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Thursday, May 1, 2008
Jumpers
Western Arkansas, AR
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The Art of the Elevation
Jump by definition is to spring off the ground or other base by a muscular effort of the legs and feet.
Other words used to describe jump include bound, leap, hop and skip. Funny thing is, though, of the three jumping events in track and field—long jump, high jump and triple jump—jumping ability really has nothing to do with excelling in the those events. According to Dick Booth, field events coach at the University of Arkansas for 25 years and a jumpers’ coach for 40 years, other things are much more important.
"The number one attribute is the depth of commitment that an athlete will hang in there to be a professional at it,” Booth said. “It also takes a combination of two other things. You have to have speed and the courage to use that speed on take off.”
It’s not an easy process for local high school athletes to become experts in the three jumping events. It takes dedication to learn the technique. If an athlete does more than one of the events, that takes even more concentration because none of the events are alike. But before an athlete can be successful, he or she has to have some natural ability, strength, speed and mental toughness.
“To be a champion, you have to stay with it,” Booth said. “And of course, you have to have some athleticism. I’ve always said, it doesn’t matter who rides or trains it, a mule will never win the Kentucky Derby. It takes a thoroughbred.”
LONG JUMP
The basic concept of the long jump is to run fast, plant a foot on a board and then sail into a sand pit. Looks easy, but not so much. First of all, accuracy is very important. The athlete has to figure out how many steps behind the board to start his/her approach, where to hit the board and then do some things with the body to keep it in the air as long as possible.
“Consistency and accuracy on running is very important,” Booth said. “Then you have twist and turn, make sure enough sand passes under you and not drop your butt or elbows.”
The technique of long jump is learned in practice. By the time an athlete gets to competition, no thinking is involved—just an all-out effort. Fort Smith Union Christian’s Dawson Urrutia does all three events and recently won all three at the A-AAAA Arkansas State Indoor Meet. His best in the long jump is a 22-10.
“In the long jump and triple jump, you are going all out every single time,” Urrutia, a Missouri Southern State University signee, said. “I worked on my speed last summer, and it’s definitely been a big help.”
Starting with the high jump as a freshman, Brittany McClain, now a sophomore at Rogers, has added the long jump. However, she is finding it not as easy to catch on. In the high jump, an athlete goes up and over a bar. In the long jump, it’s run fast and reach out. As Booth noted, in the high jump, you start out slow and build up speed. Whereas in the long jump, he said it’s like running a 100-yard dash, and you have to be in an upright position.
“It’s so different,” McClain said. “It’s different technique, and everything is just different. For me, it’s harder to pick up.”
TRIPLE JUMP
Triple jump by definition is a hop, step, and jump event in which an athlete makes a horizontal jump for distance incorporating three distinct, continuous movements—a hop, in which the athlete takes off and lands on the same foot; a step, landing on the other foot; and a jump, landing in any manner, usually with both feet together. If a jumper touches ground with a wrong leg, the jump is disallowed. --Britannica Encyclopedia.
“I call this the blue-collar event,” Booth said. “You have to be tough-minded. You can be easily discouraged. You have run and land on the same foot, and you may not have the perfect hop. It has the same attributes as long jump in which speed and accuracy are important. But, you have to be tall, and there is much more activity.”
Gentry junior Carol Casebeer, who was second in the event at the Arkansas High School State Indoor Meet and has jumped a 33-3, took to the sport easily. However, recently at outdoor meets, she has discovered the concentration it takes to perform.
“The temperature and wind can be factors,” she said. “Sometimes, the wind helps you and sometimes it throws you off your mark. You may have to recount your steps.”
Like in the long jump, figuring out where to start on the runway is important to getting the best first hop. Because of the three steps, technique is very important. Also like in the long jump, thinking about technique is learned in practice. Once in competition, the mechanics need to come naturally.
Junior Micah Washington, of Fort Smith Southside, started triple jumping as a sophomore. As first he didn’t like it, but once he mastered the steps, he broke the school record and kept breaking it. His best as of mid-April was a 45-6.
“I think it’s natural ability, but that will only get you so far,” Washington said. “It’s also technique and stretching as far as you can on that first hop. You do have to have speed.”
HIGH JUMP
Of the four athletes quoted, three of them—Washington, McClain and Urrutia—compete in the high jump. They all agree that technique and concentration are important. The difference between high jump and the other two events is an athlete doesn’t start out fast, and he/she starts horizontal and goes vertical while arching the back to get over the bar.
“Most jumpers take eight steps but they are 1-2-3-45-678,” Booth said. “You can’t start out fast on the high jump or you can’t handle the plant. You have to be under control until right at the end when the momentum takes you toward the pit. Then you have to arch your back like a J-curve and sustain the arch.”
For McClain picking up the high jump was easy because she was a gymnast. Her flexibility and form were a natural leap to the high jump. Washington (who has jumped 6-6) and Urrutia (who has gone 6-5) both agreed how important it was to get over the bar and be mentally tough.
“There are sometimes you just have to get over the bar,” Urrutia said. “You could be four inches lower than what you can do, but if you scratch the first two, you have to do bear down and get it the third time."
LESSON LEARNED
Basically, when it comes to all three events, practice is where you perfect your technique. Booth stressed when talking about all three events that once in competition, there should be no thinking involved. An athlete just needs to go out and do what is necessary. Washington learned that lesson well. Last year, he qualified for outdoor state in the triple jump and high jump. However, he bruised his foot prior to the meet and had to tape it, and that made it stiff when he planted it.
“I made a rookie mistake,” he said. “I thought about it so bad before the meet. I’ve learned to keep myself focused and push to go all out as much as I can.”
That is exactly Booth’s philosophy and one of his keys to success.
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