Javelin Group

       Kerry Athletics Javelin Group Autumn/Winter 2010 /2011

Introduction       :           David Courtney

Your throw group is a credit to you, your family, your coach and your club.  But mostly you ! Don’t forget to give yourself praise. It takes effort, willpower, ambition and determination to train for any sport. But even more for a technical minority event like javelin. Well done. 

Are you enjoying it ?  Make sure that you are. No amount of willpower or determination will keep you motivated if you are not enjoying it.

What does it take to be a good javelin thrower ? Read any book. Google it on the internet. You need to be strong, powerful, athletic, supple, flexible, fast and intelligent. No more modesty; you are all of those things and you are going to get even better as you continue to throw.

Be positive.

Teamwork          :          

Javelin is an individual event. Yes and no. Yes, when the competition starts. No, because your preparation and training is as a team. And when you win, your team and your adversaries celebrate with you and for you. They will help you when you don’t win. Learn from and with each other. Help each other. Criticise (constructively) each other. Praise each other. Your team includes your parents who drive you to training and encourage you. It includes your coaches and your club officials. Being part of a team is 50% giving and 50% receiving. Give and take.

Different coaches :     

What does a coach want ? At club, squad, regional or national level; what do they want ? They want to help you. They want to help you learn and to improve. That is your task when you have different coaches; to learn and improve. There is no competition for the best coach. Each will have a different style, personality and will emphasise different things. Form your own personal mental model of how to throw. Use each coach to improve that model. Ask questions.

Visualise              :       

Try to understand how to throw. Visualise it. Try to make your throw, match your mental model. Use the internet to see how elite throwers throw. Over time, copy them and mirror their technique. Every time you train, every time you throw in training, choose a technical point and make your actions replicate the model in your mind. These are jigsaw pieces. Taking one piece at a time, improve each one. Finally put the pieces together in pairs, then in threes and so on until you reach the perfect throw.  Different coaches offer different perspectives and new jigsaw pieces.

Overview of a training programme       :

When you are away from your group, from your squad, get a feeling for what you should be trying to achieve in training. Follow your coach’s detailed training plan. But also have a general view.  Picture the throwing season as having four elements; Winter, Spring and Summer and competition. Associate each season with a part of the javelin run-up and ask yourself; what am I trying to achieve ? If you have that in the back of your mind, it will help the more detailed training plan.

Javelin phase	Start the run-up, build up strength, rhythm and focus ahead to next phase.	Arrive strong and fast, with rhythm and purpose. Bring the javelin back under control.	Speed is maximum. The body is turned and torqued. No loss of form as we get ready to throw.	Throw.
Training phase	Build the athlete. Strength. Power. Flexibility, Technique drills, core fitness.	Maintain strength but increase the technique drills and introduce sprints and bounding.	Maximise throwing and get the technique ready for the season ahead.Speed up, get fast and snappy.	Snappy.  Fast. Smooth technique. Positive throwing.
Target	Get strong	Get smooth and powerful	Get fast.	Throw far.

Technical points           :       

Practice that run-up                            Check markers                                                Rhythm of the last 3 strides

Crossover with float                            Block with a flat foot; not toes           Leave throwing arm behind you

Straight arm                                        Wrap, a little                                       Arms joined with a rubber band

Turn throwing foot/ankle out             Make a bow                                        Follow through

Don’t fixate on the line                       Breathe out with effort          

 The Garden Hose & Throwing events, Javelin in particular :     The novice thrower has basic technique and wastes a lot of energy. Instead of their energy going into the javelin, their energy is wasted. Like a garden hose that has leaks and a sprinkler rose at the top; water goes everywhere.  Technical training and practice make the throw smooth.

Ambition                      :       

Irish people are physically big enough to be the best.

We have enough facilities to train effectively.

We have coaches to take you to higher levels.

You are young enough to achieve technical excellence.

You have the rewards of Irish team participation to look forward to.

We need to raise our sights to a much higher level.

Aim for succeess in your region and in All Ireland. But also...............

.................look at European and World Junior qualification standards. Also Youth Olympics.

That’s your new target.

Qualification Standards	Youth Olympics Under 17	European / World Junior Under 20
Men / Boys	66.40m  /  700grm	66.50m  / 800grm
Women / Girls	45.00m  /  600grm	49.50m  / 600grm

Dave