The Washington herald., 1915-01-03
BY FRED WELSH.
Lightwcieht ChamTion Of the World.
H. AL-L,I..-. N..-..l-aI---- s.


Lightweight CHAMPION of the World.
| Copyright 1915 by the Mcclure Newspaper Syudi
czteD
There is just one thing That every young
man interested in athletics wants tc
know-aaG that is how to win.
1t SOUNDS ea-y BY being just a little
bit better than the other fellows in the
game That's all. And that's enough But
how car one acquire this very desirable
superiority? Is it purely a question Of
natural gifts? Or is it largely a question
Of training:
1t is really question of both. If one
expects success in any particular game
he must have some aptitude for it But
having that, he must especially develor
It and prepare himself for the game. To
my mind, the question of training is all.
important. At least, il is the one thing
for us to think about. The question OF
your Inherited talents was decided for
you long ago by the more or less han
hazard choice of your ancestors, a choice
which was entirely in their hands and
with which YOU had nothing to do. And
SO you cannot change your inborn posi-
bilities. But you can develop them and
make the most Of them, whatever they
are. And this, l am afraid, a great
many young fellows do not do.
Win by Clean Living.
1t does not matter what game you are
interested in. The way to WIN is found
in clean living and preparation. 1t is
entirely a question of fitness and read
mess. and if you are sufficiently fit you
will win. The most important thing for
amy young man to get into his head and
keep there is the fact that the result of
the contest is decided beforehand, wheth-
er it is an athletic game or one of the
great battles of life. 1t is a matter of
training and conditions.
On the face of it, it may look as
though the game or contest is Won by
the supreme effort that one makes while
he is engaged in it. But that's not it 1t
was the faithful training that put him
in condition to make that supreme ef-
fort. 1t is a matter of cause and effect.
1t is all right to talk about determination
sweeping everything before it. but that
won't carry you very far without some
thing back of it. Determination is one
thing that you have TO have. in large
quantities, along with persistence. But
the time to use it in your preparation
for your contest, instead of waiting
until you are in the thick of il and then
hoping that determination and gameness
will make up for lack of physical condi-
ton.
VIII Go Long Way.
Will por will go a long ways under
some circumstances, but every expert
enced athlete knows that when his wind
gives out and his muscles are slow and
stiff, paralyzed by the fatigue poisons
tha- they are saturated with, mere de-
0iT,af ION will Il
you. You need physical energy back of
it. A well-trained condition-meaning not
Oily the necessary muscular strength,
but especially the strength of the heart,
lungs and other organs, with the power
of removing these fatigue poisOns from
the muscles as fast as they are formed
and thus promoting speed and endurance
will he worth infinitely more in a crisis
than bushels of will power without the
training. The truth is that in the emer-
EenCy nothing can make up for the pre-
ceding weeks of neglect.
Training is not merely a question of
doing certain necessary things, but also
Of not -vinG other things. Success in
anything hinges largely upon clean liv-
ing. and this means persistent self-de-
nial. One learns to sacrifice the small,
temporary pleasures for the sake of the
greateE future good. The ability to do
this is one of the chief distinctions be-
tween the civilized man and the savage.
believe in athletics for every young
man not only for the sake of the phys
caI benefit, but because of its influence
In these other respects, tending to make
man of him. And 1 ought to say here
hat it is not only a few weeks of ac-
i've training for q particular contest
hat decides his fitness for it, but ii is
he cumulative effect of all his previous
raining and OF his life in the intervals |
,etween his training periods. The fact is
hat TO a large extent mans whole past |
ife determines what he is ana what
le will be able to do when the time |
,omes to try him out And since the |
present win very rapidly become the |
,ast, your training and habits now will |
ount not only in your next contest, but |