Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1921-10-26

Chicago, Oct. 25.-(By the Associat-
ed Press. Ut is 80 odd years from
the days that Coach Amos Alonzo Stage
of the University of Chicago played
football in the east. The Intervening
years have made him the Oldest foot
ball coach in the country. In all this
time his first aim on the gridiron
has been to make men,
with the right sort of coaching
you can make men faster on the foot
ball field than in any other sport" said
Coach Stage in looking back over his
three decades of coaching.
Football is glorious game. It
calls for the highest in courage and
sacrifice. for the good Of the school
and to win. 1t is vigorous game and
in certain sense it is to the glory of
football that men will play the game
in spite Of injuries that quite often do
come.
Zone of the chief developments of
the past 30 years isp recognition of
the worth Of football and of athletics.
The war. also, has helped to make peo-
pie see that they are worth while in
developing our boys physically, mental
~ and morally.
Ideals Better Now
Football coaches have greatly inn
proved in ideals. There are many more
of them today who see the real value
Of the sport. Some still are to be
found who reverse it's benefits by try
ing to win at any cost-who play the
game crookedly. who set false ideals
before their players, who encourage
foul tactics and bad craftsmanship
I'VE shall never get the best grade
or coaches, in my Judgment. until the
coach is made a member of the faculty.
He needs to be set above the neces-
sity of immediate winning of games.
He needs to have the ideals of an edu-
Gator. He should not have his job
depend solely on winning teams.
think this has been the cause Of much
Of the poor tactics some coaches have
employed
Coach Stagg himself strikingly Illus
trates the revolution that has taken
place in the coach's position in the coll
lege world. for he was the first coach.
Joins Chicago In 1892
When he was invited to come to the
University Of Chicago at its opening in
the fall Of 1892. he was made. at his
own request head of its department of
physical culture and athletics. Up to
that time college athletics were en-
tirely' separate from physical educa-
ton and the University of Chicago was
the first college, to combine the two
under department. This department
also took over the management and
coaching of the university's athletic
teams. Until then all collegiate sports
had been managed and controlled by
the students.
Stage was Yale's great pitching star
from 1880 tO 1890 the winner Of five
baseball championships. He was also
selected on Camps All-American foot
ball team of 1880. Entering the Spring
field. Mass, Y. NJ. c. A. college in the
autumn Of 1890, he really started his
coaching there.
The college had never before had a
football team and Stage started to
build one. succeeding so we'll that Mt
the end Of the season it was able to
schedule games with Yale and Har.
ward for the next year. He played
football there these two years and also
organized the colleges first baseball
team.
/ Only Fifteen Men.
This makes Stages actual coaching
record 80 years long. and in continuous
service. This year marks his Both
football season at the University OF
Chicago record unique in length and
continuity ut the same institNkion.
Coming west in 1892, Stn3& arrived
in Chicago after the western football
season had opened Only Is men an
tEeted his ca1l for The team and -