Track.

The track, if possible, should be a straight 100 yards. If the work is done inside it is necessary to work on the circular track or on the floor of the gymnasium. A cinder track is the most desirable if it can be procured. First the earth is dug up, then mixed with coarse ashes; the earth and coarse ashes are then packed down; fine ashes are mixed on the top layer. The whole track is then wet thoroughly and rolled until level and smooth. The track is generally divided into lanes, three feet six inches in width, and is made wide enough to have four lanes.

Distances.

There are a variety of distances from 25 yards to the 100 on the straight track, and the 220 and the 440 on the circular track. A few coaches still believe that the long sprints—220 and 440—are not injurious, while others contend that the half-mile is not so harmful. However, the 50, 75, and 100-yard dashes seem to be most common at different schools and colleges. According to the records collected by Mr. Stewart, 12 seconds is the best time for the 100-yard; 8-3/5 seconds for the 75-yard; 6 seconds for the 50-yard. The other dashes noted by him are the 25-yard, 3-4/5 seconds; 30-yard, 4-3/5 seconds; 40-yard, 5-1/5 seconds; 60-yard, 8 seconds; 80-yard, 11 seconds. Also the 220-yard, 30-3/5 seconds, and 440 yard, 1 minute and 16 seconds. There is also a short relay, 300 yards, four girls, each running 75 yards. This race is very popular at the colleges.

Hurdles.

As in the running races so in the hurdles there is a wide difference of opinion as to length and as to height of hurdles and number of hurdles. The 100-yard hurdle race seems very popular, 8 hurdles, varying from 1½, 2 or 2½ feet in height. There is also the 120-yard, 10 hurdles, 14 inches high; 90-yard, 7 hurdles, 1½ and 2½ feet in height; 80-yard, 6 hurdles, 2½ feet; 65-yard, 6 hurdles, 2½ feet; 60-yard, 4 hurdles, 2½ feet; 60-yard, 3 hurdles, 2½ feet; 50-yard, 4 hurdles, 2 feet; 40-yard, 5 hurdles, 2 feet; 40-yard, 4 hurdles, 1½ feet. There is a great variety of choice.

The hurdles should be arranged: First hurdle, 15 yards from start and each hurdle 10 yards apart, allowing 15 yards between last hurdle and finish line.

In a pamphlet reprinted from the American Physical Education Review, January, 1916, “A Survey of Track Athletics for Women,” Mr. Stewart has made the following selection in order to standardize track events.

Junior Events:	50-yard dash
	75-yard dash
	60-yard, four 2-foot hurdles
	Standing broad jump
	Running broad jump
	Running hop, step and jump
	Base ball throw
	Basket ball throw
Senior Events:	50-yard dash
	100-yard dash
	100-yard, eight 2½-foot hurdles
	Standing broad jump
	Running broad jump
	Running high jump
	Running hop, step and jump
	8-pound shot-put
	Base ball throw
	Basket ball throw

Mr. Stewart also says: “Only the exceptional girl should pole vault, run the 220-yard race, or put the 12-pound shot. Hurl ball (Sargent), discus (free style), javelin throw, standing high jump, and many other events are good, but the above groups seem sufficient and best adapted to competitive work.”

Jumping.

While all jumping may be done in one pit, where the space is available it is better to have one pit for the high jumps, one for the running broad, one for hop, step and jump, another for the pole vault.

The pits should be soft. All pits are made the same way but differ in size. The earth should be dug up to a depth of at least a foot and a half. If ground is hard, pits should be deeper. This soft dug-up earth should be equally mixed with sand or sawdust or both. Pits should be kept well raked up and not allowed to become packed.

For the high jump the pit should be wide, at least eight feet in width and six or seven feet long. For high jumping, two adjustable standards and a bamboo or thin cross-bar are required. These standards are placed six feet apart, directly opposite each other in a straight line. The standards are perforated by little round holes into which the pegs (not more than 3 inches long) are inserted to hold the cross-bar. There should be a runway or approach of at least twenty yards. There is no take-off.

For the running broad jump there is a runway—cinder track, if possible—20 to 30 yards in length, 3 feet in width. A take-off is sunk, marking division between runway and pit. This is a planed joist, 5 inches wide, sunk into ground so that top is on a level with runway, and painted white. The pit should be at least 25 feet long and about 6 feet wide. This may also be used for standing broad. The pit for the hop, step and jump is constructed in the same way.

