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Those who can't do, teach. Take the drive, spirit, and knowledge of a professional athlete, but remove the ability. That's your average coach. A hyper tensioned, flat topped, middle aged, cigar suckin monster. A man dedicated to making the juveniles foolish enough to join a sport, pay for his lack of ability. At least that's what I told myself in order to generate enough anger to get through "liners".

For those of you not familiar, liners are the advent of a sadistic mind. A torture disguised most often as a basketball drill. Starting from one end of the court, you sprint to the first line (generally free throw line) touch it, and back to the base line, touching it. No, it doesn't stop there. Next comes half court, the far free throw line, as well as the opposite base line, touching each one. Sounds simple enough, unless you account for two factors: 1) Nothing about the human body was designed to sprint and in essence, touch your toes at the same time. 2) Once is never enough for a coach... on anything.

But the fact of the matter is, every good coach will insist on such tortures. Sprint drills are the backbone to cardio vascular fitness in competitive sports. Every sport has them. The key principle is to enhance oxygen in the blood, through training the body to maximize lung capacity, absorption rates, and distribution. The benefits are enormous, and the man with the whistle knows it.

Solid levels of oxygen in the blood decrease muscle fatigue, increasing performance. Even under extreme physical exertion, there's lots of oxygen left for the brain, increasing awareness. It keeps your head in the game. Further benefits include reducing risks of injury from a physical point, and maintaining positive attitudes from a mental one. But the number one reason coaches love sprints; it shows his players a place in themselves they never knew. A place down deep. A place beyond the science, that cannot be measured or weighed. It is that part of you which keeps you reaching beyond all expectation, through every challenge. The part of you that overcomes.

Guess that's why coaches mean so much to us over the years. They are willing to do what so few others do. Take it on the chin, to teach something worthwhile. Maybe sometimes, those who can do, also teach. (Thanks Coach Downs)

Learn more about this author, Stephen Surgener.
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