‘UNETHICAL’ METHODS ALLEGED Coach hits at U.S. bids for young athletes

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33062, 1 November 1972, Page 28

‘UNETHICAL’ METHODS ALLEGED Coach hits at U.S. bids for young athletes

American universities should concentrate on producing their own athletes and training their own coaches rather than “dipping into their back pockets and trying to buy what other countries have developed,” the prominent Christchurch track and field coach, Mr K. E. Williams, said yesterday.

“If their training facilities and methods are so good I cannot understand why they have to go outside their own country for athletic talent,” Mr Williams said.

“Perhaps they should be sending their athletes over here,” he said.

A former New Zealand cross-country and track champion, Mr Williams is deeply concerned at the amount of persuasive material with which one of his athletes, D. J. Green, has been “bombarded” by American universities.

The New Zealand junior 800 and 1500 metres champion and one of this country’s most promising young athletes, Green has had offers of athletic scholarships from three American universities — lowa, Washington, and Hawaii.

Green has his sights on representing New Zealand at the 1974 Commonwealth

Games in Christchurch, and has declined all the offers. lowa and Hawaii accepted his refusals, but Washington did not give up so easily. After numerous letters, Green and Mr Williams were twice telephoned by Washington’s assistant track coach (Mr J. Chaplin). He was told that Green was not interested at this stage, but still the letters arrived.

As a representative of the Washington coaches, the former New Zealand junior long and triple-jump champion, J. Delamere (formerly of Waikato), has written to Green numerous times attempting to persuade him to change his mind. In his latest letter, Delamere told Green: “Just looking to your future, an education and the opportunities are worth much more than what New Zealand can offer. Also, you can’t eat a gold medal.” He suggested that Mr Williams “and everybody” was putting Green on “a wobbling pedestal which will only become stable if you win a gold medal. They’ll let you fall if you don’t.” This kind of approach was “completely unethical,” Mr Williams said. He has written to Delamere advising him that a copy of his letter was being handed to the Canterbury Athletic Centre and the New Zealand Coaches’ Association “to show them to what lengths your people will go to undermine an athlete’s faith in himself, his coach, and his country.” Mr Williams told Delamere that Green was not to be pestered by telephone calls and letters and that any contact had to be made through 'him. "Your letter and its contents are unethical and a complete opposite to what I would expect from anyone with David’s interests at heart,” he said.

What really annoyed Mr Williams was the adverse effect the American “pressure tactics” were having on Green’s academic work as well as on his training. Any decision had to be made by Green, but he (Mr Williams) had endeavoured to take some of the pressure off his

pupil by insisting that approaches be made only through him.

Mr Williams said he could understand the United States wanting young athletes such as Green, and he could not blame athletes for accepting scholarships. But he objected to pressure tactics being employed. It had to be realised, too, that what the scholarships offered was not always as shining as it seemed. The universities were only interested in making use of the athletic ability of these young athletes, and on the academic side some qualifications which could be obtained were not acceptable in New Zealand.

“A lot of very good ath-

letes have been taken from New Zealand by these scholarships, and many just disappear,” Mr Williams said. He feels that offers of scholarships should have to be made through the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association and the New Zealand Coaches’ Association to the coach concerned and finally to the boy— at least when he was under 18. “For a boy at school to have so much pressure put on him is wrong.” Facilities New Zealand needed these athletes, Mr Williams said. “We have got to provide them with something to keep them here. Facilities are important and they must have time for training. There is not enough time for them to do a job and train as well. Other countries such as East Germany have recognised this.” Mr Williams said he was all for a Ministry of Sport in New Zealand if it was going to mean that the Government would provide sl6m to help young sportsmen participating without having to make tremendous sacrifice. “There has got to be assistance of some sort from the Government,” he said. Boxing.—The Australian, Chais key Ramon, won the vacant Commonwealth light middle-weight boxing title at Melbourne on Monday night when the referee stopped Ills scheduled 15-round fight against Pat Dwyer (England )ln the eighth round.