Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-24
FOOTBALL HORT BY
LACK OF COACHES

Coach Is to Gridiron Eleven What
Gasoline Is to Automobils-No Other
Branch Of Sport Calls For as Rigid
Trainins-Has Made Deep Inroads
Into Public Favor.
Tile grade OF gridiron sport which
many of the representatives OF our
best schools of learning will display
during the fall is sure tn suffer In COM
parison with their former endeavors.
The fact that hundreds Of men who
formerly acted as gridiron mentors at
the various schools aud colleges of the
country have enlisted In the service Of
Uncle Sam is going to take much Of the
polish and smoothness from the fall
pastime, says Tom Thorp.
However, the situation does not ap-
pear SO hopeless as many srdiron fol-
lowers would have us understand
True 1t is that many new and mex
perienced instructors will be installed
In the places left vacant by the resig-
nation Of the old time coaches. but the
systems which these veteran instruc-
tors installed will continue during
their absence In this way the grid
iron sport will not suffer to the alarm
ing extent that many would be grid
iron experts would have the sporting
fraternity. believe.
A Ticklish Proposition.
or coarse it must be granted that
the absence of such well qualified
coaches as Frank Kavanaugh, Joe
Brooks. Frank Gragan. Bill Crowell.
Elwood Huntington, Dan Keenan,. Dick
Eustas. Dutch Summers. Tom Kelley.
Buck Lynch and a hundred or more
equally proficient instructors will leave
the question OF securing proper coaches
a very ticklish proposition.
These coaches We're well known and
valued for the many victories which
they brought to their alma matters.
All were former stars In their playing
days and knew the gridiron sport from
A to z. while their success as instruc
tors was such that victory was assur-
ed their respective schools of learning
even before the opening OF the season.
AS every one who has ever taken part
IN the fall pastime knows, a coach Is to
u gridiron eleven what gasoline is to
an automobile. He gives the players
the locomotive force to carry them
along. 1t matters not how big and
strong candidate may be In his foot
ball toys. unless he has been given the
right kind Of instruction he Is as help
less as the powerful sixty horsepower
auto whose owner Is endeavOrlng to
run its engine with water instead Of
gasoline.
Correct Fighting Spirit
Heft and strength are powerful as
sets. but unless they are used at the
right time and under proper condition
they are sure to prove drawbacks. The
proper control must be had or else the
most powerful player is made to appear
the weakest.
AS said before. unless the players are
coached properly In the fundamentals
OF the game and instilled with the cor
rect fighting spirit they might as well
leave football alone. No other branch
of sport calls for more eXacting
amount Of these qualities developed to
II point close to perfection than the
modern gridiron game. No doubt 1t Is
the wonderful amount Of the fighting
spirit which an aggregation must put
into Its efforts to prove victorious which
has caused the sport to make such deep
inroads into the public's favor In the
short time it has been included In the
list OF American collegiate ia stimes