Coaching Young Athletes

A Coaching Cue to Help Young Athletes Reach Their Arms Up When Long Jumping

A few years ago I was coaching long jump to a class of school kids. Searching for a way to encourage the kids to stretch their arms up above their heads, I came up with the following:

I asked the group how many of them had either been to a circus or seen one on TV. A number of hands were raised and a few nods were given. I then asked how many of them had seen the acrobats swing on the trapeze. Again a number of hands went up along with a few nods. I told the kids that the next time they jumped, I wanted them to pretend that there was a trapeze hanging above the sand pit. Their job was to run in, jump up to grab the” trapeze” and swing on it before landing in the pit.

The results were immediate. The kids began leaping higher with their arms outstretched, eyes raised and bodies upright. Not only this, but many held this position well into the flight phase as they “swung on the trapeze”.

Asking young athletes to “swing on a trapeze” as they long jump has become an ongoing and highly successful part of my long jump coaching repertoire.

Jump to swing on a trapeze.

What long jump coaching cues have you come across?

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Further reading

Coaching Young Athletes E-Book:

How To Teach Young Athletes To Long Jump (plus bonus cheat sheet)

Article:

Long Jump: An Essential Guide for Teaching Kids

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