Any track and field coaches out there?

[huntin24/7]

I got roped into helping Coach middle school track at our school 5 years ago and ended up enjoying it. I don’t have any background in it but am learning what I can. I mostly coach mid distance, relays, and some of the sprinting. Just wondering if anyone here has more of a background than me and could give me some better ideas for conditioning plans at practice during the season as well as effective off season training for the handfull of kids this age that want to be faster sprinters.

I’m particularly interested in things you’ve personally witnessed as being effective training for kids this age, the less complicated the better.

 

[Maverick1]

Nothing to share, but good for you for getting involved.

 

[Irrelevant]

In general, for an 8 week season, you should build endurance early then shift to speed work as the season progresses, and tapper then last two weeks.

For middle school you're biggest challenge is keeping it fun but competitive. Candy helps. "winner gets a starbust" type of thing.

If you're trying to get serious about it, I could elaborate but MS is just building a concept of running, competing, and getting faster from hard work.

Also for actual workout plans ChatGPT is pretty good as a starting place, then tweaking. Just make sure you give it all the parameters.

 

[Irrelevant]

This took 30 secs. You should adjust based on when your meets are. It'll factor that info in if you provide it.

Week​	Training Focus	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Weekend
1​	Introduction / Base Fitness	Easy run 15–20 min + drills + strides	Intervals: 6–8 × 200m at controlled pace, full recovery	Easy run or games + mobility	Tempo intro: 8–10 min steady + drills	Relay games, hill strides, or easy run	Rest or light activity
2​	Build Aerobic Base + Form	Easy run 20 min + 4 strides	4–6 × 400m at 1600m effort, 2–3 min rest	Recovery jog + core + flexibility	Short hills: 6–8 × 10–15 sec hill sprints	Easy run + starts/relay exchanges	Rest
3​	Strength + Race Mechanics	Easy run 20–25 min + drills	3–4 × 600m at controlled 1600m effort	Recovery run + mobility	Speed: 8 × 150m fast but relaxed	Pre-meet or easy run + strides	Meet or rest
4​	Race-Specific Endurance	Easy run 20 min + strides	5 × 400m at goal 1600m pace	Recovery jog + core	3 × 300m at 800m effort + 3 × 150m relaxed-fast	Pre-meet / easy 10–15 min + strides	Meet or rest
5​	Peak Training Load	Easy run 20–25 min + drills	2–3 × 800m at 1600m effort, full recovery	Recovery run + mobility	4–5 × 300m at 800m pace	Easy run + 4 strides	Meet or rest
6​	Sharpening / Race Rhythm	Easy run 20 min + strides	Ladder: 200–400–600–400–200 at controlled race effort	Recovery jog + core	6 × 200m at 800m pace, full recovery	Pre-meet + starts/strides	Meet or rest
7​	Taper Begins / Fresh Legs	Easy run 15–20 min + drills	4 × 400m at 1600m pace, not all-out	Recovery jog + mobility	4 × 200m at 800m pace, full recovery	Pre-meet + strides	Meet or rest
8​	Championship Taper	Easy run 15 min + 4 strides	3 × 300m at race pace, full recovery	Light jog + drills + stretching	2–4 × 150m relaxed-fast	Rest, pre-meet, or championship meet	Championship / rest

 

[huntin24/7]

This took 30 secs. You should adjust based on when your meets are. It'll factor that info in if you provide it.

