ATHLETICS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 156, 29 March 1938, Page 16

ATHLETICS

Wellington Season In

Review PROMISING JUNIORS Future Of Coaching Scheme (By Spike.) The coming week-end will sec the virtual close of the 1937-38 amateur athletic season in Wellington. The annual .triangular contest for the Betone, Olympic and Masterton clubs has been arranged tentatively for Hataitai Park on ba tutday. On the same day the Victoria University College inter-faculty sports will be held to assist in the choice of representatives for the university inter-college tournament at Auckland over Eastei. The popular trip to Nelson and Motueka will be repeated this Easter, and the Wellington team will again be in the care of Mr. A. C. Kitto, president of the Wellington centre. Tile team is to leave Wellington on April 14 and to compete at Nelson on the Saturday and at Motueka on Easter Monday. The following have been selected to make the trip—G. Hunter, provincial and national high jump champion; R. Ulmer, the Empire. Games cycling representative, T. Boe, a prominent cyclist, Miss J. Crampton, provincial sprint champion, V. Thompson, AV. Evenson, T. McCashin, R. J. Kidd, H. Hedge, D. Hewitt, A. Brown, A. Robinson, A. Wei ply, C. McGurk, H. Bryant, I’. Cairns, M. Talbot, G. Hill, Misses J. Sharp, J. Chase, T. Greenfield, J. McGrath, M. Nicholas, E. Bond and J. Lark.

Dewar Shield Meeting. Open competition for the season closed on Saturday, when the final Dewar Shield meeting took place at the Petone Oval. There were a number of defections, notably those of C. Robinson, J. Eastwood and J. Eord from the sprints, and the fields generally were small. Wellington No. 1 team, which was assisted to run up a big lead at the first meeting by Sutherland, Ford and Welply in the sprints, Hamilton and McDonald in the hurdles, A. R. Wilson and A. J. Mackay in the mile and Brady in the pole vault, had no difficulty in winning the trophy. Kiwi were poorly represented at the second meeting and did not score.

Improved Athletes. The fact that leading’ athletes suffered from staleness and others did not compete at all does not detract from the merit of some who capped consistent improvement throughout the season with victories on Saturday and of whom more should be heard next season. Against the wind in the first portion of the junior furlong C. V. Adams lost less energy than the junior champion. J. Sutherland, and so was able to finish strongly a foot ahead. F. Taylor, the provincial halfmile champion, had some good sprinting practice in the same race. Taylor has been a leading j'unior for two seasons, but will have to take his place among the seniors next season. He is an athlete of promise who should set to work to study the fine points of the game. At the start of the season R. J. Kidd left the sprints for the half-mile distance, and on Saturday his keenness was rewarded with a good win. His pace for the sprint was surprising, and as he is a good stylist he may yet prove one of the best half-milers. A fine three miles, or actually 4920 yards, was run by D. Serymgeour, University, in 14.22. He moved slowly over the first two miles, but his style and even running over the last mile showed him to be still a strong rival to A. J. Mackay, who was off-colour on Saturday at the end of a hard season. The Season in Review. The merit of the junior athletes in Wellington and the presence of some really good seniors together guarantee a bright future for the sport. The season has been one of flux, with both administration and organisation of meetings being tested to find the best working method. The system of scratch meetings tried early in the season led to a gdod deal of don fusion ■ and suffered from the lack of first-class men to provide even competition as among the different sections. The three clubs in one section might have the best performers, leaving the other section’s events devoid of interest; or else a first-class man would find himself with no competition in his section. Thus it appears that a bigger distribution of good men is necessary before the scratch system can nrove satisfactory. The athletic sub-committee did its best under the circumstances, but the lack of facilities at Hataitai for the conduct of a meeting attractive to the public forced it to consider night meetings at the Basin Reserve and tlipse which were held proved a success. The centre should concentrate on them as a draw-card. The policy of inviting overseas athletes approved by the conference of centres at Christchurch should be encouraged. These meetings are enjoyed by athletes and public alike and ensure financial stability for the sport. Hataitai Park will be necessary as an adjunct, for training and coaching purposes, and for various minor fixtures. Public interest, judiciously ■solicited, is essential if a sport is to keep its place. Otherwise it becomes a sort of picnic, pleasant enough but not really strong or permanent. The Coaching Scheme.

Half-way through the six months' term of the American coach, Mr. A. Fitch, it became evident that weak organisation was ruining the project. Indeed, it was evident the first time he appeared at Hataitai that the centre had no plan or basis for his work. < He endured it for a while, and then demanded a proper scheme of work. As a result it is almost impossible to estimate the results he has been able to achieve, except that he has undoubtedly done good work at the schools and colleges. There he found keenness aud adaptability, and it is to the future that the sport iu AVellington must at present look for any benefit from his engagemeut. Fortunately the financial outcome is satisfactory, thanks mainly to Mr. T. W. Leslie, who undertook tlie thankless work of raising money by personal canvass in the city. Mr. Leslie has raised about £5OO. The garden party at Mr. B. Sutherland’s residence realised £9B/6/6. The weakness of organisation in connection with the coaching scheme will no doubt be remedied when Mr. Fitch returns next season to give his services jointly to the Canterbury and AVellington centres. He has himself provided the best plan, namely a body of coaches to work under his supervision. Keen men 'are needed to give their time to this work. AVithout them it cannot succeed.

.At present Mr. Fitch’s intention is to sail for the United States on April 19. It was confidently stated that he had beeq offered an advisory post under the Physical AVelfare Council, but. either’ the report is unfounded or else he has preferred to return to his home county for the winter at any rate.

High Jump Success. Wellington's only individual success at the national championships was that of G. Hunter, who won the high jump with sft. Ilin. However, K. Guy was not disgraced in taking second place io D. Herman, Canterbury, who put the shot 40ft. 9|in. Guy, who was only an inch behind this, won the title last year with 38ft, 7iin. C. Robinson gave the Empire Games man G. Quinn a great run in the furlong, losing by only a foot. Hunter has increased bis height very rapidly, but it looks as if he will have to change bis style to go much further. The scissors method is now out of caste among the top run of high-jumpers. A best New Zealander’s performance was achieved at Auckland recently by D. Chadwick, with a leap of 6ft. 1 Jin., using the western roll method. The previous best was P. Hackett’s scissors _ jump against the Australian, Metcalfe, in 1934, 6ft. 1 1-Sin. Chadwick is an erratic jumper—he reached 6ft. Ilin. at the 1937 Auckland championships, but nt the national meeting could not go higher than sft. Gin.