellent perform- | ance are stressed in long or hard workouts there is a grave danger that the physical or mental condi~ ~ tioning may rob the player of an ability to make the best use of his acquired skill when faced with the stress of stiff competition. On the other hand, should the practices be too short, too few, or too easy, the conditioning factors may be handled properly but the necessary skill will be lacking. Under each situation a game may be lost to| twenty minutes. opponents who ordinarily are weaker. It is obvious, then, that the rela- tionship between TRAINING and CONDITIONING often are an- tagonistic. Unquestionably the big- gest problem in coaching is to keep these two factors in relative harm- ony and proper balance. We know more about TRAINING than CONDITIONING, because re- sults are more obvious and easier to measure accurately. By charts, by records and by observation each coach has standards of accomplish- ment by which he rates the ability of each player, but there are few definite measurements of his stage of conditioning. Of the two phases of conditioning, physical and men- tal, the former lends itself to the more accurate rating. Weight vari- ations for instance, tell us a lot about physical shape, but where’ is the coach who can know in ad- vance whether or not his players have the highest degree of mental balance? Our tests of skill and phys- ical condition may indicate a fine preparation for competition, but only the game performance shows us if the boy or team is “hot”. If proper mental condition is missing, little can be done about it, and the coach is forced to squirm on the bench while he suffers the agony of watching his boys operate far below their normal standards. An honest coach must put the respons- ibility for this failure squarely on his own shoulders for obviously he failed to recognize in the practice sessions the warnings of staleness which were present there. Mental factors are so complex that while we never can be cer- tain of our rating so as to tell just what will happen, nevertheless there are some facts regarding the sub- ject which point the way to pre- vention of overtraining, commonly known as staleness. This article will attempt to explain some of these facts. Hither through sad ex- perience or by study, the veteran coach has the facts at hand and makes expert use of them. Young coaches, however, often become so engrossed with the development of skill that. they ignore these nervous aspects of performance. Readers are advised to go beyond the scope of this summary and make a close study of “The Psychology of Coach- ing”, by Coleman R. Griffith. Physicak accuracy and control, and good judgment, which are the most important features of fine performance, arise in the nervous system. Staleness impairs one or more of these features and conse- quently is more mental in character than physical. Means for detection and prevention, then, must come from the science of psychology. At least two of the Laws of Learning have direct application on this sub- ject. One of these is the Law of Effect, which states that the individual tends to repeat and learn quickly those activities which are interesting and satisfying. Continued INTER- EST, then, is a most important learning factor. Knowing this, the wise coach designs practice sessions which will please his players. En- thusiasm runs high in early season. but if practice drills become monot- onous, too long, or too strenuous, it drops off quickly. Unless practices are changed, they become not only a waste of time, but the player ac- tually will develop a dislike for the Sport or for the coach. Complete absence of interest is extremely easy to recognize, but the | steps by which it has been lost are so small that they are not obvious. Some of the first indications are, unusual quietness, which often ap- proaches sullenness in practice; missing scheduled work-outs for Tepeated trivial reasons; crabbing be- repeated tardi- hess; inability or refusal to con- _centrate while the coach js making tween teammates; There are still earlier indications which might be noted. A normal youngster is ambitious, comparative- ly exhuberant, somewhat hilarious and mischievous when he is happy. While a coach musz control these expressions to some extent, he should fee] alarm when they are missing. Take “fun” out of the |practices and staleness soon creeps in. Diagnose the remarks made by your players, note their actions in the dressing room and during rest periods. The boys unconsciously will indicate the state of their morale, and the wise coach pays