Unit 3 — Fundamental Skills of Sports: Athletics

Athletics is a group of sports built on the most natural human movements: walking, running, jumping and throwing. Because these movements appear in nearly every game, athletics is often called the ‘mother of all sports’. A cricketer sprints between wickets, a footballer jumps for a header, a kabaddi raider needs explosive starts; all of them are using athletic skills.

Events are grouped into three families:

Road events such as the marathon (42.195 km) and cross-country running are also part of athletics.

What athletics develops. Physically, it improves speed, strength, endurance, agility, flexibility and coordination, and supports healthy growth of the heart, lungs, bones and muscles. Mentally, it builds willpower, determination, self-discipline and focus: you train alone against the clock or the tape, and every centimetre or hundredth of a second is earned. It also teaches team spirit in relays and respect for officials and rivals.

India has a proud athletics story. Neeraj Chopra won Olympic gold in the javelin at Tokyo 2020 and silver at Paris 2024; Milkha Singh and P. T. Usha became legends in the 400 m and 400 m hurdles; Anju Bobby George won a World Championship medal in the long jump.

How to start safely: athletics training must always begin with a warm-up of slow jogging and dynamic stretching and end with a cool-down of jogging that slows to walking, followed by static stretches. Wear proper running shoes, drink water, and never train through sharp pain. In this unit you will learn the basic skills of each family: the crouch start and sprinting, jumping, and putting a ball.

Running is fast movement on foot in which, for a moment in each stride, both feet are off the ground. This ‘flight’ moment is what separates running from walking, where one foot is always in contact. Good running needs proper technique, speed, endurance and coordination.

How a race begins matters greatly, especially in short races, where a quick start and strong acceleration often decide the winner. There are two kinds of start.

• Crouch start (sitting start): used for all races up to 400 m, including the first runner of a sprint relay. The runner crouches with hands on the ground and feet against starting blocks. This places the centre of gravity low and forward, so that at the gun the body can be driven forward explosively. Commands: ‘On your marks’, ‘Set’, then the gun or ‘Go’.
• Standing start: used in middle- and long-distance races (800 m and above). The athlete stands upright, one foot slightly ahead of the other, body leaning a little forward, and moves off smoothly. A fast start matters less over long distances than good pacing. Commands: ‘On your marks’, then the gun.

In this class you learn the crouch start. It has three versions, depending on how far apart the feet (blocks) are placed:

Setting your blocks (medium start): place the front block about one and a half foot lengths behind the start line, and the rear block about one and a half foot lengths behind the front block. Your stronger leg (usually the one you would kick a ball with or take off from) goes on the front block, because it pushes longest. If there are no blocks, mark the same positions on the ground or dig small foot-holes in a mud track.

Safety: check blocks are firmly fixed, run in your own lane, warm up thoroughly before any starts, and do only a few full-effort starts per session with walking recovery between them.

The crouch start has two still positions before the gun. Getting them right makes the explosive drive possible.

1. ‘On your marks’

• Walk in front of the blocks, crouch and place the foot of the stronger leg on the front block and the other foot on the rear block. Only the toes touch the track; the soles press firmly against the blocks.
• Put the rear knee on the ground.
• Place both hands just behind the start line (never on it), shoulder-width apart. Spread the thumb and index finger to form a high bridge, with the fingertips and thumb carrying the weight.
• Arms are straight but not locked. Head relaxed, in line with the back, eyes looking at the ground a short way ahead, not up at the finish.
• Be still and calm. Breathe normally.

2. ‘Set’

• Lift the hips smoothly by raising the rear knee off the ground, until the hips are slightly higher than the shoulders.
• Shoulders move a little forward, roughly over or just ahead of the hands, and body weight is spread over the hands and both feet (four supporting points).
• The angles of the legs are crucial: about 90° at the front knee and about 110°-130° at the rear knee. These angles let both legs push with maximum force.
• Head stays relaxed and in line with the spine.
• Hold completely still and concentrate on the sound of the gun. The body now carries a ready tension, like a compressed spring.

