Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-02
Spring Training Of
Foot Ball Men Begun
at Several Colleges
Early Practice Season Gives Green
Men Time to Get Rounded in
Good Trim.

NEW YORK April 1.-The captains and
the coaches are beginning 20 call out their
men for spring foot ball practice Meet
ings have already been held at the larger
fonts Of learning such as Harvard and
Princeton, az which the speakers explained
the purpose Of this early work and out
lined the system 10 be followed The oandi.
dates for the team were urged 10 report
regularly and told that the time spent now
might make all the difference IN their
chances OF making the eleven In the fall
spring training Is the stepping stone be-
tween one season and the next In the fall
the coaches are busy putting together a
machine that will run smoothly and devel-
oping plans OF attack and defence Their
attention is so given to team work and to
the working out and testing Of their pet
theories OF play that they have little time
to spend in training the Individual who
shows natural ability. but lacks knowledge
OF tho game and experience.
The team designers naturally take for
their purpose the most finished material
that Is available The candidate who has
nothing but his physical construction to
recommend him usually gets crowded out
early in the season. or course, there are
many times when lack OF proper material
makes II necessary TO hew green man
into shape but seasoned timber Is natu-
rally preferred.
The spring training gives these men a
chance. The time Is largely given to indi-
vidual instruction. Men are carefully
coached IN the fundamentals of the game
they are shown how TO fall on a ball how
to catch punt, how to kick and how to
tackle, The coaches have time TO stop and
explain why one method is right and an
other wrong; It teaches the new men to
reason for themselves and gives them
greater confidence when they come back
In the fall. Faults that veterans showed
during the previous season are discussed
and means are sought to correct ~ en-.
The rules are carefully gone over and any
obscure points are argued and explained.
Little talks are delivered on team work
and the duties of each position Men are
told what is expected Of each player in
the simpler and ordinary formations. Nov
Ices are shown how TO work their way
through an Interference and the several
methods Of blocking off tackier When
the new men report In the fall they know
what they should do and how ii should be
done. OF course, IL takes the sandpaper OF
experience to take off the rough edges ana
make the work smooth, but valuable time
has been saved.
A team that Is deficient I'm the funda-
mentals Of foot ball can never be a really
dangerous eleven. This was shown in the
Prinoeton-Yale game Of last season. when
the Tigers. as whole. tackled high and
badly and did not show innate foot bali
enough 70 diagnose and repel an
unexpected form Of attack. The coaches
are determined that the same thing shall
not happen again.
Even the very small colleges are begin
hing to get their men out for q week or
two early in the year, and many players
viii do work enough to keep IN fair condl-
lion from now until the fall A bali ia
usually given to the kickers to take home
with them and they practice little every
LAY. few moments given TO drop kick
ing during the summer mornings may
mean the difference between defeat ana
'ictory when the crucial moment arrives