close attention to these signs. Aloof- ness may aid your professional dig- jnity but it certainly will kill your icontacts which prevent staleness, 1 | Another psychological fact of 'value to the coach is stated in the | Law of Frequency which informs |us that there are individual psysio- | logical and mental time limits for | efficient progress of the learning ; Process, and that after these time j limits are reached no _ learning |takes place. According to Griffith, |the time limit for most tasks such | as Single skills like basket shooting, | dribbling etc. is approximately | After TWENTY MINUTES,’ or ‘less, a boy fails to learn any more {about any stunt. Not only does he fail to improve, but he loses interest ‘in that stunt and will not want to ‘repeat it. Yet we all have been ; guilty of sending our teams through ‘a drill or a scrimmage, and if the performance is poorer than expect- ;ed we have gritted our teeth and j growled, “That is terrible. You fellows | either do that right or you keep at i it until you do.” Psychology definitely has proved that such procedure is wrong, and that only the coach is to blame if under such a method the players lose interest and fold up at a crit- ical time. our various games know that the types of activity must be varied or rest periods provided. An inning in baseball consumes about twenty minutes. Football is divided into fifteen minute periods. Basketball liod of effort longer than twenty ‘minutes. Unquestionably, the time to be devoted to practice should be divided along the same lines. In addition to this necessary vari- ation of activity, the Law of Freq- uency has important bearings on the number and length of practices. This can be noted in other lines of learning in which school mast- fers recognize this law by limiting concentration on each scholastic subject to one hour or less per day, with seldom more than five such !periods per week. Also they apply 'it by lightening the effort just pre- ceding important tests when they fuse reviews and cease attempts to add new material. .After all, coaches are teachers and ; methods useful in one line of teach- ling should have equal force in ath- \letics. Yet we find teams being "sent through. two-hours work-outs five days a week with the expecta- fion that they will be in good form on the sixth. We extract all of a boy’s physical and mental energy in hard practices and shift the re- sponsibility when there is nothing left for the test. A reasonable application of some of the items listed below will go far toward the prevention of/over- training: Of course, these often re- quire some sacrifice of skill de- velopment. Still, better results are usually obtained if desire and de- termination are present than if de- pendence is placed on skill without these attributes. 1. Write out the practice sched- ule carefully in advance, and don’t permit the stress of the workout to lead'to drastic changes. . 2. Arrange stunts and_ scrim- ‘mages so that there is variation every fifteen or twenty minutes. Carry a watch and adhere strictly to the prearranged time schedule. 3. Limit total concentrated prac- |tice time to approximately ONE HOUR with some adaptations for individuals and for large squads with restricted facilities. (4.) Plans for pre-season work- outs should include not more than two exhausting sessions per week i with two or three easier periods. | | 5. After the playing season is under way, three or four practices :a week are enough and only one of these should be exhausting. | 6. Call off all practices the day | before a game, or at least permit jonly a twenty or thirty-minute easy \ warm-up. ; Under such a schedule, the team probably will not reach a high peak leafy in the season, but the coach | wll have the satisfaction of watch- ing. his squad reach a high level necessary explanations; and indif-jand either maintain it or improve ferent or careless performance. as the weeks roll past, THE FIRST AIDER—Published by the Cramer Chemical Co., Gardner, Kansas Those responsible for the rules of ‘has similar divisions, with no per- | Suggested Treatment For Nose Bleeding Place cold towels on the back of the neck, across the forehead and the bridge of the nose. Roll up some cotton-and place in the mouth between the teeth and the upper lip. Put some cotton on an applicator, saturate it with Nitrotan—insert in the nostrils and hold against the bleeding area—if possible. If not possible, saturate cotton with Nitro- tan and plug both nostrils. Have the patient breath through the mouth. |panies require a permit for stor- age of gasoline