False start. Moving before the gun, or even flinching in the set position, is a false start; in competition it leads to disqualification. If the gap between ‘set’ and ‘go’ is long, runners may lean too far forward and topple into a false start, so do not lean beyond your balance.

Self-check with a partner: one watches from the side to check the knee angles and hip height, and from the front to check that the hands are shoulder-width and the head is not raised. Practise each position slowly before adding the gun.

3. The drive phase (at ‘Go’)

At the gun, the sprinter must react at once; a quick response to the sound is the first part of a fast start. Then both legs push explosively against the blocks. This push gives the body its first velocity.

• The rear leg leaves its block first and its thigh is driven rapidly forward and upward, while the front leg keeps pushing until it is fully straight at the hip, knee and ankle.
• The thigh of the leading leg comes forward to roughly horizontal.
• The arms are vital. The arm opposite the leading leg swings forward and up, bending at the elbow towards about 90°; the other arm drives powerfully back. On the first swing towards the forehead the elbow can turn slightly outward. Strong arm action balances the legs and adds to acceleration.
• The body comes out low, in a straight line from head to rear heel, like a sloping plank.

4. The acceleration phase

• In the first strides there is a marked forward lean; the lean is greatest as the front foot leaves the block.
• As stride length and stride frequency both increase, the body rises gradually. After about 20 metres the runner reaches a normal upright sprinting position.
• A strong push-off keeps the body lower for longer (a smaller angle between body and ground). A weak push makes the runner stand up too early.
• Some runners rise too soon because they lift the head to look at the finish. Keep the head in line with the trunk and let it rise naturally with the body.

How to practise: do starts over only 10-20 m at first, focusing on a low drive and powerful arms. Wall drills help: lean against a wall at a 45° angle and drive the knees alternately. Rest a full minute or more between starts so each one is at full quality. For safety, always warm up well before starts, because the explosive push heavily loads the hamstrings and calves.

5. The finish phase

Races are often lost in the last few metres, because runners slow down too soon or tense up. Good finishing means:

• Keep running at full speed through the finish line, not up to it. Aim at a point a few metres beyond the line.
• Maintain strong arm drive and relaxed shoulders and face; tension makes you slower.
• Keep stride control; do not overstride or start jumping at the line.

A race is decided when the athlete's torso (the trunk, not the head, arms or legs) crosses the finish line. Three finishing techniques use this rule:

The lunge and shrug must be timed for the last stride. Done too early, they make you stumble and slow down. Beginners should master the run-through first and practise the lean or shrug only at walking or jogging speed until it feels natural.

Lead-up activity: crouch shuttle run. Mark two lines, A and B, 25 m apart. On ‘On your marks’, take the crouch position behind line A; on ‘Set’, take the four-point set position; on ‘Go’ or the whistle, sprint to B, touch the line, turn and sprint back to A, touch it and go again. The first to cover A-B-A-B-A (four lengths, 100 m in all) wins. This joins the start, acceleration, turning and a hard finish in one drill.

Turning safely: slow slightly with short steps before the line, bend low and touch with the hand, then drive off again. Do not slide on loose gravel.

In circle time, discuss how the distance between your front foot and the start line affected your balance, and how knowing your own step length helps you get the start right. Teachers assess starts on a 1-to-5 scale, from ‘needs more practice’ to ‘can start correctly under pressure’; aim to reach the top level by practising calmly and often.

A good start depends on two qualities. Reaction time is the time between the signal (gun, whistle, clap) and the first movement. Acceleration is how quickly you gain speed after that. Both improve with practice, and games are an enjoyable way to train them.

Chase and Tag

• Make two groups, A and B. Group A stands on a starting line. A second line is marked 15 m ahead. Group B stands 5 m beyond the 15 m line.
• Group A jogs or walks slowly to the 15 m line, touches it, turns and accelerates back to the starting line.
• As soon as an A player touches the line and turns, the B players chase and try to tag them before they reach the start line.
• Swap roles. The skill is a sharp turn followed by fast acceleration; the chasers practise reaction.

