Horizontal Jumps: Training & Technical Phase-Based Approach to Seasonal Planning

with Bryan Stith,
Capital High School (ID) Head Track & Field Coach;
2015 Idaho State Champions;
The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) 2015 Idaho High School Track & Field Coach of the Year;
USATF Level 2 Certified Coach

Ever wonder how to create effective training plans for jumpers in a condensed high school season? Or how to differentiate instruction during practice for athletes with a wide range of skills? With this video, you can join Bryan Stith for over two hours of instruction that tackles the major problems associated with developing training programs for both beginner and advanced high school athletes.

Developing an Annual Plan

Coach Stith addresses the problems many coaches face when designing training plans for their athletes. Among them are setting up themes for each practice, structuring the volume and intensity loads per week, and ways to ensure the multi-event athlete can meet their technique needs without being overloaded.

From the first day of practice through the state championship, Stith breaks down the annual plan into four mesocycles that build upon each other to prepare athletes to compete at their best in the most important meets of the season. Additionally, Coach Stith provides his insights for navigating spring break week and shows coaches his plans for side-stepping one of the trickiest weeks in the training calendar to help athletes continue to progress.

Jump Drills and Approach Basics

In the practice section of this video, Coach Stith switches from the classroom to the track, showing demonstrations of everything from jump-specific warm up drills, to short and full approach jumps. As the athletes progress from one sequence to another, Stith points out common errors and their corrections for athletes of varying skill levels. Stith also breaks down his Box Take-Off drill to help athletes work on their timing and in-flight mechanics.

Weight Training for Jumping Events

For high school programs, the weight room can often be an under-utilized tool to help athletes reach their potential. For coaches that are unsure of which exercises to include in their weight training program, Coach Stith takes viewers into the school weight room, where his athletes demonstrate some of his favorite lifts. You'll see Stith break down several major lifts, including back squats, deadlifts and power cleans, as well as in-season progressions and teaching regressions.

One special feature at the end of this video is Coach Stith's presentation on triple jump phase distribution. He breaks down the phase distributions of a typical high school triple jumper and shares his insights on helping coaches adjust these percentages to maximize their athlete's potential within the event.

With over two full hours of classroom instruction and on-track demonstrations, Bryan Stith breaks down everything you'll need to confidently create a yearly training plan for your jump event athletes. Due to the organizational nature of this video, you'll also be able to easily adapt workouts for various talent levels or age groups. Gain confidence in your ability to write training plans and see them translate to more success for your horizontal jumpers!

134 minutes. 2018.