The sun., 1893-11-19
SEVERE ON THE STUDENT,
But CANDIDATES FoR ATHLE7Io HON.
oRs ARE PLENTIFUL AT COLLEGE


Varsity Player IL Their n.,,re
CAMBRIDGE. Nov. 1i.-Anv person can try Ia
| become mcmber or n VARSITY athletic asso-
! citation who is member OF the college or uni.
versity. but 1t Is quite another thing to get
| place on tho team. The work done in trying
forthe several teams in big institution like
| Harvard. for example. is surprising There
are the football eleven. baseball nine, crew.
| Mott Haven track athletic team. cricket team
tennis club and the four class teams each in
football. rowing. and baseball. Tho candi-
dates for one Of these alone. say the freshman
crew. usually number 10 less than eighty men
The others are in almost equal proportion,
and the total number OF candidates runs we'll
| up into the hundreds and probably near q
| thousand.
The big Hemenway gymnasium ut Cam
| bridge Is the centre OF most Of these athletic
efforts 1t Is here that tho freshmen. when
they first enter college. undergo the rather
| trying examination of DR. Sargent before they
can become qualified to try even for any atl-
letic team. Just as regularly ms tho college
| opens and closes. the gymnasium becomes
| crowded with an enger throng OF athletic
| young men.
The efforts OF n candidate for football honors
are not by any means extended merely to tho
| two or three m onths preceding the big games.
| To be one OF eleven representing university
OF 5000 students is an achievement 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 lie is a
| star who has been singled out for special at
! tention by the college athletic men. he is not
directly asked out to tho varsity squad. but
| joins the freshmen. Hero he works daily. for
few minutes at first, until hc becomes tough
! ened 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 fresh
| m en- are sized UP by the upper class men. and
| a varsity man or two drops around to look at
| them. BY the time the freshmen games with
| Yale come round the candidates points are
| well known. II he proves to be at all clever
| lie is always kept in view as q candidate for
| the varsity team.
During the winter m months all OF the athletes
| not in direct training for some team take gen.
| eral exercise. Every afternoon they may be
| seen by hundreds in the gymnasium. The
| football men can easily be distinguished be-
| cause they often wear their heavily padded
| trousers. All the freshmen are proud DOS
SCISSORS Of brand new sweaters. The exercise
usually taken is work with the dumb bells and
chest weights and q run up North avenue OF q
mile and half. This run Is quite an instltu-
| tion 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 avenue, clad in the airiest
| Of gnrbs. 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 q
| dozen men will come along at a jog trot. rum
| ming two by two. These are crew candidates
| under a captain. The run is good exercise. and
| all return TO the gymnasium In a healthy glow.
| MI. Al. Il
| down. and the student is ready for his dinner.
AS soon as tho snow Is off the ground the foot
ball men form what is known as tho "sprinR
squad" This Is designed more especially to
bring out all new men and teach them tho ele-
ments of the game. 1t is hard work. The mon
line up and practise breaking through the
line. and then falling on the ball. They use
dummy swinging man as a tackling machine.
and rush at him ut full speed and down him.
All the freshmen and hopeful candidates Join
this squad in :heir efforts to improve their
chances for the varsity team. and oven tho
few members Of the latter band come out and
keep their hands in practice.
AS the summer draws near. tho captain OF
the varsity team makes up list OF oil the
more promising candidates. and these mon he
manages to have together during July or
August for two or three weeks practice at
some cool place the Now England coast.
They sweat and toll in the broilIng hot sun for
hours every day. They have little time for
any peasantcr pastimes. In the hope that
they may wear varsity sweater. tho candi-
dates come back to Cambridge early In Sop
tember. long before college opens.
Now comes the struggle. Every day for the
next three months they must work to tho very
utmost OF their physical capability and deny
themselves most OF the pleasures INDUCED in
by col lege men. Smoking Is absolutely forbid
den: drinking Is not allowed unless by ex-
press permission Of the captain or the coach.
They cannot 60 to theatres. as the candidates
must be in bed by 10 o'clock. There Is a SUR
Geon In attendance every afternoon who looks
alter oil bruises. cuts and sprans which may
be received. Tho rnles OF training In regard
to smoking. drinking. and late hours en-
forced by leaving them to the mems honor. It
Is seldom that any one breaks training: but il
he should do SO aud it is discovered. he Is not
only dropped from the list OF candidates but
his fellow students are apt to discard him.
Strict training begins early in September
They are drilled In the elementary principles
Of the game. For instance, line will be drawn
up: then one man will take the hnll and start
at the top Of his speed to run down past the
limo with 1t, and the man Mt the other end will
run forward and tackle him. II his tackle 10
not low. hard. and sure. and IL ho has not
downed his man quickly. they must trv it
again. The men practise for hours the simple
feat OF dropping on the ball The ball
bounces unovonly, and tho man falling on =
must do 80 by throwing himself directly for tho
ball at full length. catch it up In his arms. curl
ing himself about the ball as to secure 1t
firmly. This is hard to do. and many a man
bruises his arms badly. This preliminary
work shows the degrees OF perseverance and
snnd in many OF thscanddates. BY early Oc-
toher tho men have been pretty well sized w.
Any man trying for .he 'varsity team who in
practice games is guilty OF fumbl,ng the bail,
missing his tackles or allowing the other side
TO get nast him. may 1T once abandon all
hopes Of getting n place. The clement ot re-
liability il the most important of all and for
this reason Veterans VINO have played IN The
big games are preferred.
This work OF the candidates toward Noycm-
Der is exactly the same from ray TO day They
rise at y, o'clock in tho morning an after
good. cold bath. dress GuirnD, Then they
meet at some tNoI point In the cGLle-e yard.
AT O'Clock they can bo seen MalklhE Dy twos
to Lrnak lnaL f,nnIn rnrrN their arms In