Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-12

the season the teams are taken by the
trainer to the theater Saturdays game
over, those players the trainer can trust i'm
plicitly, and who live nearby, are permitted
to go nome for over Sunday. and they are
usually accompanied by equally trusted
team mates whose parents live at dis
lance from the college. But while these
fortunate ones are away from the foot ball
house they must live up to all the rules
OF training both in letter and in spirit.
Mothers pleadings must not tempt them
to touch their old-time favorite deIica cies;
they must put behind them any desire to
take part in Sundays social life. They are
sent out into the world in order to get q
Whit of an atmosphere foreign to that in
the foot ball house; that is change suffi-
cient; they must not become a part of the
world itself. And to the credit of these
youths let 1t be said emphatically that rare
ly is there case of betrayal Of a trainers
confidence.
1t has been said that the trainer Keeps
at the players continually: but, of course,
there is the invariable exception, which Is
evident on the morning of a big game.
When the men appear in the dining room
for breakfast. the trainer does not sIyly
crack jokes. that the solemn looks may
be lifted from the faces OF the young men
before him. The meal is eaten in silence;
silently. one by one. the men steal away
from the table, and as silently they disap-
pear, each to his own room. Five MIN
utes later, If the trainer were foolish
enough to go the rounds, he would ma
every man stretched full length on his
bed, with his face turned to the wall, ana
apparently dead asleep, so quiet is he. But
instead of doing unwise a thing, .he
trainer slips quietly TO the phone. calls
up the head coach and gives him a mes
sage after this fashion:
st looks good. They're as solemn as
and they'ra all in their rooms
Ing up their minds to do or die"
And when lunch Is over. the trainer, hav-
ing beheld table full OF determined men,
makes the coach's heart exceeding glad
with this bit of Intelligence:
They've fought the game to finish IN
their closets. Every mothers son OF them
has looked his weaknesses straight in the
face and made up his mind to overcome
them, and 1t looks as if wen surely win
this afternoon"
But how great is the gnashing Of teeth
on the part of trainer and coach when, on
the morning OF an important game, the
men get up laughing and joking. for long
experience has taught them that players
so light-hearted on the eve of conflict are
almost certain to play losing ball from the
first call of the referees whistle TO battle
But" you are doubtless saying in a
puzzled sort of way at about this point,
'can the boy manage to do all this and
still keep up in his regular college WORK.
Well, the answer Is easy. He studies on
an average two hours night, besides pu9-
ting In his regular periods In lecture rooms
and laboratories. He would scarcely oe-
vote more than two hours night TO STUDY
we're he taking no foot ball course IN
stead he would go to fraternity meetings.
and receptions, fulfill engagements with the
sisters of his college friends ana seek tue
theater frequently. The time taken FOR
foot ball is not subtracted from the time
for study. 1t is made by the players cut
tirg out all social pleasures for the period
of training.
That this method of dividing time be.
tween foot ball and studies Is right ana
proper has its proof in the record That the
foot hall PLAYERS are generally to be found
among the leading students at any college
or university. And the work they do In
foot ball, as well as the regular life they
lead, aids them greatly to stand at or near
the heads of their respective classes. 1t is
a tried axiom that riotously healthy body
makes vigorous, active mind; and IL ever
any form of exercise Is calculated to i'm
part riotous health to any one, it Is foot
ball Foot ball. rightly taken. LIS compile
mentary to the regular work of college.
Once in a while 1t is true, the outside
world hears of some foot ball player who is
disqualified by a faculty because he has
"fiunked" in his studies, or of being dis
missed from college for the same reason.
If you will take the trouble to investigate
the next case of the sort coming to your
notice It's practically humanity certain that
you will discover that the man failed be-
cause he tried to take at one and the same
time not only the course in foot ball, but
another as well in social amusement, when
he should have been bending over his books