The Washington herald., 1917-12-27
HILLDISCUSS
GRIDIRON GAME
National Collegiate Associa-
ton Expects toThrash
Out Sport at Meeting.


New York, Dec 3-The meeting Of
the National Collegiate Athletic As
sOciation which will be held at the
Hotel Astor will have tomorrow an
Important bearing on the football sea-
son Of 1918, for the majority Of the
colleges throughout the country will
b. guided IN their policy by the rec
lamentations Of this organization.
1t was through the efforts Of this
eOdy that football was kept alive last
fall At a midsummer meeting held
IN Washington the association. at the
suggestion Of Secretary OF War Bak-
er. advocated . continuance Of the
gridiron sport
The President OF the organization Is
Lieut.. Col Palmer e Pierce, and he
will bring to the meeting here this
week any advice on the intercolleg giate
athletic situation which the govern
nnent officials may care to give. Har-
ward, Yale, and Princeton were the
only colleges of prominence in the
East which did not act on the sug-
Eestion Of the Intercollegiate Associa-
ton. These three dropped football
and gave up the entire time usually
given to athletics to military training.
Throughout the country all the other
colleges continued the gridiron game
on the conditions laid down by the as
sociatfon.
Football was far more successful IN
the West last fall than 1t was in the
East, and when the Western dele
gates come here this week they will
favor continuing the game on the
same basis as last season. Although
the army and navy claimed many Of
the Western football players, II had
little or no effect on the Western sea-
. son, and the conference officials have
arranged an even more pretentious
Schedule for next fall.
The annual report of DIR. Harvey l.
Williams, of Minnesota, chairman OF
the football committee of the organi-
zation, will be heard with much in
teerst. Before the season opened last
: fall DR.. Williams was strongly in IA
vOr of dropping football for the period
of the war, but before the season be-
gan he changed his opinions and Is
now one of the staunchest advocates
of wartime football. DR.. Williams
even goes so far as to say that it Is
a patriotic duty for the colleges to
continue football. for there is no
other sport which so well equips col
le,e athletes for military service.
1t ID expected that DR.. Williams
port will voice this sentiment very
strongly. in spite OF the attitude
which was taken last fall by Harvard
Yale and Princeton. 1t is believed
that the football committee will again
advocate the same Curtailmert OF
elaborate training preparation which
was adopted last year. There viii
be no earIy-season practice and no
training table. although many OF the
coaches strongly favor the return OF
this important feature of football
training. Bob Folwell, Pennsylvania
coach. will strongly advocate the re-
establishment of the training table,
4 for he argues that it places a great
= burden ON the coaches trying to keep
the football players in good physical
trim without it.
The intercollegiate Athletic Asso-
ciltion has for many years been try
ing to abolish the training table prac-
lice, and now that it has been dropped
IL is going to be a difficult task to
bring it back. While some Of the
coaches used assistants last season,
m effort will be made this year 70
rUt down the instructors to a single
roach.
The wartime policies which the
association has put into practice
have given the organization an op-
Dortunity it has been looking for
ward to for many years. 1t has
Ipcned the way to eliminate the
widespread practice of developing
'nIy specialists in college athletics
md bas made it possible to bring
greater body of students into
IthIetic activity than ever before.
lnterclass and intramural athletics
rave had a great incentive since
asst fall. Athletics for the greatest
lumber of students, instead of ath-
etics for the few. has long been
ne dream of college athletic direc-
ors. and it begins to look as If
heir ideals were about to be rea-
ized.
One of the speakers will be DR.,
Joseph L. Roycroft. OF Princeton,
Esho Is the director of athletics for
ne army cahnps and under whose
supervision the athletic activities
Iave been held. Both DR.. Roycroft
md Walter Camp. of Yale, who has
Ieen directing the athletics at the
laval stations, will outline the
york which has been accomplished
mong the soldiers.
As the development of soldiers
a1s for various setting-up exer-
Uses. some of the college athletic
lirectors have a plan in mind to
destitute this kind OF exercises for
ONE Of the minor college sports.
nd in that way better fit the boys
Eho are to enter military service.
sOme OF the Western delegates will
nggest that the throwing of hand
:renades be made one OF the regu-
ar events at college, track and
teld events next spring. The West
Tn colleges haye this under ad-
isement at the present time.
1t is believed that IL grenade
hrowing was made a regular event
would develop any number of
'Ouths in this valuable asset of
var. During the last summer the
lew York Athletic Club, at its
lanes at Travers Island, made the
Tenade throw n regular event for
4 he soldier athletes. and IL not only
TOught out many candidates. but
lso developed many of them to a
iUh darraa Of nerfertiO0