Week​	Training Focus	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Weekend
1​	Introduction / Base Fitness	Easy run 15–20 min + drills + strides	Intervals: 6–8 × 200m at controlled pace, full recovery	Easy run or games + mobility	Tempo intro: 8–10 min steady + drills	Relay games, hill strides, or easy run	Rest or light activity
2​	Build Aerobic Base + Form	Easy run 20 min + 4 strides	4–6 × 400m at 1600m effort, 2–3 min rest	Recovery jog + core + flexibility	Short hills: 6–8 × 10–15 sec hill sprints	Easy run + starts/relay exchanges	Rest
3​	Strength + Race Mechanics	Easy run 20–25 min + drills	3–4 × 600m at controlled 1600m effort	Recovery run + mobility	Speed: 8 × 150m fast but relaxed	Pre-meet or easy run + strides	Meet or rest
4​	Race-Specific Endurance	Easy run 20 min + strides	5 × 400m at goal 1600m pace	Recovery jog + core	3 × 300m at 800m effort + 3 × 150m relaxed-fast	Pre-meet / easy 10–15 min + strides	Meet or rest
5​	Peak Training Load	Easy run 20–25 min + drills	2–3 × 800m at 1600m effort, full recovery	Recovery run + mobility	4–5 × 300m at 800m pace	Easy run + 4 strides	Meet or rest
6​	Sharpening / Race Rhythm	Easy run 20 min + strides	Ladder: 200–400–600–400–200 at controlled race effort	Recovery jog + core	6 × 200m at 800m pace, full recovery	Pre-meet + starts/strides	Meet or rest
7​	Taper Begins / Fresh Legs	Easy run 15–20 min + drills	4 × 400m at 1600m pace, not all-out	Recovery jog + mobility	4 × 200m at 800m pace, full recovery	Pre-meet + strides	Meet or rest
8​	Championship Taper	Easy run 15 min + 4 strides	3 × 300m at race pace, full recovery	Light jog + drills + stretching	2–4 × 150m relaxed-fast	Rest, pre-meet, or championship meet	Championship / rest

That’s actually pretty good. There’s so much info easily attainable online, but I wanted personal experience. That looks like a solid plan though.

 

[jimh406]

I'm not a coach, but my first HS coach was a multi time distance Olympian and NCAA and National Amateur winner. YMMV.

The biggest thing that I've seen help speed is sprinting downhill. Of course, you have to be careful not to fall.

Our mid distance and distance runners used to do about 3/4 of their race distance repeated reps every other day and do longer runs the other days. I don't remember how many reps they did. Occasionally, they did sprints to build speed.

The biggest issue with relays is getting the timing right. Adrenaline can make people start faster than normal. They need to know to slow down and let the teammate catch them if that happens.

 

[huntin24/7]

I'm not a coach, but my first HS coach was a multi time distance Olympian and NCAA and National Amateur winner. YMMV.

The biggest thing that I've seen help speed is sprinting downhill. Of course, you have to be careful not to fall.

Our mid distance and distance runners used to do about 3/4 of their race distance repeated reps every other day and do longer runs the other days. I don't remember how many reps they did. Occasionally, they did sprints to build speed.

The biggest issue with relays is getting the timing right. Adrenaline can make people start faster than normal. They need to know to slow down and let the teammate catch them if that happens.

Thanks. That’s an interesting technique I’ll have to look into. The relays are the one thing I feel pretty good about my coaching on. Our kids are doing well at blind handoffs and using their marks well already as 6th graders and our 6-8 graders usually place well in the relays.

Ive been coming up with practice conditioning that’s ok, but I’m looking to optimize our time more efficiently for the 4 days a week and one hour practices to give them the best chance to be successful.

 

[Irrelevant]

That’s actually pretty good. There’s so much info easily attainable online, but I wanted personal experience. That looks like a solid plan though.

If anything that's too much for MS. But that's the general idea.

I agree with @jimh406 that for sprinter overspeed is an excellent tool, so is resistance training. In HS we ran hills (up) for resistance, and down (very gentle hills) for overspeed. In college we used large rubber bands and a teammate.

400 strat: 1-100 fast as possible, 2-100 slight over stride but still hard, 3-100 attack try to accelerate and pretend it's a 300m race, 4-100 just give it whatever is left, focus on your arms and not your legs, the fast you can pump your arms the faster you'll run.

800: the first lap can be different depending on your athlete, some should go out hard to get a top spot, while others can sit back a little. Try to increase the pace every 100 for the last 500m, with the same strat of attack the last corner and hold on for the finish. Try not to pass on a corner.

sprint relays you have two techniques, the over and the under. Both are effective, but the key is to actually practice, and do it fast, then remind them before they race to wait for their teammate to hit the mark. 4x400 is less about technique than strategy, the person receiving needs to wait then 3 hard steps, 1/2 turn- hand out to receive the baton, and turn. You want your fastest kids receiving at the start of the exchange zone and giving it up at the end of the exchange zone.