The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-08
Mike Murphy, Olympic Trainer
Was a Pioneer in Athletic Affairs

anu lUHs power as a boy, his
povhood days We're largely spent in
athletic competitions with the boys of
the ~neighborhood for whatever money
nc could PICK up in the performance.
n at the e of 90 he Travelled
around the country entering in h
slS-day loot races that We're then
} much in vogue. and also in the sprints.
through his eNperiencein the racing
game Mike conceived the ideas of his
own regarding the conditioning of ath-
letes, and these ideas being at Variance
WIN the meager system of training
nrh IN vogue among athletes i'll 1886
Mike theories regarding the training
OF athletes himself. and opened up IL
training establishment at his old home
at S%"uthboro. where he hogan to prac-
tlce his now methods of conditioning
athietes. i;eing a natural born stu
dent Mike began to study out and put
IN practice theories regarding the
training of athletes that had never
pern heard of before, and his success
with the men under his care in various
meets, together with his we'll known
knowledge of the fine points OF the
racing game, brought hi" new trade
ana much local fame around New
England. One of tho new ideas which
Mike introduced into the training
game then was the adjustment of
the old established theory that at',-
ictes In preparation for Il physical test
-.lN'," "ie ''Hu certain %StlTnulahtS To
give 'h'm the Vim and make them
go Mike practicing the theory that
the muscles should he put i'm condi.
tion to make this effort without any
artiilcial stimulus from within. In
addition 10 many other theories for
b"malt'nn'ns athletes physically. Mike
began to study out methods OF ''sty|r'
ana systems for increasing the eff
cheney nj an athletes work with the
!. ist expenditure of physical effort.
IllcN thought Murphy Il 'nut" OF this
topic then, but today these theories
mat were tirst thought out and Drnc-
tlccd ny him are considered absolutely
essential l" success in track athletics.
In the fall of 1856 "a man came &c
MS place in Massachusetts, and asked
, nm TO accept Il position as physical
trainer at Il place called Yale College,
familiar. and this man. after noting
Mur2fiN., methods and his success. had
y. Il. Cox. Known as the father of
nai" athiotirs.' then champion of the
rae athletic ican II Il champion
weight throwcr. write Murphy Il letter
pressing him to pm 10 Ialc and ac-
crpt this position and became tho first
physical director OF IHic college in
the spring OF 1857.
Nurl'hy tn"k entire c1af.c Of coach
ing and training the athletic teams at
Yale. and at once began 30 rcvolution-
49, -. Y WI atll.tl.CS lilt'l III
vogue In the colleges. with such sue
cess that during his first year at Yale
inc athletes li"uct H.; rhargc rrokc
SIN records and maintained such SUI
remac In track athletics over rival
institutions that there was at once IL
Wlid scramble among all athletes to
take up the methods practiccd by Muir
ply.
Previous to Mike Murphy's advent
as Il college trainer. there had been
nut two college trainers i'm tho entire
~oun1r Jim lothrop "f Harvard. and
prartic"d the profession in a dcsolu-
lorN sort of way being little more
than 'rubbers'' or gym mon.
Goes Z" Detroit and Penn.
Mike Murphy worked at Yale for
three years. during which Vale MAIN
tanned its supremacy over its rivals i'm
athletlcs. at the Cd of which time
M''l'phN's fame had gained such
ground that the Detroit Athletic club
secured him to act as physical trainer
ana athletic coach for the members
of that club. Murphy went to Detroit
in tho fall of 80. served there for
three Years. and then went back to
Yale. where lie served as athletic di-
rector till '36. when he accepted an
offer to serve in the same capacity
TOT the University "f Pennsylvania.
lncf" was now Il strong rivalry among
the colleges and tho prominent .4tl-
lftl' clubs to securA tho services of tn.
famous trainer and COACH. and after
tour years at Penn. Murphy again
went back to Yale. where he WORKED
Tor i've wears. after Whi"h he accepted
the position which hc now holds AS
trainer and athletic coach for the Uni
NersitN of PENNSYLVANIA. AT probahiv
inc highest salary ever paid to an
athletic trainer.
ANY institution, NJ which, N1;ke ,1,--
phN has had charge of athletics has
never failed To come II III" front with
a few champions who could burn up
TN" clnders 1t was Murphy who first
LOOK hold of kranZlrin. the former
great sprinter and hurdl"r, and now
director of athletics. ~ li1c rnivrrsi1,
OF Michigan. and worked him con-
stantlN over the hurdles at a time
when he showed little promise of ever
attracting attention by 'lis perforn1-
ances in that line. and when old ex-
ports at the game" told him he WIS
crazy to waste amy tim" trying 10
inake ANYTHING out of k~rar@elein. A.
that time the man whom Murphy later
developed into tn" champion hurdlcr
and Splinter of the country, was 50
that his efforts Yer the
Jumps We're farcical. but beneath that
awkward stride and faulty style Muir
phN. could sec what other experts
couldn't discern: the RAN material Of
Il champion.
At this same time Murphy also de-
veloped McCracken and ~Tcwksburv.
and ono afternoon in lS9 this trio.
kranzli"n. McCracken and Tewksburv
went ont and rolled up Il total of thir-
ty-tiNe points for the University of
PennsNlvania in the intercollogiates.
Murphy saws they can do it yet. and
arc. about as good II trio of athletes
as he ever had in his charge.
Others Learned From Murphy,
Today at 81 wears OF age. Murphy
is the best versed man in a knowledge
OF the technique of track athletics anu
the physical needs of an thlete in ,
the world. He nventcd the whole cur
flculum. and it has been his life's
study. What others have accomplished
in this line they have learned from
Murphy. Athletes whom he drilled in
his methods have taken up the train
ing game themselves when their DAYS
on The cinder path were over. and
they have spread the knowledge that
originated with Mike. and thus today
Mikes methods are Il universal prac-
tice. But II thing Mike could not
give to his pupils is that irdescribabte
faculty. of his for recognizing chane-
pionship material in the rough, and his
intuitivc sort of a fifth sense for dag
nosipg II individual needs of an attn
lete.