ATHLETICS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14238, 29 December 1911, Page 9

ATHLETICS.

» A QUESTION OF DISCIPLINE. (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, December 28. Ono feature of the recent visit of tbo Australasian, athletic team to England, upon which tho manager of tho team (Mr B. Coombes, of Sydney) has been Laying great stress, was the want of cohesion and tho lax recognition of authority. ' This, although tho manager did not say so in so many words, was particularly tho caso in regard to tho New Zealand members of tho team. Tho Australian representatives had signed a bond to implicitly obey instructions, but tho New Zealandcrs apparently rocognised no such-authority. Mr Coombes's comments upon, this phase of the visit aro interesting. "It 's to mc," ho says in his report sub hutted to the Australasian Amateur Association, "quite apparent that wo cannot hope for any marked success in contests of tho nature of tho Empire games unless there bo moro. cohesion,* moro thoroughness as .to detail, and system as to procedure. Forco of circumstances, had admittedly nine, to do with what I may call our haphazard attempt to 'lift' tho Lonsdale cup (won by Canada), but tho experienco gained by my trip to London impels mc to allirin that it would bo far bettor not to bo represented at such gatherings than to be represented by a team tho component parts of which are more or less on their own. It is, of course impossihlo to command success, but wo must try to earn it by thoroughness of system and minuteness of detail, as was clearly demonstrated in tho case of tho Canadian team. In my opinion it is absolutely imperative that in future all members or teams should travel together and remain together at least until the games to bo participated in aro over. Certainly should the members of the team bo together and under tho immediate control of their manager or director during their stay in the country visited. Furthermore it is absolutely necessary to - havo a captain or director of the team quite apart from the manager or secretary. Tho track captain of tho Canadian team was a doctor, w.ho also holds the position of director-jQf. physical culture at Toronto University. This officor stayed with his team and practically directed aud supervised their every movement, and his word .was a law unto them, subject to no appeal whatsoever. He was to be seen in the dressing rooms at tho Crystal Palace with his sleeves rolled up, personally rubbing down and massaging as well as daily making a close study of tho physical condition of each member of his team. It can thereforo bo imagined how tho Australian and New Zealand teams fared with but (two officials directing or ondeavouring to direct affairs and tho team widely scattered. 5 ' Mr Coombes adds, . "The Canadians went to England as Canada and it was Canada all tho time; States of Associations wer© never mentioned. Thero was ono common fund for the whole team. I believo lam correct in saying that tho Dominion Government paiu tho whole of tho expenses of w_at waa considered a national affair." When this report was read before tho Board of Control to-day Mr J. H. Pollock, a member of tho Board, so he felt called upon to remark that, comparing tho size of New Zealand and Canada, our Government wore equally liberal. They had l>een far-seeing enough to recognise that the trip was likely to bo of great value to the Dominion, and had offered a subsidy of £1 for £'1 up to £500. Ho hoped the affiliated unions in other States would bo as fortunate in the future in this respect as New Zealand had been.