Reaction Game

• Mark a start line and a finish line 20-25 m apart.
• Sit on the ground behind the start line, legs straight out, with your back to the finish line.
• On ‘Go’ or the whistle, get up, turn from either side and sprint to the finish.
• Variations: lie face down, lie on the back, or start kneeling. Each position trains getting up and accelerating in a different way.

In circle time, discuss strategy. Which way of getting up was fastest: rolling to one side, pushing up with both hands, or tucking the feet in first? Did you watch the whistle-blower or listen? Most sprinters react faster to sound than to sight, which is why races start with a gun.

Cadence is the number of steps you take per minute while walking or running. To find it, count your steps for 15 seconds while running steadily and multiply by 4. A typical jogging cadence is around 150-170 steps per minute, while sprinters reach well above 200. Running speed depends on stride length × stride frequency (cadence), so improving either one makes you faster. Beginners usually gain more by taking quicker, lighter steps than by trying to stretch each stride.

Safety: leave plenty of space between runners when turning; chasers tag lightly on the back or shoulder; run in straight lanes in the Reaction Game so players getting up do not collide; and keep each sprint short with a walking rest.

Jumping is propelling yourself into the air with one or both legs to gain height or distance. It needs power, coordination and technique. The jumps range from the simpler long jump and high jump to the triple jump (three linked jumps: a hop, a step and a jump) and the pole vault, where a flexible pole carries the athlete over a high bar.

Every jump has four phases:

• Approach: a controlled run to build momentum, with speed and balance kept until take-off.
• Take-off: pushing off the ground with one or both legs, with the body aligned to send it up or forward.
• Flight: the body moves through the air; posture and leg movement keep it balanced.
• Landing: knees bend to absorb the impact, and the body stays balanced so as not to fall back or foul.

In energy terms, the approach gives the body kinetic energy (energy of motion). At take-off, part of this is turned upward, and at the top of the flight the body has gained potential energy (energy due to height) before gravity brings it down.

Standing broad jump (team version). Without a run-up you depend only on leg power and arm swing. Teams of five stand behind a line. The first jumper jumps from the line; the second jumps from where the first landed, and so on. The team with the greatest total distance wins.

Technique: feet hip-width apart, toes behind the line; swing both arms back while bending knees and hips; then swing the arms forward and up hard while straightening ankles, knees and hips together (this is called triple extension); land on both feet with knees bent, arms forward, and do not fall back. Distance is measured to the heel mark nearest the line.

Hopping. Mark two lines 15 m apart. Hop on one leg to the far line, turn and hop back on the other leg; race others to finish first. Hopping builds single-leg power and balance needed for take-off.

Safety: land on the balls of the feet rolling to the heels, with knees bent and pointing over the toes, never stiff-legged. Hop on grass or a soft surface, stop if your ankle or knee hurts, and wear shoes on hard ground. In circle time, compare hopping in shoes and barefoot on grass: shoes cushion the landing force on hard ground, while barefoot work on soft ground can strengthen the feet.

In the long jump the athlete sprints down a runway, takes off from a take-off board and jumps as far as possible into a sand pit. The jump is measured from the front edge of the board (the foul line) to the nearest mark in the sand made by any part of the body. Stepping over the foul line is a foul (a ‘no jump’).

1. Approach

• Beginners use about 10 strides; experienced jumpers use 16-20 or more.
• The run is like a sprint, with speed building steadily to the fastest speed you can still control at the board.
• The stride pattern must be the same every time, so that the take-off foot lands on the board without looking down.
• In the last two or three strides, stay tall and keep the rhythm; do not slow down or chop the steps to hit the board.

2. Take-off

• The take-off foot is planted quickly and flat with a ‘down and back’ motion, like pawing the ground.
• Time on the board is very short, and the take-off leg bends as little as possible.
• The thigh of the free (swing) leg is driven up to horizontal, and the opposite arm swings up.
• Ankle, knee and hip of the take-off leg straighten fully.
• The aim is to gain upward lift while losing as little forward speed as possible; the take-off angle is much lower than 45°, usually around 20°.

