Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-03
CRACK PLAYERS
ON CLUB TEAM
WATER POLO EXPERTS WITH
[. A. A. C.
MEMBERS PRAcTlcINo FOR OPEN
ING OF SEASON
When Newly Formed League Begins
Playing, They viii Be In Fine
Condition for Champion
ship Campaign

One of the strongest of the inner
athletic organizations which tend 70
make the Los Angeles Athletic club
the foremost institution of sports IN
the west is its water polo team. Al
though organized in the spring OF lSOo,
when water polo almost was unknown
in the sporting world, the team dld
not despair at the seeming negligence
on the part Of local residents to rec
ognlze the sport, which, by the way,
was due to ignorance regarding the
game. They kept bravely on, and
when they could find no other team to
play picked a team from among the
members of the club, and on Saturday
afternoons would so to the seashore
and play among themselves. 1t was
not long, however, before the commu-
nifty began to sit UP and notice the
game, and before a year had passed
there was talk of forming a league,
particularly among the swimmers IN
the seaside towns where the water
polo team of the Los Angeles Athletic
club had been practicing.
During the fall of 1907 the present
water polo league was formed, which
bears the name of the Southern Cali
fornia Water Polo league. 1t consist
ed then of only four teams-Redondo,
Venice Bimini and Los Angeles Ath-
letic club In March, 1908, the team
was reorganized because of the ina
bility of two of the players-Caley and
Bill Loomis-to remain on the team
Galley because he was employed as
travelling salesman and Loomis be-
cause he was called to the Imperial
valley.
Les Henry is manager of the team
and also holds down the position of
right back. He is a native of Los An
geles and in his early years always
had a hankering for water sports, and
as youngster was considered the
best swimmer in his neighborhood.
Stan Mitchell plays center on the team.
He formerly held like position on
the Avalon water polo team several
years ago, and is considered the best
center in this part of the country. In
addition to being a prominent swimmer
he Is an expert football and baseball
player, and during his four years at
the Los Angeles high school held the
position of captain in both teams. AL
Treloar has been after Mitchell for
many days to join the rowing crew of
the club, and 1t is probable that he
will do so If he does not go to Stan
ford this fall, as has been the report.
Elt Brown is a native son, a grad
uate of Harvard military school and
a prominent long distance swimmer
He plays right forward on the team,
both in position and fact. and has
caused many an audience to hold Its
breath by his marvellous plays. He also
is an ardent football player.
Fred Basset plays goal. He is ma
tive of Santa Monica, and during his
life has spent many hours in the
ocean, which was within sight of his
home at The seaside town. He is as
well acquainted with water as is a
fish, and 1t is said that in school he
invariably showed a preference for
studying things of the sea.
Jack Watlington is captain of the
team and Is a graduate of the Los An
geles high school. He formerly took
a great interest in the boxing programs
of the club and was considered one of
the best amateur boxers in this part
of the country. At baseball he is con-
sidered more than good, and as an all
round gymnast he is in a class by HIM
self. His position ON the team is left
forward which he rarely is when the
ball is back. That he plays the game
we'll is shown by the fact that he
unanimously was elected captain of
the team.
o. Morgan plays left back. Morgan
is a freshman at Stanford university,
having graduated from the Los An
geles high school and the Harvard mil
itary school. He, too, is native of
the seaside country, having been born
in Santa Monica. He is we'll known and
recognized as superior in aquatics
around Santa Monica, Ocean Park and
Venice. He formerly played with the
Avalon water polo team, but when
he Joined the athletic club needed lit
tie persuasion to become member of
it's water polo team.
Although Ben Watlington is one of
the star players of the water polo
l. ..Ia
Gently because of sickness which at
tackled him early last spring. He is
quite recovered now and will be in the
ranks when the new schedule starts in
the fall He is holder of the half-mile
swimming championship of Southern
California.
Gordo Whalen needs no introduction
to any of the club members. He is the
champion handball player of the Los
Angeles Athletic club, is an all-round
gymnast and somewhat of a boxer. AL
though he is rather small of stature
he is capable of displacing as much
water with powerful swimming strokes
as is any of his largest competitors.
Gordo substitutes for Captain Jack
Warrington as center on the team and
everywhere is considered a fitting un-
derstudy.
The team lost only one game during
tied with the Bimini water polo team
for second place, but as there was
no prize offered by the league for the
second team the tie was not played off
Perhaps it would have been played off
had it not been for the fact that Elt
Brown sustained a broken ear drum
in the last game which was played
with Redondo and Ben Watlington be-
came sick. Here, too, Is the cause OF
the club team not taking first place.
In the new club building will be a
large swimming tank which will en-
able the boys to keep in better condi-
ton, and many of the future siwm-
ming matches will be held there. The
new water polo league will consist of
five of the best teams in the state
Redondo, Bimini. Venice, Los Angeles
Athletic club and the newly organized
Long Beach team. The game next sea-
son will be played under the revised
eastern rules and will make as pretty
an indoor game as one could wish to
witness.