For the pole vault the uprights should be 10 feet apart, placed opposite each other. There is a runway—cinder track, if possible—about 20 or 25 yards long, 10 feet wide. Between the two uprights a plank 16 inches deep should be sunk, 2 inches of which should be above ground level. In front of plank, in center, a hole 5 or 6 inches deep should be dug.

Putting the Shot.

The contestant stands in a 7-foot circle and the put or throw must be made from within the circle. It is a foul for either foot to touch the ground outside until the shot has landed. A toe board raised 4 or 5 inches above the ground and sunk firmly into the earth should form about one-quarter of the circle. Spalding’s official 8 and 12-pound shots are used.

Sprinting.

From my own observation, I have seen few girls that really know how to run. One great trouble is that the instinct is to run as speedily as possible from the minute you get on the track. First of all you should learn to run well in good form. I shall try to give a few hints to the runner which may be helpful.

Head.—The head should be up, the eyes looking straight ahead and firmly fixed on the finish line.

Shoulders.—The shoulders should be kept straight up and back, not allowed to wiggle from side to side.

Body.—The whole trunk from waistline up, however, should be bent slightly forward.

Arms.—The arms should be held loosely in a bent position, the forearm at right angles with the upper arm. The movement of the arms should be controlled; they should be allowed to swing forward and backward in accordance with the motion of the rest of the body. Many runners do not control the swinging of the arms, letting them flap sideward, downward, thus wasting energy. Some runners use cork grips for the hands; personally, I prefer to run with my hands clenched into a fist.

Legs.—Many runners make the mistake in thinking the longer your stride, the better your form and the faster you run. If you have a long stride it is often apt to be very helpful, but the runner should not try to take an abnormally long stride. By that I mean take only as long a stride as you can manage without strain, or without appearing to be running in leaps and bounds. Neither should the knees be dashed high in front.

Feet.—A great deal in running depends upon the way the feet are placed. The toe of the foot should reach out for the ground; the toe should be pointed straight ahead and each foot should be put down on the ground directly in front of its former position. The runner should take care not to run heavily, and she should, whether in practice or competition, always stride well up on her toes.

In running you should always think of yourself as a unit, running with the smoothest possible action. Some runners are not units, but arms, legs, body and knees, all wobbling in different ways, giving the general appearance of falling apart. Yet you must not go too far the other way, that is, don’t run tensely. Be limber but not loose. Try to get all the spring and lightness possible. To do this get the balance over the feet; don’t run with balance too far forward or too far back.

The Start.—The crouch start is conceded to be the best. This should be practised until the runner learns to get away at the word “go,” to get the proper push with the rear leg, and to rise to an upright position gradually. There are three counts for the crouching start: “Get ready.” The fingers are placed just behind starting line; the arms should be carried straight down from the shoulders, thus making the hands shoulder width apart; the runners then kneel on one knee, either right or left, according to preference; the toe of the forward foot should be as close to starting line as is comfortable for runner; the knee of rear leg should be on a line with front leg, close up to it, with lower part of leg (that is, below the knee) reaching back as far as possible in a straight line from the knee. A hole should be dug for the toe of each foot. “Get set.” The rear knee is raised, the whole body tense ready for the spring; the weight is thrown over the front knee so that the toe of front foot feels the weight and can get a good push over; the head is up; the whole strength of the body seems concentrated in the muscles used in springing forward. “Go” (or the pistol shot). The sprinter springs forward with all the force possible from the front foot. But she should not assume an upright position at once, but gradually, after three or four strides have been taken. In other starts you stand upright with one leg back, other leg front. Front leg is slightly bent, weight of body is over front leg.

Hurdling.

