Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-23

1t is one case in which statistics
always have claimed, namely, tn
are harmful and tend to destroy
build it up.
Glen Warner some years ago told the
writer that 1.-The average foot ball team
practices too long The men stay on
the field until they get tired ard worn
out, and then are unfit for game on
Saturday. And without the zest and
spirit for that kind of competition no
team can win games" In other words,
fairly short practice periods, with real
work while practice is going on. are the
best kind Of practice If one wants to
win games.
Thirty Good Men Enough.
But, on the other hand one alleged
fact deduced from the study is that III
would seem that large number OF can
didates improve teams chances OF
success" Probably the best teams have
olt larger numbers OF candidates tnan
the weaker, but it is not numbers that
always develops the best foot ball. A
SQUAD Of 80, with some real foot ball
men in it, would make a much better
team than a squad of $50 without some
real PLAYERS. Witness what Center Col
lege did some years back with barely
one good team against some schoolS
that had hordes of men in uniform.
Under ordinary conditions, though, ana
all other things being even, 1t does not
take the brain of g. Gladstone to COM
prehend that the laws Of average should
enable a coach to pick better team
out of 200 men than out of so.
The study revealed a preponderance
Of victories for teams that engage In
Winter and Spring practice as against
teams that do not. Those who con-
Quoted the study simply tabulated the
teams that went through Winter ana
Spring practice and those that did not,
then took the number OF victories 10
tailed by those that had the extra work
and those that did not. The result was
such as to indicate that unless there
was q remarkable coincidence Winter
and Spring practice helps develop mucn
stronger elevens.
Another very significant item Is that
which indicates the teams that had TOO
many domestic, homegrown or alumni
coaches did not stack up nearly as well
in games won as did teams tutored by
outside coaches. The figures seemed to
show that several coaches for squad
won for the squad greater success, pro-
vided the coaches were not all OF the
alumni variety. In other words, the
results of the study do not speak very
well for the system of having the squad
tutored by group Of alumni.
Coaches Appear Wrong.
The answers to another question show
that what the majority of coaches think
best really is not best Sixty-eight per
cent Of the coaches stated that they felt
it was best for their squads to go to the
scene of the game just In time for the
game, so that disconcerting contacte
might be avoided. Yet the number OF
victories chalked up by teams OF the
other class-that class tutored by
coaches who feel it is best to take their
SQUADS to the scene of the game early,
in order to familiarize them with the
setting-indicate that the last-men-
toned system is best AS the announced
result sums it up, sin spite OF the fact
that most Of the coaches favor one pol
icy, the results indicate that 1t Is wiser
to adopt the other"
other points Of interest were devel-
oped by answers 70 the queries. It
seems that during September virtually
all teams scrimmage on tuesdays
Wednesdays and Thursdays, with many
of them scrimmaging on Mondays ano
FRIDAYS as we'll. In october most OF
them still scrimmage on TUESDAY
Wednesday and Thursday with only
very few scrimmagtng on Monday. In
November about all the scr1mmaglng
that is done takes place on TUESDAY sno
Wednesday with virtually none on Mon
day or Friday, and some few on Thurs
day.
Eighty per cent Of the teams an
swered that they warm up on FRIDAY
while per cent take complete rest anc
10 per cent do Just whatever the day
demanded. -Four per cent did not maj,
cate any preference. It also seems tnal
very few teams enforce any rest period
after practice before eating, and so fal
as could be gagged this did not affect
the squads. Sixty-nine per cent OF the
teams have their big meal in the eve
ming.
Goes without Saying.
Now here comes a most remarkable
deduction: THE team with the largest
proportion Of bright men has sllgnl
edge on any other" Almost as wei
draw the deduction that after pouring
several glasses of water on ones clothe;
that water Is wet Everybody, however
was of the opinion that to do mucf
travelling is a decided disadvantage
Some coaches have held that team i;
not affected by travelling, and some
cases would seem to bear that out. The
old Carlisle Indians, for instance; OF
or Rockne probably would admit, de.
spite their victories with much travel
ing, that it is far easier to play game:
at home.
The report Of the study concludes
with this statement:
ut is possible to predict roughly the
most likely number OF games a team
will win If we know the size OF its squad
whether it engages in Winter practice
Aa Of nTaFfirf
it has, and the proportion OF home
games on its schedule"
All of which is very good, so FAR as i
goes, and it undoubtedly is true ina
these factors affect foot ball victories
very materially 1t also is true, too
that foot ball success, with the vas
psychological element 1t carries, canno
be measured with yardstick any more
than mans success in business can OK
definitely weighed and the factors con
tributing to his success used to hell
others. Give two men the same money
the same advantages, the same condl
lions generally. and one will succeed
and the other fail, and it will be diff
cult for anybody to tell why. The SAM
is true of foot ball. One school ma,
seem to have everything to contribute II
its success on the gridiron. Anothe
school may not be half so fortunate, We
the school that seems at a great disad
vantage will be victorious in more game
than the other. So many factors ente
into the achievement of success that
is almost impossible to determine VIVA
really is responsible for it. Schools ma
fill out questionnaires on what they d
to attain success on the gridiron, bu
no formula ever will be deduced fror
the answers that will contribute muc
~ tho sllcnAsS ct others.