The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-26

Washburn. Emporia Normals won
from the Baptists, 26 to 0.
But the College of Emporia has
worlds of strength.
Out of games with Baker. South
western and Pittsburg Normals, the
Emporians won two and lost none-to
Pittsburg. The Henrymen have a well
known aggregation. Their defense
and offensive work is a matter of
favorable discussion among the FANS
and has been for years. This year is
no exception. In Grant, Harr, Widick,
Shankland, Mahlberg and others of
the famous eleven, Coach Gwin Henry
can pin his faith.
The above mentioned games consti-
tute the vital battles of the week in
the conference.
With the advancement of the sea-
son the games with the leaders are
becoming more and more important,
possible title winners are strengthen
ing their claims, and weaker teams
are dropping out.
The games are counting,-no doubt
about that.
The following was submitted to the
colin by a widely known Topeka
physician. 1t is, we think, an excep-
tionaI clear, analytical discussion of
| the game of football.
The football season is well under
way and the surprises are as frequent
as usual This uncertainty helps
make football propular; "upsets in the
| dope" the experts call it. Regularly,
and not by flukes, a better team is
beaten by an inferior, Second-raters
outplay better teams and some I'M
known youngster makes star look
| like the proverbial thirty cents.
10 dread these r6Ve-SdlS
in form but seem powerless to pre-
vent them. They blame it on overcon-
fidence, but as an excuse, not
| reason.
! Educators have a saying that I'VE
| learn to swim in the winter and learn
| to skate in the summer" This is
sound physiology as well as sound
| psychology. And a football coach
must be a psychologist He should
apply this teachers maxim.
Training consists of more than drill
in the technique of the game and ex-
ercise to improve the endurance.
| These are often carried to excess.
| Hard, grinding exercise beyond GER
| tain point is harmful. There are no
| rules or particular indications to show
when this point is reached but the
| wise coach or trainer knows by 1ntu1-
| tion-hunch if you prefer. 1t varies
| in individuals and the successful
| coaches are always on the lookout for
|
| trained, slow to start, hits the line or
! tackles with no pep, even looks yellow
| from the side-lines.
The cause of this staIeness is I'M
known. But it is probably more men
| tai than physical. The most likely ex-
PLANTATION is that it is a nerve exhaus-
| ton which slows down the voluntary
and automatic muscular responses.
| Coaches talk about certain players
who think, use gray matter, but it is
not thinking as generally understood.
| That thinking is an automatic reac-
! ton to conditions. If you ask one of
| these players how he came to do a
certain brilliant play he will generally
| inform you that he did it without
thinking-just did it. His action was
| automatic; his sub-conscious mind
acted and the play reacted to the cir
cumstances without any voluntary eff
| fort. In stale players this automatic
| functioning is delayed.
| fragrant examples of this over
| training have been the cases of Kan
sas and Missouri universities in their
! preparations for their THANKSGIVING
| day game. Both teams are pointed
! for this game and would sooner win
| it than any other game on their sched-
| ule. Year after year in the last twenty
years one or both OF these teams have
| gone on the field for this game over
trained and stale and have disap-
pointed their friends by a mediocre.
| colorless play.
| A good coach has three qualifica-
| tons, knowledge of the game, person
atty, and native intuition or bunch.
| which enables him to sense when his
| team, individually and collectively, are
right" Training beyond this point
is harmful-but the rule.
The first game of its kind to be