Measuring your run-up: stand on the board with your back to the pit and run back along the runway for 10 strides at jumping speed; a partner marks where your take-off foot lands on the tenth stride. That mark is your starting check mark. Now run towards the pit from it; if you overstep the board, move the mark back; if you are short, move it forward. Repeat until you hit the board three times in a row.

Lead-up drill: making an arch. Place a low, firm block (a sturdy box or step) a few strides from the pit or a mat. Run, plant your strong foot on the block, push upward and make a backward arch in the air (hips forward, arms up and back), then land on both feet. This teaches a tall, upward take-off.

Safety: rake and dig the sand pit first so it is soft, level and free of stones; remove the rake from the area and lay it with teeth facing down; only one jumper on the runway at a time.

3. Flight

Once in the air, nothing you do can change the path of your centre of gravity; that was fixed at take-off. But the flight technique helps you keep balance and gets the legs ready for a long landing. There are three styles: sail, hang and hitch-kick. In this class you learn the first two.

The sail is easiest for beginners.

4. Landing

• Reach the legs forward, nearly straight, heels first into the sand.
• The trunk leans forward and the arms swing forward and then back past the legs.
• Push the hips forward towards the landing point and let the knees bend as the heels touch, so the body slides or falls forward or to the side, never back.
• Any mark behind the heels, such as a hand or bottom touching the sand, shortens the measured distance.

Landing drill. Take a few steps, jump off the take-off board into the pit, stretch the legs forward, land with feet together and body slightly forward, and reach the arms past the legs. Two safe landing styles: the scoop landing (knees bend, body folds forward over the legs) and the side-fall landing (on landing, the body turns and falls to one side, away from the heel marks). Both prevent falling back.

Safety:

• Land only in a pit that is deep, dug and level; never on hard ground.
• Land on both feet with knees bending; do not land on straight, locked legs or on the hands.
• Leave the pit by the sides or front, not back towards the runway, and rake it before the next jump.

In circle time, share what you were thinking in the air. Most jumpers say: ‘legs forward, arms forward, do not fall back.’ Teachers assess the long jump on a 1-to-5 scale, from needing more practice to choosing the right technique and appreciating a good jump by an opponent.

In the high jump the athlete runs in, takes off from one foot and tries to clear a horizontal bar without knocking it off, landing on a thick foam mat. The bar is raised after each round; three failed attempts in a row end the competition for that athlete. Taking off from two feet is not allowed.

1. Approach

The approach is usually J-shaped: first a straight run of about 3-6 strides, then a curve of about 4-5 strides into the take-off spot.

• In the straight part, the foot lands on the ball of the foot, the body leans slightly forward and speed increases steadily.
• In the curve, stride frequency increases, the body leans inward (away from the bar) as when cycling round a bend, and the forward lean disappears so that the body is upright.
• On the second-last (penultimate) stride, the centre of mass is lowered a little; this sets up the upward drive. The last stride is slightly shorter and quicker.

Many straddle jumpers use a straighter, diagonal approach at about 30°-45° to the bar; the key is the same: build speed under control and arrive balanced.

2. Take-off

• The take-off foot is planted actively, quickly and flat with a ‘down and back’ motion, pointing roughly towards the landing area.
• Ground contact time and bending of the take-off leg are kept small.
• The knee of the free (swing) leg is driven up until the thigh is parallel to the ground, and both arms drive upward to add lift.
• At the end of take-off the body is vertical. Unlike the long jump, the aim is to turn the run's speed into height.

Finding your take-off foot: try jumping up to touch a high branch or the basketball net from a short run. The foot you naturally jump off is your take-off foot. For the scissors and the flop it is the foot farther from the bar; for the straddle it is the foot nearer the bar, so choose your side of approach to match (your teacher will help).

Safety:

• Never practise high jump without a proper thick landing mat, or at least a deep soft sand pit for scissors jumps.
• Use a soft or elastic bar (a rope with light weights or elastic) when learning, so a hit does not hurt.
• Start very low and raise the bar a few centimetres at a time.
• Wear shoes with good grip; the take-off area must be dry and level.

