The Washington times., 1921-11-06
SOL.METZGER
GIVES VIEWS
ON TRAINING
Says PubIic's Idea OF Course
For Football Players Has
Been Greatly Exaggerated.
by SOL METzGER.

thing enters into the training of a
football team. They think the win
ming coach has a wrinkle or two up
his sleeve in the way of special foods
that account for the fine physical
condition of his men. And they
hear SO much about strict training
rules that they are pretty firm in
this belief of theirs.
AS a matter of fact football train
ing is not very much like the train
ing the public thinks II is. Winning
college elevens have even eaten pie
during the week of big game and
with no disasterous results In so far
as results were concerned. And the
best of teams drink the dreaded
caffein nearly every morning for
breakfast, just like the rest Of US.
Training today is not what 1t used
to be, by long shot. And the proof
that the modern system is to re
found in the results.
The good old days OF the strictest
sort of diet and all that sort of stuff
have pretty well gone into the discard.
You can't find an argument today con.
demning ice cream as dessert for a
tendency i'm diet is toward normalcy.
Ii has been found that the kind OF
grub mother used to make for her
darling boy is just about what said
darling needs to keep him fit and
fighting
Had One Of Best Guards.
One year we had one OF the best
guards in the country go all to pieces.
His middle torso was about as dis
rupted a piece of humanity as a doctor
ever faced. Sick? Why, that athlete
almost died from pains under his belt
within a month after practice began.
Yet he had eaten nothing except the
choicest Of training table menus.
1t took two specialists to discover
the cause for his gastronomic break
down. 1t was just a simple case
overeating. Now nothing disrupts the
stomach like overlooking 1t. The ordi-
nary citizen gets away with this stunt
pretty well. But not your strenuous
young athlete. He simply cracks at
the bulge. Human beings were not
made to run, tumble and tackle with
the hull OF their storage room over.
flowing with any kind of food, good
or bad. 1t just can't be done.
Overeating Fatal 10 Athletes.
Your expert on food values will lay
out a program of menus guaranteed to
put pep into a lunger. But IL hale
and hearty boy Gomez OUT for var
sity team, even backed with eighteen
years of simple life on the old farm.
he'll never get into shape to tussel
with another fellow for touchdowns
should be overeat.
So, coaches aim primarily to pre-
vent their charges overeating, especi-
ally before scrimmage. That and the
avoidence of heavy foods in the diet
are the main Jobs In planning menu.
It's an old athletic adage that a sprin-
ter trained on milk is a licked runner.
And 1t goes double in football.
Methods galore for handling the
eats of a team have been tested from
the scheme of issuing so much food
per platter to the very good one or
making the hungry horde sit at the
table for a full hour. Once this latter
rule is enforced your footballer begins
to eat slowly. He hates TO think of half
his time there spent in watching the
others disposing OF food. In conse-
ouence, he thoroughly chews each
morsel of chow. That absolutely
prevents overeating. It's fact that
slow eaters satisfy their hunger with
far less food than the fellow who bolts
1t down.
Rules Very Strict.
Some coaches have absolutely strict
training rules. Any charge who breaks
one turns in his suit. There is no argu-
ment about it. Others follow other
schemes. One noted mentor, once he
finds a fellow is not training-a fact
that creeps out no matter how care
fully he guards his dissipations-soaks
him with real burden of work during
the practice sessions and sees to 1t
that he hits the showers worn,
weary and wiser prospect.
. He also refrains from using him in
games. Once a star becomes the wall
flower of the weekend engagements
he uses his bean. 1t isn't long be-
fore he sees the light and then it's
a case of lets go" with that gent.
The value of this plan is that 1t
saves many a man for the squad
without in any way weakening dis
cipline. good many tutors like this
pay as you play system. 1t sure gets
results.
Regularity Health Keynote.
No person has to tell a coach that
is the keystone of health.
II is the only road to getting into
shape. SO, they strive to have their
players eat their meals at regular
hours and hit the hay likewise. And
they hold their practices at the same
time every day. Top that off with
early to bed and you get bright
eyed boy on your squad.
once a gang of footballers begin
doing their daily schedule by clock
and avoid overeating they soon
round into shape. or course there Is
the danger OF overworklns them'
Too many teams are rushed TOO rap
idlv at the start. They go like sixty
against the set-ups, but by November
ai, the edge is off them and they are
sick of the sight of gridiron
While those which have been brought
aIa.a .aaro aanely strike their stride