The championship season
Your athletes are getting into shape, and now, with the relay and invitational meets in focus, its now time to think about the championship season.

Here's the facts: Twelve to Sixteen kids will line up at the starting lines, or for field events at your league or conference final. Of those kids, four will be undertrained, four will be overtrained, and two will be ready to roll. That means that six to eight kids are capable of placing high, maybe even winning, with some focus and final work.

Here are American Track & Field's six suggestions to keep in mind as you set up training for the last two weeks of the season:

1. Throwers-cut back on the lifting. Let them lift three times, then go to two times the week before league, and keep it at that for the rest of the season. Keep the lifting focused on proper technique, and lower weights and higher reps. Have them focus on warming up well, and cooling down well. Keep the throwing at an hour a day. The week before, really cut back to 30 minutes of throwing and give them a day off, two days before the competiton, not the day before a competition day. Have them think about what they want to achieve for ten minutes each day in the two weeks before league.

2. Jumpers-spend extra time warming up and cooling down. Get your steps down, make sure poles are well kept and check spikes. Jump in rain, high winds, etc., any strange conditions. Take a roll of tape in your training bag, keep extra clothes in bags, extra spikes, socks, dry clothes, etc. Two weeks before league, do a 6 x 200 workout and 6 x300 two days later. Week before, do a 2 x 350 on Monday before League, on Tuesday, 8 x 150 rolling. Keep jumping at 30-45 minutes a day.

3. Hurdlers-warming up and cooling down is critical. Two weeks out, get some good speed work in, two days of 2 x 400, 2 x 300, and another day, 6 x 200, and work on hurdles on grass, by lining up four hurdles on field an work on steps and form. Week before, get over hurdles a few times, and keep relaxed and stretch.

4. Sprinters, Relay-key in last two weeks is to warm up and cool down. work on Relay hand offs every day two weeks out, and get in great workouts on Monday and Wednesday two weeks out. Like 8 x 200, and on Wed-200/300/400 and down again. Week before, 8 x 150s, starts, and Wednesday, nice stride outs.

5. Distance Runners-two weeks out, Monday-8 x 400, 400 jog, hard, faster than race pace, Wednesday, tempo-2o minutes, then 10 x 150, Friday, 4 x 600, 600 jog, faster than race pace. Week before-Monday-6 x 400, fast, jog 400, Tuesday-off, Wednesday-45 min, 10 x 150 strideouts. Remind them to focus on 3/4 of race, stay out of trouble and run for places at conference, especially if doubling.

6. Key to tell all is to Relax: If sprinter focuses on hand off and team gets around track safely, fast time will come. If throwers and jumpers focus on each jump and throw, they will not miss chance to get their best mark, and if distance runners stay in race to near end and move with 1/3 of race left, they can change the way their competitors respond at end of the race. Hurdlers should remember to focus on themselves, as some one will fall during race-don't let it stun them or hurt their race. And finally, tell them to run through the darn finish line-more races have been lost and team titles when someone does a victory sign before the finish.