The Detroit times., 1914-08-12
WE FORCE our
ATHLETES TOO
MUCH, AS BOYS
Men Who Star in Athletics Were
Boys Who Were Very Care
full Of Their Bodies
SCHOOL BOYS WHO SHINE
FADE AWAY AT COLLEGE
Real Maryels in Athletic World
Never Heard of Before
Maturity

One Of Detroit's old-time coaches
was discussing yesterday the making
of champions. He scored bitterly the
men who push young boys to the
limit before they have had time to
mature.
You kill your champion In the
making" he said. There never was
q schoolboy athletic who later on In
life won q worlds honor.
Howard Drew won national cham
pionships as schoolboy. Sure he
did, but while attending high school
Drew was married and the father Of
children" he continued. Perhaps
you didn't know that. But It's the
truth. The exceptions to the rule all
were made by boys Who matured
earlier than their mates. Tom Mere
dith, Mel Sheppard and Abel Kiyiatt
shone as schoolboys, but all three OF
the trio had advanced much nearer to
maturity than most OF their comrades.
Such sprinters as wefers, Hutch.
ins and Craig never amounted to any
thing as schoolboys. Charley XII
patrick. Tommy Conner, John Paul
, Jones. Jimmy Lightbody, Emilio Lun.
GIL, IRA Davenport, Joe Bromilow,
Harry Gissing, Paul Pilgrim. Norman
Taber, Jimmy Sullivan and other
WORLDS famous middle distance run.
ners never were heard of as school
boys. Maxey Long, Charlie Reidpath,
Iommy Burke and other famous quar-
ter-milers waited until college years
before they started. The same can
be said Of Prinstein, Kranzelein and
Gutterson, the broad jumpers.
Lon Myers. the greatest all-around
mid-distancer In the annals OF sport,
never was heard OF as a schooiboy.
AL Schrubb was % years OF age be.
fore he donned a running shoe. Mar
tin Sheridan. Jim Thorpe, Fred
Thompson. Tom Kelley, Fred Pow.
ers and other all-around champs were
matured before they entered athletic
competition. Flanagan, McGrath.
Mitchell. Mcdonald. \ Ryan, Gray. De
Witt and other hammer and weight
hurlers were men grown before they
ever were heard OF.
Kolehmainen, Bouin. Longboat.
Adams. Sweeney, HORNE. DAILY.
Hayes. Svanberg, Macarthur, Rector.
Hahn, Kelly, Robertson, McDonaid.
Eller, Shaw, Postle--one could 20 ON
indefinitely naming the amateur and
professional past and present cham.
pions and find that SO per cent OF
them never were heard of as school.
boys and did not take up active par.
ticipation In athletics until college or
club years.
Then you injure schoolboy's
health by too much athletics" he as
serted.
| III would naturally appear to one
that the lad who Is In sound bodily
health would have better chance OF
lighting OF dangerous disease. like
typhoid or pneumonia, than a bow OF
less robust physique.
Notwithstanding these thinos tbs
reverse seems to be the case ana dis
ease seems to take on school bow ath
letes far quicker than lads who ar,
not mixed UP in active athletics
Inere 10 long list OF school boy ath
ieles VINO nave succumbed once dis
ease mas got them In its grip.
boy or man." he concluded, "ths
athlete who overdoes anything Is
bound to live a shorter life than the
leverage man. Men and boys who are
constantly in training and then sud
denly let up In their work are liable
to lung trouble. This Is particularly
true OF boxers and men who are con-
stantly swimming under water. 1nnu-
merable instances OF these men can
be quoted and IL can be proved that
boxing, or whatever the case may be.
was the cause OF their death from
consumption. Athletics Is a strenuous
game for men: boys should be care
full not to overtax themselves, for the
rewards are not worth the risk"
Those American poloists have
given up their idea Of invading Eng.
land to recover the cup. It's an IN
wind that blows nobody good.
Tom seston twtrled n tyyo-htt
Enme against the Chiseds en-
sbiing brooklyn to get nm even
break In q twin bill. BIu@fscket.
who jumped from the Giants. rot
knocked out Of the box In the
other.
Ohio's legislature has recently
passed law making $40 a month for
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