I generally don’t test (other than the actual competitions!) during the competitive season other than an occasional weight lifting test. By that point in time, I see the competitions as the only real measure that matters and I couldn’t care less if a field test value went down if the athlete was PRing in their actual event. The only reason I’d test in the weight room is because I use %s of max lifts as a general means of regulating intensity.
I thought we were talking about the weight room in regards to testing and my post is only about weight testing, but I still think many coaches have workouts they consider “tests” on the track and I don’t want people confused about what I posted about weights for the track. I don’t really get a chance to test 60m until the start of the outdoor season for HS athletes and they do 2 of them one in March/April depending on weather and one in May to go along with a 30m test on the same day which happens to be a Monday when I am in the competitive season for those types of sprint tests, I test 30m’s about 4-5 times from Mid-Janurary to May (once in the first 2 weeks, once in the 3rd week of Feb, and maybe again in beginning of March). I also have SE runs that I consider a “test” or time trial of 300-350m that I run 4-5 times from Jan-May and these are done on Wednesday. I don’t believe I can gauge the effectiveness of training without some sort of testing going on throughout the season at regular periodic intervals. I don’t consider competition a test, because it is not, it is competition against others and not oneself as different factors affect competitions and tests. I do have some competitive workouts that I do with HS teams dealing with relays and I don’t do in the summertime.