ATHLETICS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 153, 26 December 1931, Page 5

ATHLETICS

»r "sprint**"

LACK OF INTEREST?

OFFICIALS CRITICISED

NEWS AND VIEWS OF WEEK

The candid criticism made by the president .of the Wellington Centre, Mr. | A. C. Kitto, this week on the apparent lack of interest being displayed by a number of officials in their dutios, j amounting in some cases to noglect, was not altogether unexpected; nor was the criticism unwarranted. One realises that nowadays in most occupations heavier demauds than in the past arc being made on a man's time, but the burden of :Mr. Kitto's complaint seemed to bo directed towards officials who, having consented to undertake certain duties,- failed to carry them out. The organisation work in connection with the centre's sports meetings is left to Mr. Kitto and one or two other individuals. That is not right, nor is it fair. And then, again, at tho meetings themselves, some of tho officials recently without having the courtesy to give notice of their inability -to be present have failed to put in an appearance, with a result that at the last moment others have had to bo approached with a view to acting in their places. The sport in Wellington has been fortunate for years past in having a good staunch man at" the helm, but the same1 cannot be said about some of the crew. One cannot blame Mr. Kitto if he feels somewhat discouraged. He must receive proper assistance, and, if he does not, he dropped a hint this week that it might be that he would give the game best. And where would the sport be then? The whole question of officials is being gone into by Mr. Kitto and Mr. P. Bond, a sub-committee appointed by the centre with power to act. What tho centre seeks is reliability in its officials. If a man cannot do tho task allotted to him, let him give due notice to that effect.

Scratchings. In view of the number of scratchings at recent sports meetings, the executive of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre decided this week to take somo action in the' matter. It was pointed ,out that in some events last Saturday half the competitors failed to start, with the result that the marksmen were given extra work, and valu-, able time was lost. Clubs are,to be notified that 'in future competitors who do not wish to start in events for which they have entered must notify the ■ secretary at least half an hour before the start of a race.

Australian Stan. -. < It was unnecessary to read anything into his letter to Mr. T. S. Philpott to feel that J. A. Carlton, Australian sprint champion and record holder, was genuinely keenly disappointed at having to,say that he was unavailable this season, through, force of circumstances/as ho] put it, to come to the Dominion and compete" at meetings under the jurisdiction of the Wellington Centre. "I am very disappointed," he wrote, "as, I still' cherish wonderful memories of my two' trips to New Zealand." He asked after Mr. D. G. Paris, of the Olympic Club, and added: "I have taken to running quarters for * onco up' now. I did 50 l-10see on a heavy track recently, George Golding, in a different race to me, did 50sec. Tho season over here has been very wet, and we have had hardly a fine week-end now for months, and naturally times have, suffered somewhat." ■ In regard to the Wellington Centre's invitation,. Carlton, explained that in view of the Olympic Games next year j more demands had been made upon him J than usual. The possibility of a cyclist, .George Golding, or Ewen Davidson, the young Victorian all-rounder, being ablo to make the trip was discussed at this week's meeting of tho executive of the centre, but the general opinion was that they.probably would be in the same box aa Carlton. However, it was decided not to drop the matter altogether, but I to postpone further consideration of it until after the Australian championships have been Held next month. Parade of Competitors.

properly done, the parade of athletes around the ground as a preliminary to sports^ meetings is a good idea, and makes a splendid spectacle, but an indication -was givea on Saturday of the ordinary, unpleasant affair it would be if the members of all Jhe teams entered into the march past in a slovenly "don't-care" manner. It was unfortunate, of course, on Saturday that the. services- of a band or some pipers were not available, but,, nevertheless/ it is rather doubtful whether the presence of a band would have assisted one or two members of different teams to do a little better and treat the contest, the first for the handsome A. C. Kitto Shield, a little more seriously. The shield is w.orth winning, and the Kiwi Club's team, though it deserved top marks, did not give such a display as to suggest that some other team could not have done equally as well, if not better, had a bigger effort been made. Some of the singlets seen out on Saturday could also do with a washing. Secondary School Athletes.

Discussing the question of the danger of secondary school athletics . being allowed to overdo things, to-which some reference was made by "Sprinter" recently, a Dunedin writer comments as follows: —The number of remarkable all-Tound performances that have been put up by high school and college athletes during the last month or two has f ocusscd t urI thcr attention on the matter. It is this very system itself which is responsible for the fact that so many of these brilliant schoolboy athletes never amount to anything in the athletic world in later years, and if the schools themselves will not take the common-sense viewpoint, the. New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, in the interests of sport and of the boys themselves, should bring its weight to bear in an effort to discourage over-competition on the part of any one boy. Specialisation is desirable in the interests of the boy, and it is only by specialisation that the best results may be expected in.track and field athletics. Other countries have come to realise this, and the sooner New Zealand does the better. But the co-operation of the schools is necessary. General Notes.

Both in Dunedin and Christchureh scratch events arc finding vogue this season. Blenheim is not the only place at which an amateur club has been started. Word now comes of a revival in OsmaTU. A strong club has been formed there and no doubt its progress will be carefully watched by the Otago Centre.