Over the past few months I’ve been thinking of ways to train high school freshman sprinters. Obviously their long term development is what’s important, but I’m beginning to wonder what would be the benefits of extending this theory to the extreme end of the spectrum.
For example, instead of a year-to-year, short-to-long/long-to-short/both ends approach, what about extending any of these approaches out to one, four year development plan.
In year one, you could be HUGE on fitness training (General Strength and Endurance Circuits, basic plyometrics (jumping), Med Ball Circits, Core Training, etc.), while maintaining the short speed aspect. For your championship meet(s) at the end of the year, you could taper a bit.
In year two, you could continue this method, but slowly begin to move into more tempo (long/short, extensive/intensive), hills, etc. Again, you’d maintain the speed aspect, but take it out to short speed endurance (80-150m, perhaps). Taper for the championship meet(s).
In year three, you could continue with the Intervals, but slowly begin to make the reps faster (85-90%), while also keeping Extensive Tempo involved. Continue with short speed endurance, but start to introduce SE1 early in the year. Continue to keep short speed involved, and taper at the end of the season.
Finally, as a senior, continue with the faster intervals, but now start to introduce SE2. Along with the essentials to keep doing all year (speed work, extensive tempo, short speed endurance, etc.), having worked on everything else over the first three years, you can now treat the athletes senior year as almost an “advanced placement class”, as in pretty much fine tuning anything you’ve already covered.
I’d like to hear from EVERYONE. What are your thoughts? How might this be beneficial? What might be some hurdles to overcome? Why might this NOT work?