The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-01-07
FAVORS USE OF
PROFESSIONALS
President Hadley Of Yale Gives
His Views on the Coaching
-" Question.
New York Sun Special Service.

Now York Sun Special Service. q -,~ -
New York. Jan. president Arthur T. Had
ley of Yale university has written letter to
the editor of the Illustrated Sporting News in
which he favors the services of professional
coaches in college athletics. r.
He also says that Intercollegiate contests DO
not create the present evils in university sports,
but simply hold them up to view. Dr. Hadley
writes: ,.. ...-... o.. 4. 49, - ~. ~
1.-THE idea that victory is the essential thing
Independent of themeans by which it is obtained
is one of the greatest dangers which menaces the
United States at the present day. The greater
the prize in any contest the greater will be the
temptation to sacrifice other things to victory
Nevertheless, I am Inclined to think that the
net infuence of intercollegiate athletics Is good
We make great mistake If we assume that In
tercollegiate contests create evils of which we
complain. They simply hold them up to public
view: # the evils thus made manifest remain
unrebuked and unremedied, the Indirect eject OF
this publicity is bad. If they are condemned by
that part of the public for whose opinion the
average college student most cares, the effect
Of the publicity and the ensuing condemnation Is
good. <>.a:~. ill.,. -. 3..s..-S- ,.. =
the specific projects or rules which are proposed
to remedy the evils They are like attempts
to cure disease by REFRESHING its symptoms
They seldom do real good; they often do positive
harm. Take, for instance the suggestion that
we should prohibit professional trainers.
- IF my boy wants to run In the quarter-mi
I want to have him much as possible under
the eye Of a man who understands the operas
fully than his family physician naturally can do
If you give him the alternative of riskng damage
to himself or keeping out Of the competition, with
his fellows merely because the public will take
| too much interest in his adviser in case he
should be fortunate enough to engage in an In
| tercollegiate contest, it seems to me that YOU
are sacrificing great deal for the sake OF Ac
complaining very little. -
sit is all very well to talk Of having only
graduate coaches, but the only universities that
can be sure Of commanding the services Of un
paid graduate coaches for different branches Of
athletics are those which situated in large
cities. This places discrimination against the
country colleges which I, for one, should be
quite unwilling to see establishtd.
81 believe that it is mistake for college
presidents to write articles about athletics. Sucl
| articles, however well meant, seem to me t.
countenance the idea that athletics occupy
larger place in the American university horizon
than is the case at Yale, and than I believe
to be the case at Harvard. By countenancinl
this false view they increase the very evils which
they are trying to reduce. l. honestly beliey,
that the greatest service which college president
and faculties render to athletics is to en-
courage the students, the graduates and tn
public to think as much as possible about othe
things" ...-. ,.... ~