South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-02-23
PROPOSES TO BAR
FOOTBALL COACHES
FROM SIDE LINES
Yale Athletic Board Chairman
Suggests Means to Combat
Pro Menace.

NEW HAVEN. Conn. Feb. ga
proposal to bar football coaches
from the playing field ana the side
lines during college football games
was made by Prof Clarence w.
MendelI. chairman OF the Yate Ath-
istic board OF control. in an address
today at the alumni luncheon. one
of the events OF alumni university
day at Yale Chairman Mendell was
replying 20 recent statements by
Prest A. Lawrence Lowell OF Har-
ward. and Pres't Alexander Neikle-
John Of Amherst in regard 90 the So
called professionalism in college
football.
Chairman Mendeu also advocated
stringent rules against the transfer
of tramp athletes from one college
% another
"Prest Loweu has been very
widely quoted Of late on athletic
matters and president Meiklejohn
almost as extensively" said Chair
man Mendeil@
Behind the statements made by
both ~ these men lies the firm con
victIon that too much importance is
attracted Throughout the country 20
the big football games When
Pres't Lowell referred 90 football in
his annual report he was simply re-
peatinz what ne has consistently be-
lieved and said for many years I'm
an address here at Yale more than
ten years ago he pointed out with
eloquent irony the tendencies in
sport which have since so largely
developed
The question, however. is not
whether football is 20 be abolished
as an intercollegiate sport. Foot
baE IS a great and valuable game.
10 hne a sport TO be lost The prob
lem is 10 protect 70 against abuses
which threaten its existence. Of
these the most insistent is the pro-
fessionalizing OF the game. By this
I mean not merely the transfer into
college Of men whose sole object is
10 play football but also the transfer
of the game from the undergraduate
10 the coach AT this point, however,
take issue with Pres't Meiklejohn.
I would not get rid OF coaches.
would insure the playing OF the en-
tire game By the undergraduates
after they had been trained just as
well as possible 10y the best coaches
available In scholarship we try 20
give the undergraduate the very best
we have. In football we should give
the benefit OF the best possible
training TO all the men who can be
brought out 20 play one Of the finest
games ever invented But let them
play the game themselves.
As a practical step il seems 20
me wise further 20 restrict the hand
ling OF the team during the game.
Tad Jones already has spoken for
chilly on this subject. 1 should fur
Their and be in favor Of putting all
the coaches in the grandstand while
the game is being played.
With regard TO the second phase
OF professionalism, namely the un-
desira bility Of the so-caued tramp
athlete. Yale suggested over a year
ago an agreement BY which no man
who had represented one college
should be allowed thereafter TO rep
resent another. Some injustice
might be done 10 individuals but the
situation is one which calls for
drastic action.
II hope that the day will not be
far distant when Harvard, Prince
ton and Yale can agree upon some
such practical regulation as safe
guard for true spOrtsmtnship.
Il am not sure that / understand
what president Meiklejohn intends
by his suggestion of abolishing all
boards OF control as well as all
coaches. The department of ath-
letics has become too important
factor in our college training today
to make Il wise or even possible 10
return TO haphazard methods OF
management. Competitive sport is
a real and valuable part Of a college
education.
1T is not difficult 20 point out the
ideal I'm view OF the existing evils.
The more important problem at
present "a 10 ind means 70 safeguard
the ideal against the ideals. To-
ward the discovery and application
OF these means we must oil bend
our heardest efforts.