James Thomas' Championship Jumps Coaching: Power & Speed Development for the Horizontal Jumps

with James Thomas,
University of Oklahoma Head Track & Field/Cross Country Coach;
University of Georgia Associate Head Coach - Men's & Women's Jumps & Combined Events from 2022 to 2023;
University of Georgia Assistant Coach - Men's & Women's Jumps & Combined Events from 2021 to 2022;
Texas Tech Associate Head Coach from 2012 through 2021 - Men's & Women's Jumps & Combined Events;
2019 NCAA Division I Champions - Men's Outdoor Track & Field;
at Texas Tech, was part of Five Big XII Team Championships, Eight Top 10 Team Finishes and Four Top 5 Team finishes;
USTFCCCA Masters Endorsement Instructor;
USATF Level II Certification- Jumps;
At Texas Tech, coached one Olympian, eight NCAA Champions, 91 All-Americans and 29 Individual Big XII Champions;
10x USTFCCCA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year

Learn the training and drill progressions that will enable your jumpers to get the most out of their ability! James Thomas provides six specific areas of training for jumpers, showing you how to perform each drill sequence correctly so you can implement his methods with your own program. Coach Thomas also gives in-depth commentary of how to use his progressions over the course of a training year.

Acceleration and Speed

Coach Thomas offers a step-by-step presentation of how to train horizontal jumpers to accelerate on the runway to achieve maximum speed and jump performance. Using 10 various starting positions, Thomas shows how to drill your jumpers' mechanics on the runway. Additionally, he progresses to 10 plyometric exercises that put jumpers through simple to more complex movement patterns that develop power and jump-specific strength.

Speed on the runway is absolutely essential for high level performance in the horizontal jumps. Using two pieces of technology (electronic whistle and a speed timing device), Coach Thomas demonstrates how to test and develop speed in your jumpers. He discusses how to use testing to assist in the development of speed and acceleration. You'll learn how to address various methods to develop running rhythm and speed endurance for your jumpers.

Bounding, Resistance Running, Strength & Conditioning

Bounding will develop a jumper's specific strength, force production, and momentum. Thomas shows eight of his favorite bounding and depth jump exercises to help gain explosive power. He wraps up his presentation with a breakdown of how to keep resistance running and weight room strength and conditioning basic, simple, and event-specific.

This video will give any coach a concise, extensive, and usable training program to help their jumpers enhance their performance. Coach Thomas' methods are tried and true, and will undoubtedly enhance your coaching abilities!

48 Minutes. 2021.