Up and at ‘em

Lesson 11 – 30 minutes

Learning outcomes

• Attempt or perform a crouching beach sprint start.
• Attempt or perform a beach sprint finish.
  

Preparation

• Marker Cones.
  

IMPORTANT

• If you are not confident coaching the skills in this lesson, bring in a surf sports athlete or coach to help deliver the lesson.
  

Coaching Points

CROUCHING STARTS

• Take the ‘on your mark’ position.
• Hand positions slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
• Front foot approx 30cm back from start line.
• On ‘set’ lift hips, rotate shoulder forward and ensure weight is on the hands.
• Eyes looking 20-30cm down.
• Track for ‘ready’ position.
• On ‘Go’ push off front foot.
• Keep low with head down for up to 10m.
• Come to upright sprinting position.
  

Demonstrate

• Demonstrate the crouching beach sprint start technique while discussing each of the steps.
  

Activity 1

• Start by setting up a beach sprint start line by drawing a line in the sand and marking it with cones.
• In manageable groups have participants line up on the start line.
• Use ‘Take your marks’ – ‘Get set’ – ‘Go!’ to have participants practice their skills.
• Repeat for up to 10 times until the skills become second nature.
  

Coaching Points

FINISHES

• Keep head back looking past the finish line.
• Lean forward from hip so chest crosses the line first.
• Do not dive across line.
  

Demonstrate

• Demonstrate the beach sprint finish technique while discussing each of the steps.
  

Activity 2

• In manageable groups have participants line up 20m from the finish line (which was the start line for the first activity).
• Have participants practice their skills by finishing over the line.
• Repeat for up to 10 times until the skills become second nature.
  

Activity 3

• Set up another line 40m away from the practice line already in place.
• Split the participants up into groups of 8 for some beach sprint races.
• Line them up on the start line one group at a time.
• Start each group using ‘Take your marks’ – ‘Get set’ – ‘Go!’
• Repeat 3 or 4 times
  

ASSUMED SKILLS
This lesson assumes participants have acquired previous skills from earlier awards:

• standing beach sprint starts
• basic beach sprint running technique.