Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1919-06-03
ME?ZGER's COLUMN

BY Sol MetZger
At the last meeting of he Athletic
Research Society someone asked:
Why are the men discharged from
the navy in better physical condition
than those re entering civil life from
the army?"
DR.. Joseph E. Raycroft, of the War
Department Commission on Training
Camp Activities, who vas head Of TIE
physical training of he doughboys,
stated that he attributed it to the
greater rush in the army, as newly en-
listed men were sometimes sent over
seas ~ hin three weeks of their ar
rival in camp. In consequence no
comprehensive plan could be worked
out to cover the rapidly changing con-
ditions In the navy he held there
was no such hurry SO that all enlist
ed men had the advantage of a syste-
matte training and in consequence
emerged from it in better 81 pc than
the doushboy.
During this speech grizzled old
football player and coach, captain
in aviation, turned to me with the
remark:
Il wonder if Raycroft realizes that
coaches have to get a football team
ready to play a game in from two to
three weeks time"
Never was there a more pertinent
question dealing with physical training
than the one answered by DR.. Ray
croft at the annual meeting of the
Athletic Research Society. While we
contemplate a national system OF
physical training in this country it is
well to consider the lessons learned in
the p J., notably during the war, be-
! fore that programme is put entirely
| in the hands of physical training ex-
perts. We 1<y be going at this prop
osition in the wrong way. Facts GER
tainly lead to that conclusion. Ger
tainly study of these facts can dc
| no harm.
When the physical directors them
selves agree that the navy was turn
| ing out filter men than the army il
is a good plan to learn why. We are
inclined to follow the viey of the
former football player and coach whe
thought Dr. Raycroft's reason for thi:
a lame one.
In searching for facts we find tina
the physical conditioning and training
of the doughboy was under the direc
ton of ORD. Raycroft a physica
! training expert occupying such a pc
sition at Princeton. The same jol
IN the navy was handled by Waite
Camp, former football player ant
coa... az Y ale. Camp also directed
this worl. for aviation, thought HI
! turned over most of the latter job tt
DR.. c. n. VII ton, former football
player and coach at Pennsylvania
Neither Camp nor Raycroft accepted ;
commission. This put them on equa
ground. Wharton is a captain.
Nearly everybody in the Navy De
partment at Washington has gone on
of his Way to compliment Camp on tn
job he did. Come of these high Of
icials attribute the low percentage o
influenza in the navy to Camps work
He has been asked how this was &C
copL 4 and his reply has been tina
the s. lem of training he installed bull
up q reserve strength and RESISTANCE
to disease.
Camp has told US, without any ref
erence to the question brough. out il
this = lie that the success of hi
work il the navy and aviation is du
to his experiences in football coaching
and training at Yale. He thinks tina
the responsibilities he had as a coac
were so definite and the results to b
obtained so definite that they fitte
him peculiarly for the war work h
was selected to do. Pretty nearly ey
eryone will agree with Camp that
football . ch has a most defnit
physical training job, one that
strenuously conn, titiye and therefor
must show defnited results.
Can anyone say the same about tn
work of physical training expert
True, he works for big and broad re
sults-the making of all students unde
him healthy and physically efficient
but on one knows whether he is get
ting as good, better or poorer result
than the other fellows at other insti
tutions. While his system of physic
al training may be the best in tn
world, no one has prooft of it. He ma
claim an rightly, that his system c
calisthenics and measurements is tn
dream of all ages-as we have hear
many debut he never has been abl
to prove +. In short, he lacks re
sposibility. This gives him the RICH
of way to bluff. But goodness, gra
, cious Annabell, far be it from me t
accuse him of this!
No doubt he is doing a fine job i
schools and colleges. Anyone pro
noting general health and efficiency
To;~@ that. But we doubt if he hold
the key and secret of gaining such re
SUITS. And we know, providing Wha
the physical directors themselves ad
: nit that they fell down during tn
, war when their work 81 lined up an