Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-02
GIVES THEM LINE
ON NEW MATERIAL
Certain Amount of Mechani-
cal Proficiency Also Is
Taught Grinders.
ny H. C. BYRD.


-HE chief value of Spring foot
ball seems to lie in what
the coaches learn. OF
\ course, there is certain
amount of mechanical proficiency
developed in members of the squad
who are out for the practice, but
the real worth rests in the oppor-
tunity a coach gets to find out a
good deal about the capabilities
Of the men for various positions
That saves the time otherwise
taken in September in determin--
ing the positions men are pest
suited for and number OF other
things equally as valuable.
Bill Alexander Of Georgia Tech re-
Gently summed this up about as well
as anybody has when he said Tine men
we use as regulars in the Fall usually
are members OF some other varsity tean
in the Spring, and we spend most Oh
our Spring practice with our fresh
man squad, trying to find out what we
have to depend on in the way OF
material for the varsity. Spring prac-
tice hardly means thing as lar Is
developing players is concerned, except
COR giving them a little better knowledge
Of the mechanics of the game, but II
means a good deal to us as coaches.
We find out a lot about the squad, espe-
cially' the freshmen, that otherwise we
would not find out until too late in the
Fall for the knowledge to be OF much
use"
Where the value of better knowledge
of the mechanics of the game comes IN
especially is In such cases as Tom Mills
has at Georgetown, where he Is trying
to teach Georgetown men new kino
of end play. There is not the least
doubt that the most highly proficient
offensive end play in the country IS
is not easy to acquire the ability to do
Just what its ends have to do, even
when they know what it is they are
supposed to do.
Chuck Collins, coach at North Caro-
lima the last four years and generally
rated as the best offensive end Notre
Dame has ever had, spent three years
at North Carolina before he was able
to develop an end who could do his
stuff" He finally last Fall found one
who could and that accounted in no
small measure for his successful eleven,
George Washington has spent most
of its time in Spring practice getting
its men familiar with shift. Other
coaches spend their time in developing
new wrinkles of various kinds, so that
actually Spring foot ball is finding q
real place everywhere IN the building
Of stronger teams for the following
Fall.
Some three or four years ago there
was q general outcry against Spring
practice in foot ball. Now, however, Il
seems to have become such an accepted
fact that II Is seldom questioned. And
not only are the colleges having 1t, but
the high school IS well are getting
out their squads. In all probability, as
now conducted, Spring foot ball Is good
for the men involved, because it keeps
them during the usual period of recrea-
ton engaged in a kind of work that
certainly Is valuable and helpful to any
individual or to any group.
The Oxford Cambridge lacrosse IL
seems due to take some rather decisive
defeats before 1t leaves this country.
Probably the two easiest games it will
play are those in which 1t Is 10 meet
washington College tomorrow and Vir-
gtnia next Monday, but barring these
contests 1t Is likely TO have its troubles
No doubt Navy, which Is to be played
Saturday, VIII win by just about as
many points a. 1t cares to run Up.
Vtllanova Is here today for q ball
game with Catholic University. The
Pennsylvanians are opening their sea-
son and practically nothing Is known
Of their strength. However, If they
measure up to their foot ball standard
Of the last two or three years, Catholic
University need worry little about hav-
ing plenty of competition.
Georgetown gave Vermont 10-to-o
beating yesterday on the Washington
Barracks diamond. The Blue and Gray
was so far superior to the visitors that
there was not much 10 the contest. Six
runs were scored in The fourth inning
and the remainder Of ne game was just
q matter Of going through the motions
Georgetown got IL hits, while Poole
held Vermont batterg In his hand al
any time he desired TO tighten up. The
box score: