Los Angeles herald., 1908-11-22
PREDICTS HOME
CLUB WILL WIN
COACH TREL0AR CONFIDENT
OF VICTORY AT NAPLES
Believes Laguanitas of Stanford Uni
Verslty Most Formidable Opponents
to Be Met at Thanksgiving
Day Regatta
BY AL 'TRELOAR

C0acn ana Enyblcdl AnstfuctOE VI tHo
l.. A. A. g.
I am glad to see the great revival of
interest in the grand old sport of row.
ing. The coming championship regat-
ia at Naples, Thanksgiving day, seems
quite to overshadow even the races and
the football in the amount of attention
being centered upon it. Rowing doubt
less carries with it more associations
and traditions than even football itself.
We read in "Tom Brown at Oxford"
and in many another old-t1me story
of the great interest taken in the boat
races on the narrow little English
streams; of the influence and impor-
tance of the "boating set in colleges
those hard muscled, self-rel1ant men
who embodied the pest TRAITS OF tnS
Anglo-Saxon race.
The benefits of rowing are not alone
physical. Probably nothing in the line
of sport SO tests and so develops char
acter. Any weakness of principle, any
little meanness of disposition, any How
of character that a man may have Will
be brought to the surface during the
training of a crew. But those who pass
through the refining process are better
men thereafter as long as they live.
[ have seen it in many crews. Those
who endure the test and make" the
crew and win their race are changed in
those few months from well disposed
but rather ainless boys to hard, deter
mined men, fit and prepared to tackle
the emergencies of active life.
Speaking for the Los Angeles Atm
letic club crew-ny crew. feel certain
of victory. They must win. But 1t
will be no easy task. Last year they
defeated the San Diego rowing club by
a small margin--an old but not very
classy organization Thls year our
ancient rivals again are in the field,
better boated, and suprred by the sting
OF last years defeat.
Also we must beat the Lagunitas
OF Stanford, crew made up or veteran
oarsmen. Our crews greatest weak
ness is in their lack of experience. In
Guiding both years, their total expert
ence scarcely covers twelve weeks,
about half the time consumed on class
crews in the colleges in preparation for
one race. L believe, however, they are
thoroughlys imbued with the must
win" spirit, and expect no considera-
ton except as winners. There snoulu
be no comfort or consolation Tor Il
loser. Some will say, HE did we'll: ne
was a game loser" Such sentiment IS
wrong in principle. A "gane loser is
no better than "quitter" as far as re-
suits go. We want no losers, game or
otherwise.
The "gloria victis" idea in athletics
is what put Harvard in the back row
for many years. A loser should re-
ceive no sympathy and accept none,
but should prepare himself in silence
and humility until such time as he can
retrieve his standing and wipe away
tho blot on his name, by winning.
In the Thanksgiving rowing race L
have committed myself with my men.
II thew lose I share the responsibility
and will offer no excuses. AS losers
we will all deserve the contempt which
will rightly come upon us. But right
now | feel that we are going to win:
II is a feeling / have had on the eve of
many hard fought contest on the
wrestling mat and in the boats, both
for my pupils and for myself and |
never have been mistaken in It yet
or course all the people of this COM
nunitv want to see the Los Angeles
crew-the crew representing this local.
itv-cross the line in front. So give us
vour support. Turn out that day and
boost for the home product-the Los
Angeles Athletic club four-oared crew.
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