Evening star., 1928-10-11
By WILLIAM r. McDERMoTT.

~ HICAGO, H., October 1l.-This
may be an age of luxury and
''softneSs," but it hasn't knocked
~ the courage and endurance out
of the youth of today-at least
that part of it which comes galloping
out on to the gridiron each Fall in an
heroic endeavor to make the college foot
ball team.
The young fellows now are just as
spartanlike as ever, take as much
punishment without whimpering, and
are much cleaner in their sportsman
ship than the players of 80 years ago.
This optimism about young America
belongs to none other than the grand
old man" of foot ball, Amos Alonzo
Stagg, coach of the University of Chi
cago. who is now in his thirty-seventh
season of guiding the destinies of touch
down aspirants at Chicago.
Although 81 years old, Stagg looks
less than So And as he talked today
of sports and youth and morals as
they were in the 80s and COS and
as they are today. he showed all the
vigor and snap of man who has
learned the secret of keeping perpetu-
ally young.
Youth Still Sturdy.
ct do not believe there has been any
physical deterioration in our young
manhood" said Stagg, lin spite OF the
soft age in which we are living. One
might imagine that the disappearance
of the rigors of old pioneer life and
the ushering in of the steam-heated
apartment age, the passing of outdoor
hand labor and the coming OF the auto
mobile, would mean the development
Inf cfcc fvyfNa AOfTAflnCC fhpF0 mas
been that effect on the social lines. but
SO far as concerning the host of young
| fellows who go in for athletics-and
, they are increasing in number all the
| time-they are just as much he-n1en
as their daddies ever were"
One delightful thing about the mod
ern age, according to the veteran coach,
is that no longer do fond mammas and
papas have to be battled in order to
get the benefit of their husky offspring
on the foot ball field.
| THAT is one good that came out of
the war" said Stagg. II well remem-
ber the day when foot ball was con-
sidered too severe for some Of the
mammals darlings and the consequence
was that they, had to keep to the safety
sidelines.
Il vividly recall one young giant of
perfect build and with all the maklngs
| of the star, but he couldn't even get
! into a foot ball suit. He was an only
! child and his parents thought the game
| too dangerous. He was rarin' to go,
and he had everything-courage a
lightning mind and fine Judgment, but
dOting parents made it all for naught.
War Changed Attitude.
But the war has killed all parental
objection to the game, and now parents
are inst as eager to have them play as
the sons are to get into the game. Be-
sides. II wouldn't make any difference
these days, as the boys would play
anyway" Tn a.,S
is virtually only a memory now. Stage
saws, and the man who would try slug
gfng or foul tactics to gain his point
! would be as severely rebuked by ms
own comrades as by the opposing team
Sportsmanship has reached its highest
point in this day, the veteran observed
and the object is to play the game
fairly rather than to win at any haz-
ard. The good loser" Is as highly re-
spected as the winner.
THE modern foot ball aspirant is
not only good sportsman. however.
Stagg went on, "but he is hard worker
as we'll. know many lad who has
spent hot Summer sweating away al
a Job of hustling coal or carrying brick
or welding q shovel at half the pay he
could make in some white-collar Job
Just to be physically hard when pigskir
days roll around. It certainly is q
credit to todAya Aner;fAn 5oR that %