The Washington times., 1905-08-27
Young Athletes Will Watch
Shrubb's Work.
BRILLIANT IN SPRlNTS
But American Athletes Lack Quality
to Stay-Long Runs
Urged.

oStclOpLHCll VI sport, a survey
of the English records and a hasty
glance al the results of the recent cham
pionship games in the British Isles offer
a subject for careful consideration and
earnest thought.
The most prominent fact derived from
an analysis of the records displays the
mediocre caliber of our distance run
ners when compared with the select OF
the isles. From Al Shrubbs two-mile
record. ten and four-fifths seconds faster
than Alexander Grants American record
the Englishman's time increases In su-
periority till it registers an advantage
OF two minutes in the ten-mile run.
Inferior In Long Runs.
The results of the last English cham
pionships attest the assertion that while
we are yet the peer Of our Anglo-Saxon
cousins in the shorter events of the
track and greatly their superior on the
field, we are correspondingly their in
ferior in the longer contests OF strength
and endurance. Ascending from the mar
row basis of comparing champions and
record holders to a broader plane en-
bracing the great body of competing dis
tance runners, we find our inferiority
even more strongly marked For every
good distance man this country produces
England turns out twenty to match. To
revise, or some day reverse, this proper
ton, Young America is beginning to look
for stamina in addition to spirit
In conjunction with this unpleasant
fact II is also noticed that while our
adversaries in the old country are max
ing rapid strides to overcome our lead
in the sprints and field, turning out such
men of late as Morton. Murray, OCon-
nor, Hogan, Nicholses. ard the Leaheys.
fit contestants for Americas best ath-
letes. We are falling back from the
mediocre standard previously obtained
of late who could successfully compete
with Tommie Connect Willie Day, or
Eddie Carter. our former champions
Reasons for Difference.
Many reasons are offered for the mark
ed disparity between the American and
English distance runners. Some theo-
rists say that this is due to difference in
climate. food, and physical makeup;
others that it is caused by purely nat
ural reasons that the Yankee Is primar-
lily hasty. nervous. and energetic, while
the Brftisher is of calm and effort-sav-
ing disposition. These deductions are
haphazard and to a great extent erron-
eous. and the plain matter of fact reason
accounting for the disparity is the diff
ference in environment and early ply
sical training
10 England cross-country running is
a favorite pastime. All ages and classes
indulge in the sport.
In this country very little cross-coun-
try work is done Upper New England
and Canada, where ii has been IN vogue.
have turned out some remarkably good
men, among them being Newton, Hicks.
Caffrey, the Ortons, and the Grants.
Tommy Connef got his early training
in Ireland, and afte-ward in Massachu-
setts- In this immediate vicinity, where
road work has recently come into favor
We have produced Mellor, Spring, and
Iorz, men of Marathon fame. Harvey
Cohn, perhaps the best man competing
in the mile today, owes his success to
the splendid foundation he laid jogging
over the old Star A c. course in New
York
No Distance Work.
But, as whole, cross-country run
ming has found little favor here and
athletic clubs ard sport promoters Ell
most invariably devote their attention
10 field and track events. The youth
gets no distance work at all. All of
the big indoor meets last winter con-
tained special events open only to
schoolooys- These events consisted en-
tirely of sprints-
The principles of physical training
are Fundamentally the same. They all
aim TO produce better health, better
physique. muscular development, and
grace; increased self-control, self-re-
lance. fortitude, courage. and power
of endurance; the development of the
viii power and the morals.
The superiority of the English sys-
tenn is manifest. The long, invigorat-
ing exercise in the open air is health
preseryer. TO the city lad. penned up
under gloomy walls, breathing con-
taminated air pregnant with un-
beneficial effects of the open-air work
Is unsurpassed Not only are the heart
and lungs. the muscles and limbs
strengthened and built up. but his
moral hber-courage, fortitude. and
self-reliance-narve developed
The youth undergoes no fierce competi-
spirit of play. The fighting qualities
demanded by competition, the ability
to punish oneself. the power OF the
mind over the tired suffering ex-
hausted. pain-racked body, only comes
after maturity. a youngster does not
early develop the moral qualities
which induce him to bear and oftimes
court physical discomfort ana pain.
Taught to Sprint.
In this country we teach the boy TO
sprint. Nervous energy and quick re-
sponse of muscle to will are the chief
requisites. Now. as these qualities are
natural to youth and are constantly be-
ing developed by the active games Of
childhood, the effort seems wasted
Some experts declare that the boys
should not be trained TO sprint They
say that the immature body cannot
stand the fierce, sudden strain placed
upon 1t. The muscles-relaxed and rest
ing-are suddenly strung TO their high
est tension.
Sprinting can be enjoyed only through
fierce competition. Competition in un-
developed youth is more harmful than
beneficial. and is often productive of
heart and organic troubles: IL saps the
vitality and impairs the health, and
these qualities arc as priceless legacies
as knowledge and intelligence. That
this early competition is harmful is
demonstrated by the fact that few prep
school cracks ever make good in col
lege or after life. Almost all Of our
celebrated runners have developed after
maturity and have seen little or no COM
petition IN early Efe.
IL is easily to be seen what a great
benefit more cross-country work would
be Ia amateur sport in this country.
II the fierce indoor competition which,
tine scncolboys undergo. sanctioned by
the Public School Athletic League.
could be eliminated. and pure. fresh. +
exhilaratins open-air work substituted