ATHLETICS AND ATHLETES

NZ Truth, Issue 890, 16 December 1922, Page 9

ATHLETICS AND ATHLETES

American Success

THE REASONS FOR IT.

Value of Stow Motion ilms.

Many and varied are the explanations offered of American success m track and field athletics. Each writer differs m that each attaches special importance to the one particular feature that Impresses him most. The huge population of the United (States ia often urged as the main reason, but that has little to do 'with the Americans* outstanding success. The three greatest Rugby countries of the world, Wales, South Africa and New Zealand, have the smallest populations. And not only are they better than the others, but have a far greater number of players who really know the game. Australia with five millions produces, on the whole, greater cricketers than England with her forty millions. THE ESSENTIAL REASON, the condition precedent to everything m the way of success, is a national interest so keen as to make the athlete himself realise that for .the honor of his country ho must succeed. It Is, this national interest that supplies the j idea of the Importance of any sport, and that idea of importance gives j birth to a national tradition, the effect of which is a growing force. The j sporting tradition here is Rugby foot- I ball. To that everything* else is subordinated. Cricket, tennis, swimming, athletics have not yet reached the stage when public Interest makes tho Incentive to oxcel a really live general influence. They are all more or leas still m the position of being recreations pure and Bimple. Thore la not the deep dissatisfaction with non-suc-cess which is the real stimulus to strive tor success. There are signs of. change. Individual successes In recent years (let me confine my argument now to athletics) have roused a feeling of pride on the part of the general sporting publio, which, In a country like this, means the whole people, In the dolng-a of our athletes. The International Army competitions after the war, the Olympic Oames, the definite standards of comparison (time and distance) have all roused our people to recognition of the fact that wa'have a few who are beyond all doubt m the world's first class ln tholr respective spheres. That recbg-nltlon roused the feeling last year, for instance, that it was not merely a question of whether Davidson, Tracy and Wilson were bet- ! tor sprinters than OosterlaaU, Kinsman and Bukes, or Taylor a better middle distance runner than Johnston or Leathern, but a question of whether New Zealand was bettor than South Africa on tho track. Definitely, a new era for athletics began with the Springbok meeting at Wellington InrU February. THB CHILD IS BORN, h. much alive, squalling, kicking baby. His Infant movements aro healthy all . through tho country. Our Public Schools Athletio Associations from one' end of the Dominion to tho other are marvels of competent management, of keen interest on the part of teachers, pupils and publle, and their annual championship gatherings are triumphs both with respect to organisation and numbers competing that not even tho Americans could excel. Tho formation and the initial success of tho few Soeondary Schools Associations that have so far been formed are signs, too. of growing strength. So far ho good, but until athletics become of all tho year and of consequence In our schools and colleges tho baby will bo but half fed. It Is this dally concern for tho sport, not subordinating it to any other consideration, that makes greatly for Am*rlca'n success. It doea not moan neglect of other sports. After all. baseball and football are the real fetishes of Americano. And out hero a boy can and should givo a great part of I his interest to cricket and football, to |

j say nothing of tennis, without abating I one jot of his interest m athletics. ' Still one must be thankful for the manner m which the infant is progressing:, and realise that his growth must be natural and not-, that of the . turkey In training for the Christmas table. BRAINS. NOT BRAWN. | Given the bedrock reason as already' L formulated there remains to be elucidated the reason of the Americans achieving their phenomenal success m those particular branches of athletics where physical attributes count for little against skill. Too many of our British race leave matters rest at the pink of physical condition. The Amei rican uses that as merely the rawmaterial for bralnwork to shape. We look with suspicion on the new method*. He is ever seeking it. The qualifications of a coach, as we see them, are too often success on the track or m the field, and mere length of experience. It is not m America an essential Qualification. True, many of her greatest coaches are men who have themselves been great athletes. But It is a safe general proposition to put that lt is not the man who doea tha great things but the man who has the : mental curiosity and capacity to investigate how the other does them, who makes the Ideal coach. Only recently m America, at Pennsylvania University, applicants for the position of manager of the "Varsity basketball team were subjected to an examination—ln psychology, no .Jess. It Is not likely that m this country we shall aTrlve at that stage of determination to make sure of getting the right man. but we must do something. Tlie centres are keen on doing the right thing. They are dragging out of .retirement old-time champions and trainers to help the youngsters along. Our American visitors will be used as much to educate our own athletes as to entertain the public AJI that will, however, help but little m .the long run. The Americans win be gone m a month or two, and who, of all our field champions, Is really competent , to give proper aad final Instruction? At D6St~thelr knowledge crimes* from wide reading. But the really satisfactory athletic manual has yet to ba written. AN IMPORTED COACH, say a man of the type of Ruric Temploton, who has had such phenomenal success at Stanford, would be a wonderful asset to thi3 country, but for financial reasons such an Importation is out of the question. Books, even by the best authorities, are unsatisfactory substitutes. To be satisfactory they need rcadors with the rare gift of being able to visualise tho descriptions given which are of necessity seldom easy to follow because the writers aro for tho most - part not literary artists. Action photographs are better as giving a general idea of a man's action m jumping, hurdling, etc. Ordinary cinema films are run through too quickly to be of much use. THE SLOW MOTION FILM, on the other hand, Uas already revolutionised athletic coaching. It shows up every movement of every muscle, It aUows time for tho eye to follow the movements so closely as to enable an image to be retained m the mlnd. The alow motion film is In use. m America, England and the Continent, not~bnly as a means of recording the methods of champions for instructional purposes but, particularly ln the States, as a means of discovering those little faults of action so difficult to find out otherwise which until remedied keep many a man ln tho ranks of the near-Champions. A not- v able Instance of: the value of the slow motion Is Karl Thompson, who learned the hurdling game from a film of his great predecessor, Richard Simpson. The N.ZJ^A.A should DELAY NO LONGER m this matter. Films are cheap, and good ones of good men easily obtainable. The films could be hired to the, centres, who would have no difficulty ln getting private screening facilities from picture proprietors. The Alms would be particularly valuable m the schools as giving the boys the means of starting on 'the right track. It Is easy to irwtll right methods when there are no habitual faults to cure first. With two years of Intelligent use of plow motion Alms on the material available tn New Zealand w» oould ■tartle the world.