Omaha daily bee., 1915-04-18
HAUGHTON AT WORK AGAIN
Has Crimson Hopefuls Out Hustling
Through Strenuous Spring Foot
Ball Practice.
FOLLOWS OUT A NEW PRINCIPLE

BOSTON. Mass. April 17.-Up at Sold
iers' field In Cambridge. Percy Haughton
has big squad of athletes and Is follow
Ing out his fsvorite principle OF taking
bright youths and teaching them foot
ball. rather than following the old plan
of taking foot ball player and trying to
impart to him intelligence. Haughton
with the system he has established at
Harvard. was one Of the first foot ball
coaches TO realize that under the new
rules of the game, mental training means
more than Drawn and strength.
According to Haughton, brains are at a
greater premium on the gridiron than
ever before In the hinstory Of the GAR q
In speaking OF the last foot ball season,
the Crimson coach points out that both
. the public and the newspapers have been
impressed with the mental development
OF foot ball.
"A tremendous advance has been
made" says Houghton, "over the old
time method Of preparation. when pound
ing, rather than thinking, put a team in
shape for its final test
THE faculty's attitude toward foot
ball." continued the Harvard coach. els
that there is too much time devoted to Il,
aAeNh Nhhho e1hCh away NTOm Lue
books. as they put IL. The professor Is
apt to dwell upon and 20 see only one
side OF the game When he says that
there lie too much time taken away from
the books, he forgets that a boy, when he
goes to q foot ball practice Is getting
just as good mental training as he docs
IN the school room. II not better. 1 say
as good or better. because foot hall play
ers are always very much interested in
their subject. and doubt II that can be
said OF all other subjects which are given
in college.
The professor forgets also that. owing
to the Intensity Of feeling and the pres
sure which is brought to bear from
graduates and coach, these men are
actually made to keep up in their studies
Most Of the colleges in this country have
a rule which says that II a man goes on
probation he is not allowed to represent
that college on the varsity team In
order that no candidate be lost for this
reason the captain. coach, graduates ana
undergraduates Join together and say
to the boy who is not world heater in
his stduies. II you do not keep up in
your studies and II you go on probation
you are disgraced. Just ASK much dis
graced as II you broke training physic-
ally
1T seems TO me that this Is a move
ment which should spread through every
college. 30 that the foot ball and base
ball player and other athletes should be
automatically kept up in their studies. I
know parents who have thanked me for
my interest In that movement at Harvard
We have worked hard there and have or
ganiEec an elaborate system.
1T would be unnecessary for me, am
sure" concluded the Harvard coach, TO
detail the kind OF mental work which
the average team undergoes during the
season. However do want to bring out
the fact that owing 10 the nature OF the
gsme-the present game In only some
three or four years old now-and the
methods which are being employed I'm
teaching II. the pupil is getting far more
out OF foot ball than he ala In the old
days. Then q man OF 800 or $50 pounds
was the fellow who could play the posi-
ton. Weight was what was wanted;
never mind the rest. That was one OF the
phases which made foot ball so unpopular
with parents and professors. Fortunately.
the rules were changed so radically that
today the foot ball player Is a man OF
average weight. OF active body and es-
pecially active mind"