The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1893-12-13
BUT CANDIDATES FOR ATHLETIC
HONORs ARE PLENTIFUL
AT COLLEGE.
The Various Stages OF Work Per-
formed by Ambitious Foot Ball
Men at Harvard-The Discipline
Is of the Strictest Kind.

CAMBRIDGE, Nov. 14.-Any person
can try tc become a member of a
varsity athletic association who is a
member of the college or university,
but it is quite another thing to get
place on the team. The work done in
trying for the several teams in big
institution like Harvard, for example,
is surprising. There are the foot ball
eleven, base ball nine, crew, Mott
Haven track athletic team, cricket
team, tennis club, and the four class
teams each in foot ball, rowing and
base ball. The candidates for one of
these alone, say the freshman crew,
usually number no less than eighty
men. The others are in almost equal
proportion, and the total number of
candidates runs well up into the hun
dreds, and probably near q thousand.
The big Hemenway gymnasium at
Cambridge is the centre OF most of
these athletic efforts. 1t is here that
the freshmen, when they first enter
college, undergo the rather trying eX-
animation of DIR. Sargent before they
can become qualified to try even for
any athletic team. Just as regularly
as the college opens and closes, the
gymnasium becomes crowded with an
eager throng of athletic young men.
The efforts of q candidate for foot
ball honors are not by any means eX-
tended merely to the two or three
months preceding the big games. TO
be one of eleven representing uni
versity of 5000 students is an achieve
ment worthy of great things. Once in
college and the man who, when in his
preparatory school, had his eye on the
varsity, immediately begins his more
direct work for the place. Unless he
is a star, who has been singled out for
special attention by the college ath-
letic men, he Is not directly asked out
to the varsity squad, but joins the
freshmen. Here he works daily, for
few minutes at first, until he becomes
toughened and in good trim. Then he
practices for at least one hour and
half every afternoon. The candidates
are numerous and their mettle is
shown in the class games. Here the
freshmen are sized up by the upper
class men, and q varsity man or two
drops around to look at them. By the
time the freshmen games with Yale
well known If he proves to be at all
clever he is always kept in view as
candidate for the varsity team.
During the winter months all of the
athletes not in direct training for
some team take general exercise.
Every afternoon they may be seen by |
hundreds in the gymnasium. The
guished because they often wear their |
heavily padded trousers. All the |
freshmen are proud possessors of |
brand new sweaters. The exercise |
usually taken is work with the dumb /
bells and chest weights, and run up |
North avenue of mile and half.
This run is quite an institution by
itself. 1t is curious sight on bitter
cold winters day, with snow and ice
on the ground, to see a string of men
running up q broad and popular ave-
nue., clad in the ARREST of CARDS. Few
wear hats; all wear heavy sweaters.
Some wear short knee tights and
stockings; some wear loose, white
cotton trousers to the knee, and their
bare legs will be protected by short
socks. Occasionally dozen men
will come along at s. jog trot, running
two by two. These are crew candl-
dates under a captain. The run Is
good exercise, and all return to the
gymnasium in a healthy glow. Then
comes the shower bath and brisk
rub down, and the student is ready
foS his dinner.
AS soon as the snow is off the
ground the football men form what is
known as the "spring squad" This
is designed more especially to bring
out ali new men and teach them the
elements of the game. 1t is hard
work. The men line up and practice
breaking through the line, and then
falling on the ball. They use a
dummy swinging man as a tackling
and rush at him at full
speed and down him. All the fresh
men and hopeful candidates join this
squad in their efforts to improve their
chances for the varsity team, and
even the few members of the latter
band come out and keep their hands
in practice.
As the summer draws near, the
captain of the varsity team makes
up a list of all the more promising
and these men he manages
to have together during July or Au-
gust for two or three weeks practice