Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-09
COACH COURTNEY OF CORNELL
Famous "0ld Man" of Rowing is
Wonderful Trainer.
AN ENTHUSIASTIC SPORTSMAN
Although He Sacrifices Personalities
for the Team, He IL Always
Popular with His Ath-


genius springs up, no matter what the
line, people Immediately busy themselves
analyzipg his character searching out the
qualities which are important in his
makeup which are the reasons why" In
his. success. Being studied and analysed
in this way. II is doubtful II there Is a man
who is more closely studied by a multitude
of admirers than Charles Courtney, the
famous old rowing coach OF Cornell. The
old man. has been watched and watched
since he first became the real head OF
aquatic sports at Cornell over tweuty-one
years ago. and no one has been quite able
| to say Just what quality II Is that he pos
sesses which makes him such a perfect
master of men, such q remarkable teacher
| Of his art.
AS regards the first named quality, the
| consensus of opinion is that the unusual
power lies in Mr.. Courtney's eyes. No one
! who ever meets Mr.. Courtney forgets that
| piercing look which seems TO make an open
book Of every face and mind IL comes in
contact with. After being under his
1 tutelage a day or 30 II would be a very
unobserved student of the art of rowing
who would not know that to tell the ''old
man" anything but the whole and un-
adulterated truth would be as futile as
telling 1t to oneself. 1t Is almost the re-
|
escapes the "old man." and consequently
they are careful that nothing happens
which they care to conceal from him.
Could Have Succeeded Anywhere.
It is safe to say that in any field into
which Mr. Courtney might have been at
tracted he would have been as successful
as he has been as a rowing coach The
excellent qualities which make him q nat
ural commander and leader would have
been as applicable anywhere as they are
on the Cayuga inlet
To begin with, Mr. Courtney is a perfect
judge of men. He knows absolutely how
to get the best work out of them. by keep
ing them anxious all the time. but at the
same time hopeful His superior judgment
has been illustrated time and time again,
when people have wondered at the sudden
upheavals OF his crews, only to see his
Judgment Endorsed by better crews and
better records. man trying for one Of
the Cornell boats is never sure OF his
place It'll the gun goes off," and It is
this fact that keeps the candidates work
ing hard up to the last minutes and keeps
them on the anxious bench continually.
Just as the men in the first boats are
dropped unceremoniously upon the least
show OF indifference to work, so are the
men in the other crews rewarded for faith
full and deserving work. It Is far from
an uncommon thing to see an oarsman
shifted directly from the third or fourth
crew into the first in a day During the
season, at some time or other, every man
gets a chance to show what he can do "in
fast company" and IL he makes good he
holds his seat-as long as he keeps on maxi
ing good.
| ma NJ
under Mr.. Courtney's instruction working
his hardest. those in the first boats on ac-
count of the fact that they realize that
the least slackening of pace Is liable to be
disastrous, and those below In the hope
OF attracting the ''old mans" attention
to their good points. which they know
will be recognized IL they are deserving of
recognition.
Athletes Trust Him,
Cornell oarsmen also have Implicit conf
dence in Mr.. Courtney's fairness in dealing
with them. They know that the personal
element does not enter with him. He has
never been known to show the slightest
Partially to any one trying for the coveted
places In his crews. And furthermore any
; infraction of the rules will hTlng about the
dropping Of an oarsman regardless OF the
position the man in question holds. or of
the probable injurious consequences to the
chance of victory. Nothing better illus
trates this fact than the speedy dismissal
OF four of the freshman crew who were
careless enough to partake of the products
! Of an Ithaca confectionery They COM
mitted an infraction of the training table
rules. Their loss would have disabled the
1914 crew materially. and with the Pough-
keepsie regatta so near at hand It would
. have been difficult to whip the eight into
e winning form, but the "Old Man" when he
heard of their breach Of orders forgot
everything but his orders. which had been
broken. The fact that Cornell might lose
the freshman race and thus have a break
in the string of victories OF the last two
years was never considered With disci-
pine of this sort. Mr.. Courtney's rules
. are seldom broken.
Although II is business from the word
go" down at the boat house. and when the
men are working on the machines In the
winter Mr.. Courtney comes into contact
with his charges socially much more than
: the average coach. His house is always
open TO them and there is seldom an even
> ing when one or two cannot be found there.
engaged in conversation with the "Old
Man" which may relate TO any subject
4 Imaginable but seldom to rowing.
d Fishing ia His Delight.
s II there is any one topic which occuuies
n the time to the exclusion OF others. it is
fishing. The "Old Man" is an ardent lover
n of this pastime and has even been known
a to give the boys a rest at Easter time,
: toward the end of the vacation. II they are
4 all rowing well and he has heard that the
trout are running well somewhere up the
| lake.
He is the busiest entertaining his pupils.
however. in the fall. Before two days of
i the college year has elapsed every men,
> Der of the squad will have called on the
'Old Man." TO inquire about his health.
d and perhaps to hear a word or two about
prospects. Last fall the men were un-
usually solicitous. because Mr.. Courtney