Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-09
new COACHING SYSTEM
IN FOOTBALL THIS FALL
War Paves Way for Big Universities
= to Experiment With One-Man
Instruction Plan.
MANY CHANGES PREDICTED
Old Idea Of Making Specialized Ath-
letes Probably Will Give Way to
That of Developing All-Govern-
~ rnent Heartily Favors Scheme.


- The war has paved the way for many
- Of the country's bis universities to OK
Experiment. with the one-man coaching
- system in football this fall
y Heretofore n big per cent Of the
larger schools have maintained coach
!. ing STATS for their football teams on
which as high as three and four paid
coaches have been serving. This tall
N there will be fewer paid coaches. and.
though 1t will be hard on the football
: coach who is dropped. II will give tho
: universities an opportunity TO deter
!. mine just how much ora good coach
.can accomplish.
>!e--' At Pennsylvania University, Bob
- Folwcll has been retained TO coach the
.-Er!diron candidates and he is tho
only paid coach at the Quaker institu-
-srtion. Folwell. rated as ono of the
-s,foremost coaches in the country. will
s,--,Shnve charge of all tho teams. includ-
z. ing the freshman team, and he will be
:. the dictator absolute.
re The use Of Zig coaching stats has
= been prevalent in the East for num-
= Der of years. and. despite the old aoaEe
.a.-+that two or three heads are better
..s-,1han one. the real value OF bis staff
..ss.has been an open argument In the
's...Wcst one hiEn-salari.d coach has
.----hecn considered sufficient by many
-s-sssssc hools for 4 number Of years though
- the advice and service offered by old
- grads. who have given thair services
- gratis. has generally been welcome.
The great number OF players who
ha"- turned out for the football teams
ut Tie larger universities during the
( past few years have been responsible
tor tho introduction of large coaching
49,. -....staffs. for 1t is difficult for one coach
Ito devote much time to the individual
,-,player where the field is so large.
D,t JOa,, c,.l> mi &c
srIhc plan out. and it will be watched
with great deal of interest by
- schools throughout the country.
New Era In College Sports.
1t appears that a new era for col.
.-slege athletics is at hand il the mentors
: Of sports in our schools throughout the
country will put their shoulders to the
,,. wheel.
At n recent conference Of the Ma
tional Collegiate Athletic Association
at Washington. Secretary OF War Baker
urged athletics for all" in our schools
and colleges. He said that the custom
of making specialized athletes out Of
the stronger and healthier students is
well enough In way, but he pointed
out that the greatest fault with COL
leEiate sports. as he saw 1t. was the
/. fact that students not athletically in
clincd are left TO fill the bleachers'
Seats and not encouraged to take up
nealthy exercise.
From government standpoint in
these warsome times. the encourage
.ment OF college sports means the cle-
walton OF physical fitness for large
percentage of the youth of the nation.
Men who are physically At have the
qualities necessary to the good SOL
der. and. in the eyes of the govern
ment. cessation OF college sports
= would do a great and unnecessary
harm.
The National Collegiate Athletic AS
= ISOLATION did not adopt a resolution
ITO encourage college athletics on a
and more democratic scale
Than ever before with the idea that
--folleGe youths arc to be trained for
--the ranks OF the army alone. The
: goal for which the governors Of coll
.--legiate sports are aiming embraces
more than that. 1t points toward the
adoption OF universal athletic training
IN some form for all college students
and the encoura cement Of physical
fitness for all.
The message Secretary Baker gave
the college representatives. therefore,
has paved tho way. The colleges have
l.. only TO follow the path.
-e Perhaps the greatest Immediate
l. oeneht to be gained through the ac-
--tion OF the association IS the effect
VIII have OH football. The great
srioiron sp2rt was In a bad way prior
10 the Washington meeting. because
=. many colleges took the view that drop-
ping all sports WAS the greatest pa,ri
QUO step they could take. Eastern
i. Football especially. was doomed to ey
perience season Of depression this
Iall mad II not been for Secretary
y baEers timely words AS it stand.
now the great majority Of Eastern COL
leGes Will keep football alive and kick-
,ph
40 be continued. the sport faces q
safaS'ng season, despite the depletion IN
the ranks OF the players caused by
enlistments and the selective draf,