Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-09-25
WHARTON GIVES TEST
TO DELAWARE SQUAD
To Ascertain the Fitness Of the
Football Candidates for
Places on the Team.


Newark. Sept. 25.-Dr. Charles NJ.
Buck" Wharton, former state SEN
ator from the Dover district, Kent
county, and for many years Il foot
ball coach at the University OF Penn
sylvania. visited Newark over the
weekend and put the University OF
Delaware football squad through his
new test, known as the standardiZa-
ton of mental and physical fitness of
football candidate. Delaware has the
distinction of being the second foot
ball squad to ever receive this test,
DIR. Wharton having given the test
for the first time in football to the
University OF Pennsylvania squad at
their training camp at Mt. Gretna
several days ago.
DIR. Wharton is now associate pro-
fcssor OF physical education at Penn
and has worked out the new test to
determine tho physical and mental
fitness OF football players and the
| capacity Of the candidates for the
| game. DR. Wharton is a Delawarean
his home being in Dover and as such
has always been keenly interested in
! the University OF Delaware. He re-
Gently wrote to the athletic authorities
OF the local university telling them Of
| his tests and offered to come to New
ark and gives the Delaware squad the
test without any charge whatever.
This offer was gratefully accepted and
consequently DR.. Wharton made the
visit and gave the test TO twenty two
Of the football candidates.
Coach McAvoy was present with
DIR. Wharton when the tests were
made. Later he will send TO Coach
McAvoy his report on each player
who was put through the test. Coach
McAvoy will have a chart prepared
dealing with the mental and physical
condition of the players as shown by
the tests. In this way he will be able
10 tell how much work any particular
player can properly stand.
In discussing the matter Dr. Wharton
said: The important thing about the
termination of the capacity of. each
player for football work.
I'VE don't overload horses, wagons
trucks or other things, then why
should we overload human beings
But invariably and unconsciously the
human being IS overworked or over.
works himself. This will not be tn,
case where this new idea is carried on
in football. The new system is tn,
first real scientific one ever used b,
a college. And it cannot fail becaus,
: | figures do not lie, neither do ex
aminations.
p. THE old method of judging player
e was a mere superficial examination
= of the heart and lungs. If these wer
i without defects. then the candidat
o was passed after a casual inspection
= in other respects. Our idea is to kee
I the players within their capacity an
r to increase that capacity as they ar
e developed daily, If such progress take
y place.
y Coach McAvoy will be given tn
s reports so he can give each man Tn
amount of work he can stand and n
n more, for individuals differ greatly
e The examinations were made by d
: Wharton in the gymnasium. AS eac
d player enters the room his mental con
1t dition is observed. Then the playe
y was asked to wait for five minutes c
L, more during which time reaction
were noted. The player is also judge
y in his attitude toward the tests an
towards football in general. whetht
II listless or earnest, and whether
IS shows enthusiasm about football
Players who are worrying about the
al chances of making the team. the
2. scholastic ability or other cares al
quickly spotted under this plan an
e. given special attention as their cas-
n, may demand.
In concluding DIR. Wharton said: 81
sd almost every student the physical an
the mental are always in conflict. A
athlete sometimes is especially ul
III usual physically and rather deficiei
mentally or proficient mentally and d
II. ficient physically. What we are tr,
ing to do is to strike a balance b
I. tween the two-one of the harde
a. things imaginable. We deal most
with the normal and that is why v
standardize these tests. We don't ca
" so much about the exceptional, VIII
- We want to turn out is normal pla'
- er in all respects and TO remedy al
ie defects that tend to turn him belo
the normal. The whole thing has be,
made absolutely practicable and (
~ the first time really can be done
- striking the balance"
an ---o--