The morning times., 1896-06-14
GIRLS UNDER WATER.
Girl Swimmer Can Become a
Lioness.

great modification OF the trainer. Yet II
Is upon the trainer that all must be blamed.
The proper place for training Is IN the
water In rowing a boat, particularly q
shell, every muscle Of the body from Tin
ger tips and back Of the neck to toes ia
brought into play. Upon the sliding seat
with heavy ol rs IN each hand, there Is not
a muscle that escapes. Fatigue and. over
heating come with the lighrest practice
Then there must be a wait, AMI the same
program is. gone over again. Training Is
slow and laborious.
WATER ATHLETES.
With proper training, the exercise part
begins in the water. The oarsmen and
oars women are taken to the water every
morning at the hour OF the first exercise
and are told 10 plunge in and swim. Here,
with the first stroke, the same exercise
Of all the muscles takes place. Even the
fingers must work in swimming. The prop
er way To swim is to keep the fingers to-
getiier Bat in swimming for exercise they
should be separated. In few minutes
the separated fingers will cramp. Then
they must be closed side Dy side. tins IS
part OF the finger training. In one hour
in the waller the exercise has been as Sc
we're and as beneficial as with an hour In
the boat.
What are the advantages of this water
training? you ask. Just this. You do not
get overieated. The blood keeps cool. You
come out OF the water fresh an1 clear. You
may be- a little tired as to muscles, but your
head is cool, your body in pleasant glow,
and you are as ready 10 practice again as
you were.
IL could have my choice OF training
a crew, either men or women, entirely
on land or entirely in water, l should
choose the latter element. l would keep
them In water until week before the
final race. Theu give them seye> days
of practice in the handling of the oars
This, OF course, is for oarsnlen who are not
ueyiees an the use OF the bat.
In training a wonian's ere W in the water.
/ should lay down sope rules. The first
would be as TO depth. Suppose the girls
averaged. 5 feet inches In height. would
never let them get in over four feet OF
water. In four feet they can swim as well
as in forty. And they would have the Mt
most confidence, for they know they can
stand on their feet in the water The aecf-
dents in water are due to the men who urge
the women out TOO far for brayado. Keep
near shore ir you want TO become athletic
swimmers.
The word cramp has such an awful
sound TO a trainer that / have known
those who Kept tEeir best athletes out
OF the water for fear of il. Now, a
cranp is Il painful thing, but il isn't
dangerous one if you know how 10
handle it. Suppose you are in the water
and you get Il cramp In the commonest
place-your ihddlel What do you do?
You instinctiveiy double up. You catch
your breath, the water Tusbes in, aud
you smother. You go down ike log
and you don't come up again. That is
the way the best swimmers are lost
RULES FOR CRAMP
Now, here's Il craInp rule: The secund
the stitch takes you throw back yaur
head and give leap backward. Get on
your back You are in agony, but you
viii float. just the same The swimmer
arms which you have acquired will keep
you up. You will soon be in TO shore,
aud there they will run you down, not
up, aud you will be we'll. But not il you
forget the injunction to throw yourself
backward at the first pain.
If 1 had a football team Of girls to
train-and there are trainers for this
game i'll the girls colleges-or il / had a
basketball set or a tennis tournament
on hand, or any OF the ganes that require
an athletic Use OF the legs, l should try
a novel training, which have used with
good results. ! should take my team off
upon a boat u nd anchor about mile from
land. Then / should put them all in the
water, with experienced swimmers in the
boat to watch them. should say $ to them: