New Britain herald., 1928-02-17
GOOD CONDITION
 IMPORTANT THING
Keeping Olympic Athletes Fit k
 Americas Main Problem

Americas Main Problem
 Philadelphia. Feb. II N-Ths main problem Of Americas Olympic track and field campaign this year isn't so much the selection or coach- ing of its team as it Is matter of keeping the star talent in proper physical and mental condition. Such is the opinion ol Lawson Robertson, head coach of the Ameriean forces that will go into the battle of Am sterdam next July.
 Tt Is a mistaken idea that our Olympic team needs a lot Of coach ing." said Robertson today. What they need most of all Is to be kept in a proper frame of mind and proper ly trained.
 Get tho picture of our team. . selected group of stars from all parts of the country. picked by the most rigid tests.. Theae men know their stun. Most of them are sea- soned club stars or college men we'll developed. champions and record- holders.
 Tn the short time they are gath cred together for the Olympic trip it would be ruinous to attempt 10 change their styles or teach them new methods of training. Nearly every man has some individual ideas about his conditioning or the way he coaches job is to keep them all in good humor and at the same time exercise sufficient discipline 10 keep them at top form between tho try outs and the actual Olympic com petition.
 Here's another angle: Many. in fact most of tho athletes are the big stars of their college. club or dis- trict. They have been used to rocog- milton as the big shot at home. But in the all-star Olympic outit they lose and perhaps miss the individual attention to which they have been accustomed. It's natural circum- stance. If they get the proper slant they are all right, but often this sit- uation presents q problem for the coach, who needs to be an expert in human psychology as well as in training and advising"
 It is for tho best interests of team morale. as we'll as practical hand ling of the squad. that Robertson says he is opposed to the suggestion that Lloyd Hahn. Hal Osborn and others, be sent to Amsterdam in ad- vance of the main body of athletes to get the benefit of additional train ing abroad.
 The theory of those supporting the suggestion is that our athletes have suffered in the past from lack of sufficient time to get rid of their sea legs.
 Haym, rather thai good might come of this, in the opinion of Rob- ertson. who believes that weeks in. 1 terval between the time of the time of the teams arrival in Amster- dam and the start of the Olympics will be sufficient to regain any edge lost on the trip overseas.
 Bud Houser. a double cha ampion at the last OlympicA may forego the defense of hts shotput crown this year and concentrate on the discus throw. in which he holds the world record as we'll as the Olympic title That is the idea he has tn 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 fou! years ago. Ralph Hills of Princeton and Glenn Hartranft of Stanford have dropped out of competition. Aside from Houser the best shot put prospects are John Kuck. the Kansas star. and Herb Schwarbe oi Wisconsin. although Gerken of Cali fornia and Bif Hoffman Of Stanford also are in the top flight.
 Dartmouth has at least two can. didates for all-eastern basketball honors in Captain Heep, guarc. and LangdeIi. rangy center whose si1 feet three inches of height give him big jump over most rivals on the tip of. These two performers play cd . big part in Dartmouth's dis. puted victory over Pennsylvania last night in as sensational court battle as the intercollegiate league has seen this season. Heep's guarding tied ur Penn's crack forward. schaaf. while Langdell's jumping helped keer Dartmouth we'll in the lead as long