and if the cost were only two cents per $100, this would amount to $200 additional insur- |ance cost on a $100,000 building. Would you want to assume the | responsibility for fire or increased imsurance rates for the small dif- ference in cost between Tape Re- mover and gasoline? AS Appoint some managers and in- struct them in their responsibilities. This will give you more time to worry—when the “heats on”! Don’t overlook the girls when appointing assistants. Girls aré here to stay, it seems - and are really capable persons. ne Printed Again By Request “The Dream of a Character Builder” was written in 1938 by L. It was first introduced at the American It was printed Perkins of our company. Football Coaches Convention in Chicago that December, in the January 1939 issue of “The First Aider”. We received many requests for extra copies. We were also asked E. for permission to change the names to fit local teams for local banquets. We suggest you try fitting in the names of your squad—and see what happens. The Dream of a Character Builder The day was hot, my boys were stale, Their suits hung on them like coats of mail. Page 3. to dry. Sweat shirts and socks should be laundered often. Follow these suggestions, and the care of your basketball squad and equipment will be just half the problem it might have been. F-A Fight The Flu 1. Drink plenty of water and fruit juices. 2. Don’t over eat. Eat lots of green vegetables, 3. Have proper elimination. 4. Get lots of sleep. 5. Keep feet warm and dry. 6. Take some exercise - outdoors - every day. 7. Ventilate sleeping but avoid drafts. rooms, 8. Avoid crowds, wherever possible. F-A Start your order with a bottle of NITROTAN. Take care of your team if you want them to take care of you! If nose bleeding is chronic, have an examination by your team physi- cian, F-A Play Safe With Tape Remover The use of gasoline: to remove adhesive tape is a dangerous prac- tice. In the past there have been some serious fires and explosions, even causing the death of athletes. Gasoline may seem economical, but is it? Somtimes insurance com- ONLY ONE KEYSTONE— We of America are in the midst of the greatest revolution of our history. The Revolutionary War, the Civil War, - these were revolutions - turning points in our national life. World War II has destroyed the normal existence of every family in our nation. Our boys are gone, our methods of trans- portation are unhinged, what we eat and the things we wear are rationed as necessities - every family and every individual is a part of the change. There is one keystone - and only one, that may link us to- gether. It is the American School System and its personnel! Eyery school room should be a citadel - a place where cour- age, sanity and steadfastness-of-purpose are taught by example. In times like these we are inclined toward hysteria. We have duties to perform, but we cannot concentrate on them. We try to fight the war with our boys when our obligations are to keep the home front on a steady keel - steady and ready for their return. The steam of our revolution blows off in Washington. The check valve may be- controlled in the school. 25 Years Old In Athletics We'd dropped the last four games we’d played In spite of well laid plans we’d made. I tried every play—then ordered the shower, My patience was gone and I’d turned sour. , -I sat there a while, like a great big sap Sore as a boil—then I picked up my cap. But when I reached the cool field house They were all gone—'twas as still as a mouse. I sat down for a minute before going to work When a tap on the shoulder brought me up with a jerk. A man of distinction was there: by my side He must have slipped in through the door that stood wide Says he, “You're just the fellow that I want to see “We're after a coach—they’ve selected me “To make you an offer—so here I go— “You can have anything—just don’t say No! “A contract for ten years is ready to sign “Just tell us what salary to place on the line. “We'll get you assistants—Frank Thomas and Kern “Lou Little, Carl Snavely—we have money to burn. “If you want Bernie Bierman to.coach on the line “Or maybe Fritz Crisler—that suits us just fine. “Andy Kerr or Dorias in the backfield would do “And maybe Gill Dobie and Stub Allison, too. “For end coach, get Dick Harlow of Harvard to come “With Faurot of Missouri—they’d sure make things hum. “To work out plays—there’s Bergman and Blaik “Fred Thomsen and Jennings and V. Green of Drake. “Of course, our scouts will be in the -press box “Harmeson, Josh Cody, Bachman and Cox. “Business managers? Oh, sure—we should