COACHING FOR AMATEUR ATHLETES

Southland Times, Issue 23335, 20 October 1937, Page 14

COACHING FOR AMATEUR ATHLETES

Proposal To Secure Services Of Man From America

(By

SPIKE)

The opinion that New Zealand should secure the services of an American coach to bring about an improvement in the standard of amateur athletics, expressed by Mr B. Sutherland, of Wellington, and published in a special message to The Southland Times on Monday, should meet with the warm approval of everyone interested in the welfare of the sport. His advice that the provincial centres should “get busy” and make it possible to have the coach in New Zealand by the end of November should be taken to heart. The country has the material to make a strong showing at the Empire Games in Sydney next February, but that material requires developing and a fully qualified American coach would be the ideal man for that job, as well as for the more important job of improvnig generally the standard of amateur athletics in the Dominion.

This question should be fully discussed at the annual meeting of the Southland centre, which is to take place in a few days. Those directing the sport in Southland must be- aware that the stanard is lower here than in any other of the main centres of the Dominion. For that there is one all-important reason—lack of coaching. A big number of promising young athletes has been out on the tracks in Invercargill during the past three seasons and, with few exceptions, none has realized thtt promise. Haphazard training methods and too much strenuous competition has either killed or crippled the ability of many of these youngsters to rise from the tyro class. There are other more seasoned athletes who only require the direction of a skilled coach to bring them from the ruck of long-handicap men.

Mr Sutherland suggests that if an American coach was obtained those now interested in coaching could possibly attend Icasses and get instruction fro mhim, so that they in turn could impart their knowledge to others. It is on this sugegstion that the local centre should work. The principle of importing a coach obviously should be supported, and if he can be secured the next step will be to ensure that the full benefit of his knowledge is reaped for amateur athletes in Southland.

tl is not easy to say who would be selected to study coaching. There are few people interested in coaching amateur athletes in Invercargill. Three men_jvho would, in the opinion of “Spike,” give ideal service would be Mr A. J. Deaker, athletic coach at the Southland Boys’ High School, Mr lan Manson, former Otago and oSuthland hurdles champion and Mr C. Pierson, formerly Southland’s greatest sprinter. The first thing to be aimed at, however, is the securing of the American coach for the amateur athletes of the Dominion. iWth that accomplished, the provincial aspect can be more fully studied. For the benefit of the sport in Southland and in the Dominion as a whole, the oSuthland Amateur Athletic Association should give its support to the proposals of Mr Sutherland and persuade the Dominion Council of the need for immediate action. CANADIAN SCHOOLBOYS Athletic enthusiasts in Auckland will retain vivid memories of the brilliant Canadian schoolboy athletes who competed with outstanding success against the best local runners and field events men at the domain in 1935, when they were returning to Canada from the Melbourne centenary inter-Empire schoolboys’ meeting (states The New Zealand Herald). Several of these Canadians, now in world class, are almost certain to be seen in action again in Auckland and other parts of New Zealand when the Canadian team passes through the Dominion 'on its return from the British Empire Games to be held in Sydney next year, from February 5 to 12. J. Loaring, who finished second to G. Hardin, of the United States, in the 400 metres hurdles championship at the Olympic Games in Berlin, is likely to be one of the team. He recently caused a surprise at Hamilton, Ontario, when he defeated A. G. K. Brown, of England, over 440yds in the fast time of 0.48 4-5. The race was decided at a meeting between touring Oxford and Cambridge athletes and the Olympic Club, of Hamilton, the universities winning by nine events to four. On entering the straight Loaring was 4yds behind, but made a remarkable burst and won in the last few strides. In the same afternoon he captured the 220yds low hurdles event from D. A. D. L. Nichols, Cambridge, in 0.24 4-5. Loaring was not seen in action .in Auckland, where the 120yds high hurdles event was won by his team mate A. Zizis. The captain of the 1934-35 Canadian schoolboys’ team, J. Homer, finished second to A. Pennington, Cambridge, in the 220yds at the same meeting, and he is reported to be running better than ever. The young negro, S. Richardson, who is the present British Empire long jump champion, having won this event in England in 1934 at the age of 15, has since captured Jesse Owens’s Canadian record with a leap of close on 25ft. He represented Canada at the Berlin Olympic Games, where he qualified for the finals of both the long jump and the hop, step and jump.