3. Flight

Two main techniques are used to cross the bar: the straddle and the Fosbury flop (back first over the bar, introduced by Dick Fosbury in 1968 and used by almost all top jumpers today). In this class you learn the straddle.

Straddle technique

• The jumper crosses the bar face down, as if lying along it.
• The leading leg swings up and over the bar first, followed by the trailing leg, which is lifted and turned outward to clear.
• The body stays parallel to the bar as it rolls over, with the head and shoulders leading the clearance down the far side.

4. Landing (on a thick mat)

• Tuck the chin: draw the head towards the chest.
• Land on the shoulders and back, rolling with the movement.
• Keep the knees apart so they do not hit your face.

Scissors jump: the safe beginner's jump. Approach at an angle, take off from the foot farther from the bar, swing the near leg up and over, then bring the other leg over in a scissor action, and land on your feet. Because the landing is on the feet, it can be learnt over a low elastic bar into sand. It is used in the Trikona Kainchi Kuda (triangle scissor jump) circuit: mark a triangle with points A, B and C 10 m apart. Between A and B place three low boxes: run, step up on each and jump off as high as possible. From B to C jump over five low cones (about 6 inches high). At C, scissor-jump a low hurdle or pole, then sprint back to A. Finish as fast as you can.

Other lead-ups:

• Heading the suspended ball: balls hang from ropes at different heights. Take a 3-step run-up, take off from one foot and touch the ball with your head; move on to a higher ball after a success. Repeat 4-5 times. This teaches a vertical one-foot take-off.
• Catch over the bar: one partner tosses a soft ball above a soft bar; the other jumps, clears the bar and catches it.

Safety: straddle and flop landings are on the back and shoulders, so they must only be done onto a proper high-jump mat. Without a mat, practise only the scissors into deep sand. Keep the bar soft and low while learning, and raise it only after three clean clearances.

In circle time, share your best height, what worked in your approach, and what you will change for your next goal.

The shot put is a field event in which a heavy metal ball, the shot, is pushed (put), not thrown, from inside a 2.135 m circle into a marked sector. The word ‘put’ is important: the shot must start close to the neck and be pushed away from the shoulder. A bowling-style or baseball-style throw is a foul and is also dangerous for the elbow and shoulder.

Beginners learn with a medicine ball or a light shot.

Grip and position

• Rest the ball on the base of the fingers, not in the palm, with the fingers slightly spread and the thumb supporting the side.
• Place it against the neck just under the jaw (locked in place), with the elbow of the putting arm held high and out to the side.
• Stand side-on to the direction of the put, feet wider than shoulders, weight on the back leg, knee bent.

The put

• Drive from the legs: straighten the back leg and turn the hips towards the target.
• Lift the chest and let the trunk turn so the shoulder comes through.
• Finally, punch the arm upward and outward, pushing the ball away at about 40° to the ground, and flick the wrist and fingers at the end.

The order is legs, hips, trunk, arm, fingers: each part adds speed to the ball, like a chain.

Partner activity: putting the ball. Mark two lines 15 m apart. Partners stand behind opposite lines, facing each other. One puts the medicine ball as far as possible towards the other, remembering to extend the legs and lift the chest. The partner waits for the ball to land and stop, picks it up, and puts it back the same way.

Throwing safety rules (most important):

• Never stand in front of, or close beside, someone who is putting.
• Put only when the teacher signals and the landing area is clear.
• Do not catch a medicine ball or shot; let it land and stop rolling.
• Retrieve only on the signal, walking, never running; carry the shot back, never throw it back.
• Use a weight suitable for your age and strength, and warm up shoulders, wrists and trunk first.

In circle time, compare balls of different weights and sizes. Heavier balls are harder to accelerate, so good technique matters more. Discuss common shot put injuries (wrist and finger sprains from palming the ball, and shoulder or elbow strain from throwing instead of putting) and how correct grip and technique prevent them.