In hurdling, the crouching start is very important. All the form of sprinting should be considered and also there should be perfect form over the hurdles. A girl may be a fast runner, but if she cannot take the hurdles well and quickly she will be defeated by a slower girl who can. Many hurdlers twist toward the side, or, in landing, land too far to one side of hurdle. First the approach from the start to the first hurdle should be carefully measured by strides. The runner should always take just this number of strides. The strides between each hurdle should be counted also. Then a mark should be made in front of each hurdle, from which point the hurdler should always rise to the hurdles. The long low stride is the best over the hurdles. There are two forms of hurdling, that of the leg bent sideways, usually recommended for girls, and the “straight-leg.” For the first, the front leg—leg first over the hurdle in the stride—is bent across the other leg; the arms are stretched out toward the side; the rear leg is trailed over the hurdle; the front foot reaches the ground first, the hurdler landing squarely on the ball of the foot, the toe pointed straight ahead. Personally, I prefer the “straight-leg” hurdle to the “side-leg” style. In the latter the rise over the hurdle is greater, the upright position of the trunk meets more resistance from the air, the landing is made with more of a jar. In the “straight-leg” the stride over hurdle is long and as low as possible; the body is bent as far over the front leg as possible; the front leg shoots over the hurdle straight, for as great a distance as possible, the arm (on same side of body) is forward when leg is; the rear leg is trailed, extending slightly to the side from the thigh to the toe; the weight of body is as far forward as possible, thus enabling a longer stride; the front foot should land on ground, on the ball, toe pointed forward; the rear foot should be ready to shoot out for next stride. My advice is for hurdlers to practice until they are sure of themselves before running in a race. They must not hesitate before hurdles, thus forced to jump off both feet. The rise should be with the least possible effort; the landing should be light, the runner immediately resuming the stride. Never be afraid of a hurdle. Practice until you are perfect and sure of yourself, and sure of the hurdle. Confidence makes you successful.

Running Broad Jump.

There are two important parts to the running broad jump—the run and the jump. The run should not be so long as to tire the jumper. The first few strides are slow, then at a mark placed by the jumper the speed increases until the take-off is reached. The momentum gathered in this run aids in the jump greatly, thus it is important that a mark be made the proper number of strides away from the take-off. The foot which takes the jump from the take-off should always be the same one, therefore the strides before the take-off should be carefully observed.

A spring is made when the foot lands on the take-off. It is a foul to step over the take-off. After the jumper has given the best leap possible from the ball of the foot on the take-off, she tries to augment this leap by drawing her legs up under her, throwing her arms up and forward. When nearing ground the feet should shoot forward, the whole body thrown so that the balance is forward. This insures a better landing. The jump should be high. Many coaches teach the girls to jump over a bar, thus forming a habit of getting height. It is always well to fix your eye on a point about four feet high and beyond the distance you can jump. Fix your eye on this at the beginning of the run and keep it there until a landing is made.

Standing Broad Jump.

The jumper stands with both feet on the take-off, toes overlapping the outer edge to get a grip. Many jumpers like to rock back and forth on the toes, knees slightly bent; the arms also are swung gently backward and forward. When the jumper is ready to spring, the arms should be held above the head and brought back with a snap as the spring is made, with the knees bent forward and all the strength concentrated for the jump. As in the running broad, the jump should be high, thus the eyes should be fixed on a spot high and beyond the distance you expect to jump. While in the air, shoot the arms, legs and body as far forward as possible in order to gain distance.

Running Hop, Step and Jump.

The run is the same as in the running broad jump, except at the end instead of jumping you first take a hop, immediately followed by a step and then a jump. The hop ends on the same foot which landed on the take-off; then the step, the opposite foot landing on the ground; then the jump is taken from the foot then on the ground. The greatest effort should be in the jump; the other two should not take such a lot of effort that the speed is slowed up.

Running High Jump.

As in the running broad jump, the girl should have a mark by which she can tell the point where her speed should be increased. The same foot should always be brought to the same position for jumping; thus, the number of strides should be carefully taken from the mark to the bar every time. Some jumpers approach from the left, some from the right. The spring is taken from the ball of the foot nearest to the bar at a distance determined by practice, usually three to four feet. The nearer leg is thrown over the bar. As the nearer leg is thrown high, the far leg with a strong push leaves the ground; thus, as the near leg is coming down the far leg is going up and over the bar. It is often advisable to throw the body away from the bar.

It is bad form to touch or knock the cross-bar.

Standing High Jump.

The form of the standing high is the same, except that the jumper stands about a foot away from the bar, side turned toward it. As in the broad jump, she may gather speed by swinging the arms and rocking on the toes until strength is summoned for the spring. The feet must not leave the ground until the spring is made.

Pole Vault.

As in the jumps, the pole vaulter must determine her run to the point where the foot makes the spring. She should run slowly until the point for the faster run is marked, then she should gather speed and come to the spot from which spring is taken. The spring should always be taken from the same foot, and the run should always start with this foot.