have four, “Matty Bell, Irl Tubbs, Bunny Oakes and: Moore. “Clark Shaughnessy—a good publicity man “Will keep us in the ‘bright lights’ if anyone can. “Ducky Pond and Dick Romney could take care of travel “There’s nothing too hard for them to unravel. “You could have Harry Stuhldreher be water boy “With Biff Jones to help him—a real McCoy. “The stretcher bearers could be headed by Fry . “With Mal Stevens and Layden standing by. “If more were needed—there’s Sutherland and Shaw “A swell pair of beauties as ever I saw. “With Bible and Madigan carrying head-gear “Pop Warner with towels—and far in the rear “Bob Zuppke will lead in the mascot with care “My word, what a wonderful crowd will be there. “You'll have plenty of help—we’ll take care of that.” He put his hand on my head and gave me a pat. I opened my eyes—the man had fled The janitor’s broom had hit my head. I’d had a dream—I know it now But while it lasted—it sure was a “WOW.” The Feet sy Donk? A Sigh OF Rete With & 4. USE BEFORE WORK-OUT To Reduce Sweating and Blisters : AND FOR HEAT RASH ¥ CRAMER'S POWDER FOOT=BATHR —-_-METHOD of ATHLETE’S FOOT. Prevention and Treatment 1. Dry Feet Before Using Foot Bath 2. Work Powder Between Toes and Over 3. ‘Carry Adhering Powder Into Shoes (And Not On The Floor) AND AFTER WORK-OUT . To Give Lasting Protection, Dry Shoes, Reduce Foot Odors 5. A Good Soldier Doesn't Waste His Powder USE IN CROTCH OR UNDER ARMS TO PREVENT OR TREAT JOCK STRAP ITCH OR CHAFFING OF SKIN, Cramevr’s Foot @ Body Powder CRAMER CHEMICAL CO., Gardner, Kansas | MARKETED IN 514 OZ. SHAKER TOP CARTONS AND IN 10 AND 25 POUND PACKAGES Training In Basketball From a training angle, basket- ball presents possibly four major problems. They are: 1. How to dry. damp socks, and suits. supporters, .2, Shower temperature. A 8. Protection of players in cold weather. 4. Preservation of on hand equip- ment. (1). The drying of damp equip- ment is imperative from a health angle. Dampness promotes the growth of mold. Mold will hasten |the destruction of the fabric. This problem is one which must be answered by each coach. Damp- ness, the amount of available space, heat and ventilation, these must all be considered in arriving at a satisfactory answer. (2). There isn’t a great deal to be said about shower temperatures except that they must be kept down. The shower should be more of a rinse than a bath—where it is used daily. , (3). There is a lot to be said about player protection in cold weather, because playing form with- ‘out health is of little value. Protection of the head and neck \from cold. winds. Sudden cooling |of the body. Shoes allowed to be- j;come damp and cold. The answer |is obvious, and again it is a prob- !lem for each coach to handle in- | dividually. | We still think properly worded This card—actual size 14 in. by 11 in.—will now be included in each 10 pound and 25 pound bulk package of Cramer’s Foot & Body Powder. This card should be placed on the wall near the powder box—where your players can easily read the instructions. Insist that they carry NOTICE: Cramer’s Foot & Body Powder will not serve as an adequate or competent treatment for deep-seated cases of Athlete’s Foot or Jock Strap itch where there is much dead tissue. know nothing that may be safely’ used to penetrate this “shell” and kill the underlying fungi. The “Shell” must be removed or keratolyzed be:fore a product of any kind can do its work effi- ciently. The term “Lasting Protection” in the card above means from day to day protection and implies the daily use of the Powder Foot-Bath by the athlete. the adhering powder into the shoe—and not onto the floor. ' Instruct your players to. pick up a small | amount of powder when they are standing in the foot-bath and place some in the crotch, under the arms or on any place where the skin is irritated and has been rubbed. | talks with your players will go a |long way toward answering these | problems. | . (4). Preservation of your basket- | ball, your basketball shoes, and |other equipment is imperative - if you expect to continue play and help the war effort. | Keep the suits clean. Keep the | basketballs cleaned and waxed with |“Cramer’s Liquid Ball Cleaner”. |Supporters should be washed in jeter soap suds, rinsed in clear We water and laid out, not hung out, | OBSTACLE COURSE— (Continued from columns 1 and 2, page 1) Additional Suggestions It is a good policy to make short breaks and clear the obstacle course of contestants occassionally. This may take 3 to 7 min- utes, depending upon the length of the obstacle course. It will Permit a quick