M. N. Limon, brilliant quarter-mile runner, is the present Canadian champion, with a time of 0.48 9-10. He did not produce his best form at Berlin. H. McPhee, who won both the 100yds and 220yds races in Auckland, has since proved to be the fastest sprinter Canada has had. He holds the Canadian records for both the 100 metres and 200 metres, and performed with distinction at the Olympjcs. The other members of the schoolboy team —W. Savage, R. Jansen, T. Mitchell, E. Ferris, E. Wares, A. Zizis, and E. Fleming—still compete regularly. It is likely that two or three of these athletes will be in the British Empire Games team. OTAGO RECORDS FOUR INVERCARGILL TITLE-HOLDERS Following is a list of Otago records, compiled by Mr B. R. McKeman, which appeared in the annual report of the Otago centre:— 100 Yards.—J. H. Geddes (Ing.), 0.10, 1929 * 220 Yards.—E. Fish (Ing.), 0.22 3-5, 1933. • 440 Yards.—L. C. McLachlan (C.S.), 1930; A. L. Price (Ang.), 1934, 0.51. 880 Yards.—T. Allen (Ang.), 1937, 1.59 3-5. . One Mile.—W. A. C. Pullar (Ang.), 1936 4.29 2-5. Three Mile.—W. A. C. Pullar (Ang.), 1935, 14.52. One Mile Walk.—G. S. Cabot (0.U.), 1926, 6.35 3-5. Three Mile Walk.—G. S Cabot (0.U.), 1926, 22.21 1-5. 120 Yards Hurdles.—H. W. Milner (N. 0. 1936, 0.15 3-5. ’ 220 Yards Hurdles. —W. Pettet (Ang.), 1936 0.27 2-5. 440 Yards Hurdles.—W. A. C. Pullar (Ang.), 1934, 0.59. Shot Putt.—A. A. Cameron (N. 0. 1936, 38ft lOin. Hammer Throw.—M. R. Spillane (N. 0. 1937, 155 ft 6Jin. Discus Throw.—A. A. Cameron (N. 0. 1937, 143 ft 3Jin. Javelin Throw.—V. Newall (Ang.), 1937, 167 ft Bin. Pole Vault.—R. O. Johnson (Ang.), 1933, lift 3in. High Jump.—A. A. Cameron (N.C.), 1933, sft Ilin. Broad Jump.—A. A. Cameron (N. 0. 1932, 22ft 10 Jin. Hop, Step, and Jump.—A. A. Cameron (N. 0. 1933, 47ft 7Jin. Mile Medley Relay.—Anglican H. and A.A., 1935, 3.44 2-5. 100 Yards Junior.—M. Perken (N. 0. 1933, 0.10 2-5. 880 Yards Junior.—P. G. McLauchlan (Ing.), 1934, 2.5 3-5. Broad Jump Junior.—R. W. Stewart (Ing.), 1934, 20ft Bin. 100 Yards Women.—Miss V. Nichol (Gore), 1929, 0.11 2-5. SECONDARY SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS PROGRAMME ARRANGED FOR OAMARU The central executive of the Secondary Schools Athletic Association has completed the programme for the annual championship meeting to be held at Oamaru on Saturday, November 6. The events are to be run off as follows:— 10 a.m.—Shot putt (121 b 220yds junior heats. 10.15. —Broad jump senior and 220yds senior heats. 10.20.—220yds intermediate heats. 10.30. —lntermediate broad jump. 10.40. —44oyds junior heats. 10.50. —44oyds intermediate heats. 11.0. —44oyds senior heats. 11.5. —High jump intermediate. 2 p.m.—High jump junior, 100yds senior heat. 2.5. —looyds intermediate heats. 2.10. —lOOyds junior heats. 2.15. —BBoyds senior. 2.25. —looyds senior final. 2.30. —looyds intermediate final 2.35. —looyds junior final. 2.40. —BBoyds intermediate. 2.4s—High jump senior. 2.50. —Javelin throw senior. 2.55. —Broad jump junior. 3.5. —22oyds senior final. 3.10. —22oyds intermediate final. 3.15. —22oyds junior final. 3.20. —One mile senior. 3.30. —l2oyds hurdles senior heats. 3.35. —l2oyds hurdles intermediate heats. 3.45.—440yds senior final. 3.50. —44oyds intermediate final. 3.55—440yds junior final. 4 p.m.—l2oyds hurdles senior final. 4.5. —l2oyds hurdles intermediate final. 4.15— Junio. relay (4 x 110yds). 4.20. —lntermediate relay (4 x 220yds). 4.25. One mile senior relay. The age limits are: Senior, under 19 years on November 1; intermediate, under 161 on November 1; junior, under 15 on November 1. Entries for all events close on Wednesday, October 27, each school being limited to two entries in each event. In each of the senior, intermediate, and junior sections a gold medal will be awarded to the competitor gaining most points. All competing schools must affiliate with the Otago and Southland Secondary Schools Athletic Association, of which Mr G. D. Anderson is the secretary.