The pole should be grasped with both hands, the palm of the lower hand facing inward and the top hand outward. The vaulter should grasp the pole at the height of the cross-bar, which she measures on pole at each increase of height and at each trial.

During the run the pole is held across the body, with the hands gripping the pole at proper spot; then the pole is placed in the hole in front of cross-bar and a spring is taken from the foot; the arm underneath should be straight, the one above bent; as the pole swings to a vertical position the body swings up, and if the vaulter is strong enough in the arms she should slide the lower hand up to the top one; an extra push is given to propel the body over the bar as the pole is released. While crossing the bar the body should be arched; in falling, the face should be downward. The landing should be easy and light.

Shot Put.

The competitor must stay within the circle and must not step over the toe board. If the shot is held in the right hand, the left side of the body is turned in the direction shot is going; the weight is on the right foot, the left foot and left arm are raised to help the balance of the body; the shot is carried in right hand, which is held up slightly above the shoulder, elbow of right arm bent and well back, and held as close as possible to the ribs. A quick hop forward is taken, the same position is retained; then the body is turned, the weight transferred to the left leg, and as this is done the shot is thrust forward, with the weight and entire strength of body behind the throw; the right foot comes forward to preserve the balance; the toe should be against the springboard.

It is important to learn the correct form in shot putting, thus it is advisable to practice with a light weight.

Basket Ball Throw.

This throw is similar to the shot put in form, the ball being held high over the body. It is a foul to step outside the circle, 6 feet in diameter. The ball also may be thrown from the flexed wrist position, that is, the ball rests in palm of hand and on the bent wrist. In both the throws the ball is thrown after a spring on the right foot is taken. It is better to throw the ball high.

Base Ball Throw.

As in the basket ball throw, the base ball throw should have height. The throw must be an overhand throw and the competitor must not step out of the circle. The ball is grasped by some people by the first two fingers and the thumb, the other two fingers are bent into the palm.

Hurl Ball Throw.

The regulation hurl ball has a short strap on it. This strap is grasped in one hand; the side of body is turned in direction the ball is going; the ball is carried high overhead and then down, describing a circle; a hop forward is taken, the ball released as it is starting up—this then insures height.

Javelin Throw.

The javelin is grasped by one hand or by both hands. The center of balance is found on the javelin; here it is gripped by the hand, the first and second fingers and thumb holding it; the hand should be over the shoulder; a short run should be taken; then, with right foot back and all the weight on it, the javelin is carried back; then the arm, shoulder, and body come quickly forward, the hand releases the javelin and the weight is on the left (forward) foot. The competitor may not cross the board or the mark.

Discus Throw.

The discus is thrown in two ways:

1. Free Style.—The discus is held in the palm of the right hand, the edge resting between the first and second joints of the fingers. The flight is guided by means of the index finger. The right hand is swung down and across the body; the right foot is at the rear of circle, the left a little forward; when the right hand has been swung back to the maximum reach of the arm, the thrower should pivot on the left heel, then she should crouch, straighten body and throw the discus, making a spring so that the feet are changed; thus, right foot is back, left forward.

2. Greek Style.—This is generally from a block or pedestal; the competitor, right leg forward, holds the discus in both hands overhead, then the discus is shifted to the right hand, which is brought down and back as far as possible. The knees are bent. Now the knees are straightened, a jump forward is taken and discus is hurled in the air.

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The main difficulty with track athletics is that they are overdone, that is, a girl does not consider her strength. In training a horse, the trainer does not urge it to tear over the course two or three times at full speed. This is just the way some girls think they are improving their running or jumping, getting to the top form sometimes two or three times a day.

It is advisable to practice for form slowly at first, then increase your effort. In this way then your maximum effort can be made when you are perfect in form and condition; not too jaded by overwork to do your best or so used to hurried efforts that your form is neglected.

One of the great troubles with girls in athletics is that they pitch in too strenuously, with too much enthusiasm. This exuberance should be carefully diverted into the proper channels by the coach. Confine yourself to a few events, all of which you can do well. It is a useless waste of energy to spend your strength in events for which you are too tired to perfect your form. Not only do you owe to your coach and your school or college the responsibility for your good health, but to yourself. Therefore never over-exert in track work.

A coach plays a very great part in track athletics and should watch closely over the girls. If any of them seem tired or stale, let them rest for three or four days. Don’t, in your desire and enthusiasm, forget that more harm may be done through overwork and too strict training than in more obvious ways.