Norwich bulletin., 1917-10-19
HOW WAR HAS BEEN. FELT
 IN THE FOOTBALL WORLD
Coach Washington & Jefferson Foot
 ball Team.
 Ry SDJ, MErTZER

| 1 ball Team.
 | By SOL METZER. As the football season grows older l we are in better position to state what effect this war will have on this most interesting branch of college sport than has so far been the case. Hitherto our views, for the most part, have been surmises. Now we may deal with fact. It is not surprising that the effect is somewhat different than it was expected to be.
 While we have lost many valuable players because of the war and are pFone to exaggerate our losses from this cause 1t would seem as though ing to effect the quality of football we are to witness this fall. We have also lost substitutes and scrubs in as great proportion so that our present prob lem in building teams is one of lack of numbers rather than lack of quail ity. Football players, unlike baseball or golf players, are readily developed to a high point in playing proficiency during one season. This is so because the game holds a greater appeal to the participant than any other sport and because our system of coaching are so systematized that results of the above k:nd-prcducing stars in a single sea- SOn-are not exceptional.
 The problem this year in coaching differs from previous ones in that the coach has fewer men to work with. In
 
 tutes to draw upon and so small are some squads that practice ScrimmageS are largely done away with simply be- cause there are not enough men in good condition to put against each other. In my own experience this fall at w & J. our squad is limited to but 25 men and as several are always un- fit for scrimmage we have had quite new problem to solve on our coach ing. It is necessary for to work n1n i'm fn with little scrimmage to aid us. In former years a squad of 40 players made it possible to hold scrinmage on any day we desired. Ali sorts of make-Shift arrangements have been necessary and they are working well. But we, like others, do miss the second string men who have gone to the col orS as much as the veterans, althought been drafted have been getting most of the publicity praise everywhere.
 Then, too. this fall football squads haze had more men injured so far than in previous years. This is due to the curtailment of preliminary training. It is a fact that if the team candidates are scrimmaged within three weeks of the starting of practice dition-injuries often occur. Fortu- nately. though, this period is now past will go ahead much as before
 All or this IS resulting III CiOSeT | games in the beginning than has been | the case, in the past. Those teams which will in the nature of things, ! come to- the fore at the end of the sea son and in the big games, are showing but little more form right now than the so-caIled smaller elevens- There fore it would not be surprising to see tho so-called big teams get an upset =. two. For one thing, their period of development must be so delayed that they will reach top form in November and, for another thing, with green men to be developed ard bad bruises to be cured team work is not likely to feature their early games-and it has not Within another week or so this stage of crudity will have passed and he big teams will be forging we'll to he front; the others dropping by the way.
 Because of the conditions governing oofban this eaSOn we~ are giving uore attention than usual to the fun of the game-cherging. ackling, interference. kicking and Is the reward will soon be in a marked Improvement o those rudiments which are, after all he foundation of success in all games.