Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-11-07
Developed Champs
But Coach Bachrach
Was 3rd Place Athlete

But Coach Bachrach
Was 3rd Place Athlete
Chicago. Nov. 6-(By the A. P.)-
Not long ago the newspapers recorded
the fact that Miss Sybil Bauer. II
year old Chicago girl. had swan the
440 yard backstroke in a meet in
Bermuda in 6.24. breaking, for the
first time in recorded athletic history,
a worlds record held by a man. The
cid mark of 6.28 was held by
"Stubby" Kruger.
Behind that bare announcement Is
the story of coach who can't swim
the 440, or probably half that dis
lance, but who has brought out many
Of the most famous swimmers in re-
cent years. including Miss Bauer,
Johnny Weismueller. Norman Ross,
land Harry Hebner.
He is William Bachrach, SWIM
ming instructor of the Illinois Attn
lletic Club.
Once. in his early days. Zach" was
great third place athlete" he says.
Back in 1897 he made his only ap-
pearance in national swimming
tournament, entering the 100 yard
swim in meet in Lincoln Park
lagoon here. There were four en-
tries and Bachrach won his one and
only swimming medal when he fin
ished third-after the fourth man
swan himself out and quit at the end
OF fifty yards.
Now, weighing. by his own admis-
sion, five pounds less than b1ttle-
ship" he sits in a huge wicker arm
chair beside the l. A. c. tank and
trains promising youngsters to break
all the swimming records from the
Bermudas to Honolulu. Once month
or so when they fill the tank up to
eleven feet for the water games,
Bach drops in with a mighty splash
and docs a round or two, but that is
about the extent of his own water
work
ANYBODY can be a good swimmer
if he has the will to work and work
hard" Bachrach says. He may not
be n champion, for it just isn't born
in some people to be champions. but
if he is willing to plug along day in
and day out and stick to the deadly
grind he will be a good swimmer
THE trouble is that lots of SWIM
r;ers, and sometimes those with most
natural talent, haven't enough Of the
will to win to keep at it,"
what is the secret Of your success
as a COACH" he was asked.
Making them work day in and day
out I require my teams to swim a
quarter of mile a day. I don't hold
q stop watch on them, they can take
their own time, but they must swim
at least that quarter of a mile. After
that they can play around the tank
if they want to as long as they wish.
IF swimmer swims 300 quarter
miles in a year that's IS miles. No
body can swim Is miles a year with
out developing. They are bound to
learn something.
II sit up here and watch them
swim their II laps, and when they
, come out I talk things over and
, point out their mistakes and suggest
, improvements. That's all there is to
t it
"My principle is to get them young.
. Sybil Bauer came to US four years
y
I old. We had announced through the
= newspapers that we were going to
. organize a class for girls, and invited
, swimmers to apply. She was in the
class. One day saw her using the
back stroke. and doin, ver" we'll with
, it, We talked it over and she de-
, cided she wanted to be the worlds
a greatest back stroke swimmer. Today
. she is"
r Bachrach passes over his own in
1 ability to rank above the mediocre
/. swimmers with thu explanation that
I the best coaches don't swim much.
. THAT applies in other sports too" he
p says. "Zuppke down at Illinois was
l never much Of football player, but
1 look what a coach he is. When you
t work around here all the time you
don't have the desire to swim much.
! rs like being a chef. Nobody ever
v saw a chef eat much, unless he was
t out at somebody elses house"
Really great swimmers, Bach
e says, are born, not made. You can't
r put voice in anybody" he explains.
| There would be no use of my going
e to a singing teacher to cultivate a
l NOlCS L haven SOt. puI Willie every
: body can't be a great swimmer. he
e can be a good swimmer, if he wants
to work for it,
s Most of the famous swimmers de-
I veloped under his tutelage are pro-
e ducts Of the Chicago public beaches
: and Y. NJ. c. A. pools. Back in Octo-
| Der 1920 boy on one of his teams
}. told Bachrach a friend who was
s swimming at the Oak street public
e beach had been begging to be brought
I down to see the I. A. c. coach. The
I swimmer asked permission to bring
. his friend in order to put stop to
:. bis pleas.
). He brought him and his name was
|. Johnny Weismueller Between Octo-
I her 1920 and August of last year
$ Bachrach trained Weismueller. Four
r teen months ago he entered his first
: big meet. Up to the present he has
= broken thirty-se seven worlds records.
I C1ox,o1ond Cots ,,f1ko