South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-01-14
NOTRE DAME TO
BEGIN ITS GRIND
Candidates viii be Put in
Training for Athletics
for Season.

With the scantest material tina:
ever faced a Notre Dame mentor in
the history OF athletics at the local
university. Coach Knute X. Rockne
VIII today commence trainiuL his
trackmen for the long. hard grind
that has been arranged for them.
Already his proteges have under
gone strenuous preseason cOudi-
tioning process. School had not
been In session over a week LAST
september before ROCkue issued the
call for cross-couutry candidates.
Every varsity distance man eligible
for competition this year. together
with "a number OF hrst-year men.
put in six weeks Of the hardest
kind Of work for the annual in
travarsity handicap race held on
Nov. To- After a week or two of
rest the entire squad took up active
work IN the gymnasium. The NUM-
Der was ausmeuted by the addi-
ton OF the sprinters, murders,
vaulters and weight men.
Coach ROckne has ORGANIZED a
class composed of both varsity and
hrst-y year men and has orisinated .
collection of swedish" exercises
which prove as. effective as they
are unique Passive rather than ac-
tive exertion of the muscles is the
theory Of the scandinavian" inno-
Walton. Relaxation is the ideal
sought Weight lifting and dunn
bell throNing are not allowed.
stretching each muscle i'm the body
Uy means OF various simple eXer-
tions takes the place of methods
'ornerly employed
AZ the outset there was a TEND
e, on the part of some members
of pc squad 90 be a lit, 5it skep-
tical about Roctue's innovations.
but before the coach had them in
operation two days every member
was am enthusiastic supporter Of
the new method. Every one who
las taken part in the class has
proHted nOticeabIv Toe dancing
mas strengthened the leE muscles
3r the different members. stretching
has improved the body and arm
muscles Of the same men. Long be-
fore the holiday recess every man
on the Notre Dame squad was an
enthusiast for the methods intro
luced by Coach ROckne
only five weeks intervene before
the opening of the track season.
Ordinarily that length OF time
would be- sufficient 10 condition
squad OF veteran men. but this year
Rockne has just four monogram
artists from 1917. War has torn
heavily into the plans of the coach.
Miller. kasper, Meehan. McDO-
nough. Noouan. McKenna Cough
lin, Starrett. Kirkland, Bachman.
Bergman and Edgren are now
serving their country i'm one capac-
ity or another To secure men 70
replace those that are gone is the
superhuman task that confronts
ROckne. and ne has little over a
month ia which 90 make good
Illinois comes here for the first
dual meet of the season on Feb. %.
The Urbana school has long been
famous for its fast-going track
teams. and reports from that town
indicate that this years aggrega-
ton viii be no exception. ON the
following Saturday, March .. Notre
Dame VIII send one or two relay
teams 70 the second annual indoor
relay carnival 20 be held ON the
six-lap track ina the mammoth
armory at the University of Illinois
Just what combinations Rockne will
devise can not be foreseen at this
early date. but the prospects are
best for a mile and twO-mile
teams. ON March @. Michigan will
appear i'm the local gymnasium for a
duel meet The wolverines have
been shorn OF most of their material
by the war but the large enroll
ment a, Ann Arbor offers more re-
sources from which To recruit "a
team than does the student body at
Notre Dame. Notre Dame defeat
cd Nichigan two years asO on the