MAKING TRAINING EXCITING!

Evening Star, Issue 22805, 13 November 1937, Page 8

MAKING TRAINING EXCITING!

Here is a brand-new system of training for sports. The players start one at a time, and try to cover the ground and shoot the final goal in the shortest time. The drawing shows a football ground, in bird’s eye view, the player starting from point 1. When the signal is given, ho runs up to the ball, which is halfway up the field, dribbles it through obstacle 1, which is two upright sticks about 30in apart, and between which both the ball and the player must pass The ball is then dribbled to 3, a corner flag, which must be_ circled clockwise. Having achieved this, the ball can be kicked straight across the field to flag 4, which is circled anti-clockwise. And now it begins to be a little more difficult! Obstacle 5 is a hurdle or rather two pegs and a stretched string, over which the ball must be kicked—the player uurming over it afterwirds.

No. 6 is a pair of sticks, like obstacle 2, and from point 7, the player aims a kick at the bottom goal, which is fitted with a beam from post to post. The ball must hit the beam so that it follows the dotted line, while the player runs round the corner flag,_ No. 8, and “picks up the ball” again, kicks it over No. 9, a hurdle, himself jumping over after it, and dribbles the ball to No. 10, two sticks, as previously explained. Having passed between these with the ball, he has to_ circle flag 3 once more, this time anti-clockwise in a wide circle, and dribble the ball on to point 11, from where he must, without stopping, score the final goal. There must be no cheating on the way •ound, if any of the players fail to an obstacle, they must immediately *o hack and do it over again. The •icord counts only if every single ob■•acle is passed. Each player’s time is recorded separ*ely, by means of a stop-watch, or an vdinaty watch with a seconds hand riid now go ahead! You may improve he system by the addition of more ■omplicated obstacles, just as you wish.

That is on a circular track at Han* ringay; on the straight the pace would doubtless be higher. But, even so, while the greyhounds run at between 36 to 38 miles an hour, the cheetaha gallops at the rate of 42 miles an hour* Were the contest extended doubtless the dogs would win, for the cheetah has been for thousands of years matching his speed against deer and antelopes for only such distances as serve to win him a meal. If he does not succeed afi the end of his first incredible rush ha turns aside in disdain. The dog, how* ever, descends from the wolf, which, less swift than the' cheetahs and tha great cats, makes up in endurance and persistence what he lacks in speed oj sprint. WHEN THE WIND BLEW A GOOD-NIGHT TALE John and Mary ran all the way ta the park. It was a windy day! .nd they could hardly wait to see if their new red kite would go flying over tha treetops. “ You hold the string, Mary,” said John, “and I’ll throw the kite up as high as I can ” The first time it only went up a littla way before it fell to the ground, where it lay. looking sad. and disappointed. They tried again, and this time tha wind blew just as-John was ■ throwing the kite lip into the air. ” Run, Mary* run I” he shouted. v. Mary ran as fast as she could; and the kite went higher and higher until all they could see was a tiny red speck in the sky. “It’s time to go home now,”'said John, after they had watched it proudly for a long time, and they began to wind up the string. Nearer and nearer came the kite till it was only a little way above their heads, and then a dreadful thing hap# pened. A gust of wind blew it down suddenly, but, instead of falling on ta the grass, the kite stuck on the top branch of a tree. They looked up at it, and John, wha was only a little boy. began.to cry. “ Never ipind, John, said Mary* putting her arm round him ; “ perhaps you’ll nave another kite next birthday.’’ That night the wind blew harder than ever. John woke up and listened,as it howled around the house. Wool! it went against the windows, John pulled the bedclothes over his head so that ha could not hear it. They did not run to the park ' ;a nest morning, but walked si .y, thinking of the lost kite. John was looking down sadly at the ground when ' Mary suddenly caught hold of his. arm. “Look, John!” she cried, pointing across the grass. “ The tree has blown downl” “ There’s our kite, close to tha ground!” cried John, as they ran to the place. “ How they laughed as they lifted ih off the branches! The strange thing was that though the great tree had blown down in the gale the red kita wasn’t hurt.