Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-12-14

One Of my earlier experiences
throws light on the motivation of this
relentless drive for players. ! aided
q coach in getting a certain player
He was determined to get this man
because he had had losing team
that year and his job was at stake
He said, I'm getting a big salary
but it's curtains for me unless 1 can
turn out winning team" ! was his
close personal friend and what / did
was for htm-although / also was
moved by friendship for the player.
Strong Back, Weak Head.
In Boston I was rated as in charge
OF a day high school while it was
open for evening instruction. 1T was
not unusual for letters to be adj
dressed to me as head master, al.
though I did not hold this position.
The real head master disliked this,
but 1t continued.
had one pupil who attended classes
Tor about two years who was prom
Using foot ball player, He was an
ambitious boy, but an Indifferent stu
dent. tried to get him into my
alma mater. but he hunked the en-
trance examinations. ,l's.
AT the Polo Grounds one, day ] met
my friend, the coach OF large Penn
sylvanfa college. 1t was then that
he. told me his hard luck story. He
had the choice of producing WIN
ming team or losing his job. Later L
thought Of my pupil and wrote the
coach about him He replied that 1t
looked hopeless, as the boy lacked
sufficient credits for entrance. 1t
happened that the day high school
where I was the evening head-but
not the evening high school--was on
the accredited list of the Pennsyl-
vania college. The coach had sent
me a set OF application blanks. Be-
lieving, as I did then, that scholar
ship restrictions were of small ac-
count compared with the really i'm
portant business of getting a good
foot bali player into action, 1 filled
out the blanks in behalf of the player
on the stationery OF the day school
and sent them to the registrar.
L received a reply addressed to me
as headmaster of the school. l had
been, apprehensive of this and had
come down every day to meet the
postman and make sure that the let
ter did not go to the real headmas.
ter. This letter showed that the reg
tstrar had assumed that the boy had
been graduated from the day school,
which was on the accredited list, but
said that, since so many years had
passed without any boy from the
school going to the Pennsylvania col
lege, the standing of the school had
virtually lapsed and 1t would be nee
essary for me. to fill out Enclosed
blanks for restoration to the accred-
tied list.
Again ON the List.
/ filled out the blanks and returned
them. BY my entirely unofficial ac-
tivitfes the school was again put on
the list, and the boy entered college
as graduate of q school which he
had not attended. Furthermore. he
| was mysteriously fitted out with a
| scholarship and board and room.
| He became one OF the best, players
| who ever attended the Pennsylvania
college and was captain OF his team
In $780,
| i always have justified my own con-
duct In this by the fact that the boy
worked hard. made a fair success of
his studies and now is succeeding 81
business ~ the result Of his college
| education. ~
I 4 ,Aaxe -eftea wondered how this
800 saaanI. NtySra 1ron the eaeea ei