The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-02-17
MENTAL SLANT
IS IMPORTANT
TO EACH STAR
Olympic Mentor Has to Be Ex-
pert in Human Psychology
10 Handle individuals
HOUSE QUITS SHOT PUT
Dartmouth Has Two Bright
Candidates For All. Eastern
Basketball HonOrs
BY ALAN J. GOULD
(AsSociated Press Sports Editor)

BY ALAN ]. GOULD
(Associated Press Sports Editor)
Philadelphia, Feb. 17.-(P-Thc
main problem of Americas Olympic
track and field campaign this year
isn't so much the selection or coach
ing Of it's team as it is matter Of
keeping the star talent in proper
physical and mental condition. Such
is the opinion Of Lawson Robertson.
head coach of the Amcrical forces
that will. 60 into the battle of Ans
tcrdam next July.
1T is mistaken idea that our
Olympic team needs lot of
coaching" said Robertson today.
What they need most Of all is to
be kept in proper frame of mind
and properly trained.
Get the picture Of our team. a
selected group of stars from all
parts of the country, picked by the
most rigid tests. These men know
their stuff. Most Of them are sea-
soned club stars or college. men
well eveloped, champions and rec
ord-holders.
Keep In Humor
"ln the short time they are gath
cred together for the Olympic trip
it would be ruinous to attempt to
change their styles or teach them
new methods of training. Nearly
every man has some individual
ideas about his conditioning or the
way he should jump, run or hurdle.
The coaches job is to keep them all
in good humor and at the same time
exercise sufficient discipline to keep
them at top form between the try.
outs and the actual Olympic COM
petition.
Here's another angle: Many, in
fact most Of the athletes are the
big stars Of their college, club or
district. They have been used to
recognition as the big shot at
home. But in the all-star Olympic
outfit they lose and perhaps miss
the individual attention to which
they have been accustomed. It's a
national circumstance. If they Get
the proper slant they are all right
but often this situation presents a
problem for the coach, who needs
to be an expert in human psychol-
ogy as we'll as in training and ad-
vising."
Robertson Negatives Idea
1t is for the best interests of
team morale as we'll as practical
handling Of the squad that Robert
son is opposed to the suggestion that
Lloyd Hahn, Hal Osborn and others.
be sent to Amsterdam in advance
Of the main body Of athletes to get
the benefit of additional training
abroad.
The theory of those supporting
this idea is that our athletes have
suffered in the past from lack Of
sufficient time to get rid Of their
sea legs.
Harm, rather than good, might
come of this, in the opinion of
Robertson, who believes that the
weeks interval between the time
of the teams arrival in Amsterdam
and the start Of the Olympics will
be sufficient to regain any edge
lost on the trip overseas.
Houser Drafted
Bud Houser, a double-champion
at the last Olympics, may forego
the defense of his shotput crown
this year and concentrate on the
discus throw, in which he holds the
worlds record as well as the Olym.
pic title.
That is the idea he has in mind
now, according to Robertson, but
the former southern California Cap.
tain may be drafted for the shotput,
anyway. especially since the two
men who were his chief rivals four
years ago, Ralph Hills of Princeton
and Glenn Hartranft Of Stanford.
have dropped out of competition.
Outside Of Houser the best shot
put prospects are John kuck, the
Kansas star, and Herb Schwartz Of
Wisconsin, although Gerkcn Of Cal
ifornia and Biff Hoffman of STAN
ford also are in the top flight.
Dartmouth has at least two candi-
dates for all-eastern basketball
honors in Captain Heep, guard, and
Langdcll, rangy center whose six
|. feet three. inches of height give him
a big Jump over most rivals on \the
tip-off. These two performers
played q big part in Dartmouth
disputed victory over Pennsylvania
last night in as sensational court
battle as the eastern intercollegiate
league has seen this season. Keeps
guarding tied up PENIS crack for
ward, Schaaf, while Langdcll's
jumping helped keep Dartmouth
we'll in the lead as long as he was
in the game.