checkup between the two recorders on the finish line and the recorder at the start. By using letters of the alphabet in connection with the num- bers, it is easy to separate groups, such as battalions or classes. It is important that the timer and his assisting recorder be the coolheaded type. Contestants may bunch up at the finish, and if the officials freeze mentally, it is easy to make a mess of it. Contestants can figure out their own running time, if they know their starting time, and listen for their finish time as, it is called out. General Suggestions During our twelve months of experience in planning, con- structing and operating obstacle courses, we have learned sev- eral lessons that may be of value to others. ‘The complete standardization visable because local conditions must be considered. Streams, hills, trees, rocks and other natural obstacles should be used to advantage. However, experience has shown that certain ob- stacles should be eliminated, because of extreme hazards and little value in training and conditioning. Here are some points to keep in mind when determining the order of obstacles. of obstacle courses is not ad- (1) The first 2 to 4 obstacles should be fairly easy, to’ avoid any bottlenecks. (2) The last 2 or 3 obstacles should not be too difficult and should not be high-climbing obstacles, in order to avoid injuries and falls when contestants are fatigued. (3) Obstacles should vary somewhat as to group muscles used; that is, if one obstacle is a climbing obstacle, where the use of the shoulder and the arms particularly come into play, the fol- lowing obstacle should stress, primarily, the use of the legs. (4) The ideal distance between obstacles is from 20 to 30 yards. Suggestions For Constructing Obstacle Courses (1) The course should be wide enough and the obstacle so built as to allow from 6 to 8 boys to run at one time. This will permit keener competition. y (2) The lanes for the first 2 or 3 obstacles should be wider than those that. follow, to permit 6 or 8 boys to run abreast. As the race continues, the contestants will tend to scatter along the course and there will be no further need for wide obstacles. (3) The obstacles should be built firmly. Peeled logs 6 to § inches in diameter are ideal for many of the obstacles. Use of logs gives the course a naturally rustic appearance and will also reduce expense. (4) Sharp points and corners should be eliminated. Landing places from jumps or vaults should have sand or sawdust, to prevent injuries. (5) The course should be constructed and marked so that it will be impossible to sidestep or detour obstacles. Signs should be placed to clarify any doubtful route. (6) If possible, the start and the finish of the course should be so planned, to allow one official to control both start and finish. A horseshoe-shaped course or one shaped in a figure 8 will definitely permit this. (7) If some of the obstacles prove too difficult for the con- testants, an alternate course around the obstacles should be con- structed; this alternate course should take more time to cover than the time required for going over the obstacles. * Suggestions Ver Order Of Obstacles () Hurdle (2% feet). (2 Fence vault (4% feet). (3) Log balance run. (4) Wall climb (7 to 8 feet). (5) Dodge run. (6) Bear trap. (7) Under-cover run with. deep sand as base. (4 feet high, 60 feet long). (8) Hand over hand walk (9 feet high, 15 to 20 feet long). (9) Under, over, under. (10 Jungle maze. (11) High knee-action run. (12) Rope swings. (13) Tunnels (2% feet high). (14) Fence climb (14 feet to 18 feet). \ (15) Straddle run. (16) Monkey climb. (Horizontal rope stretched across a sand pit 20 feet long and 7 feet high. Hands and feet used in hang- ing position - upside down). (17) A checkerboard run. (18) Under, over, under. (19) Hurdle. Another good obstacle is the cargo net climb, about 18 feet high. The nets may be difficcult to obtain at this time. The. age of the contestants must be considered in building the obstacle course. If the course is built for boys of junior high school age, naturally, the course should be much shorter and some obstacles lower. The length of the run assigned, of nec- essity, must depend upon the condition and age ofthe contest- ants. A Few Additional Points (1) After running the course, the contestant should walk around until fairly rested. (2) No drinking of water should be permitted until contestants are well rested. (3) Contestants who have difficulty in certain obstacles should have special instruction on the proper way to negotiate these obstacles.