Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-22
By CHARLIE LOGAN.

What Indianapolis needs is grade
school athletics, kindergarten basketball
and cooperation other than that of side
line cheering. When this comes, and not
before then, indianapolis will have bet
ter high school basket ball and all
around athletic teams, championship
teams" This is the reply sent out by
the coaches at the three Indianapolis high
schools TO the questions, or rather, ridi-
Guile that has been fired in their dtrec-
ton for some time, especially during the
last sea son.
Indianapolis basket ball teams and In
diaRapOlis coaches have, at differen
times. been ripped up one side and down
the other for their failure to cop a state
championship, or go big in the State
tournaments, for the last ten years. Time
and again small schools, one horse
schools" have been pointed out to the
indianapolis athletes as models.
In some cases there are as many boys
on the "mOdeF' teams as there are in
school, yet the team meets with wonder
Iul success. What's the big reason I"
the Indianapolis people ask. Grade
school athletes and public cooperation, -
the coaches reply.
Take the case of almost any small
town, or fairly large town, around the
State that turns out teams Of champion
ship caliber. In almost every instance
you will find the youngsters playing
basket ball and other games almost from
the time they are able to walk. The
grade school boys are given permission
TO use the gymna Sums in these town and
they are regular floor dwellers." If they
have twenty minutes between classes, IN
summer or winter they are on the
basket court, or out on the outdoor courts
that are common in the country.
No real stars are developed, or at
least they are seldom developed in this
grade school play, but it has been proven
beyond all question OF doubt that this
running around on the floor does a great
fO RI he haf
basket skill a boy has In him. He learns
how to handle a ball, how to pass it,,
how to put English on 1t and he learns
how to get around floor without falling
all over himself. he gets a fair idea OF
how to turn, dribble, guard and other
little things that are necessary In basket
ball.
COACH THEN
TAKES CHARGE.
Then when the boy gets out OF grade
school, he comes under the care or the
high school coach, and the mentor soon
can tell whether or not he Is gong 10
amount to anything as a court warrior
If he has any ability whatever, II does
not take the coach long to bring II out,
with the early training he has picked up
by experience, and the boy with spark
of natural ability soon becomes a star.
What about the Indianapolis grade
school studentsi Fully 30 per cent OF
them never have a chance to put their
foot on a basket floor, or II they nave
Hence they 90 into high school as green
as grass, in matters OF basket ball
When the coach of an indianapolis
team sends out his call for court material
what does he get? A lot Of green but
willing workers, and he has to 90 along
and get his combination together the pest
way he can, teaching practlcdlly every
yOungster under his wing even the small
est little detail of the game Inc sraue
school student Of many country towns
could really coach the grade school graz
nate of Indianapolis when ne nrst goes
out for high school basketball
This big difficulty may be easily rem
edied so easily. in fact, that II becomes
= grest surprise that nobody has noticed
or spoken of it before until the IOcaI
COACHES grew weary Of being the targets
OF verbal fusillades.
Here's the proposition. At this time
nracticaIly every community, every par
fsh. in Indianapolis has one or more
evunasiums Basket floors may Oe
9ound in the basement or attic OF
great many churches in the city ne
Youngsters are beginning to use these
floors and in a few years great rise II
+be calfber OF local high school basket
bail is predicted by the local mentors.
WOULD ORGANIZE
REGULAR LEAGUES.
Now. what the coaches want to know Is
why grade school basketball is not given
some attention They would ike 10 see
iRterclass and intercity leagues orga-
nized among the Kids and have them
nIav their regular schedules, they same
Is do the high schOOlers. There Is some
sort Of a gymnasium in the neignDor-
hood of almost every grade school In the
CITY. and what's to prevent the lorna
tion of these leagues, and the playing
of these gamesf
This seems like a task tailored to or
der for the recreation department: Let
the directors of recreation see 10 the or
ranizstion Of the sport in the grade
schools. the same as they do TO the or
ganization Of the Independent amateur
baseball, football and basketball teams:
once the thing was started, 1t would neeI
little push. Youngsters who never gave a
thought to the game would be brought
around in short time, and soon Things
would be humming. The competition
would make the kids" hustle, and IN
working this way for three or four
years they would, naturally, learn more
or less about the game, and go into hign
school ell ready to take the finishing
touches from men who know and under
stand the game, and coaching.
RerIe Black Of Technical, shorty
Morrison of Manual and 'Tubby" Juhus
OF Shortridge all are willing to DO every
thing they can to get this work started,
and they would gladly give every spare
moment to instructing the grade school
srs as they went along. lit
All that this plan needs to meet with