Evening star., 1930-06-15

1928 American Olympic team the sports writer
shook their heads. They 0eemed his come
back Impossible. But McAnister said that hd
had experienced dream In which he had
been selected as the man Of destiny" to wiz
back the 10O-meter championship for thf
United States from England. OF course, thi
was great fodder for the gag men Of New Yorl
and while they laughed at the Flying Cop h
kept right on with his training.
He failed to qualify in the Eastern Olympic
tryouts and the newspaper men felt that thei
predictions had come true. But the man o
destiny was obdurate. He went up TO BoetoT
for the final tryoutS, and though no one, in
cIuding his own trainer and father-in-law
Jakey Weber, conceded him a chance, he quail
fed In heat after heat and took second in thi
finals. Though McAllister did not altogethe
fuAn his dream Of becoming the IMAM ot
destiny" it was that idea alone which created
enough inspiration to make him a member OF
the Olympic team. For without that confidence
he would not have finished in the FIRST 40, let
alone the first four American sprinters
THE quiet, untalkative athletes are generally
the most cocky, though it is difhcuh TO hnG
It out. It was not rashneSs, but cold conn
dence which prompted Lindbergh to fly tho
Atlantic and Gertrude Ederle to swim the Eng1
lish Channel Gene Tunney, often regarded,
may-care fighter, was in reality imbued with
as cocky q disposition almost any boxer who
ever stepped into ring. Tunney never told
any one before a fight what he was going TO
do to the other fellow and after 1t was all over
he seldom admitted that he had been sure in
his own heart of the outcome. But II you
watched Tunney during those tense moments
in the ring you could see in his eyes and in
his smile an audacity indescribable. Men OF
strong character and grim determination VINO
had outlined their campaign Of attack against
him, and who had sworn to follow their plans,
completely forgot themselves when they read
the derisive message which cleaned in Tunney' S
eyes Gene dared them maddeningly to
attack that they threw their plans to the winds
and blindly ran into his terrible punches.
Even Jack Dempsey, whose valor in the ring
has become a tradition, could not withstand
the contemptuous confidence of James Joseph
Tamney, the gentleman of Greenwich.
No one who has failed to experience lack
of confidence in athletic competition can fully
appreciate its handicap. For, no matter II the
quiclness of your eye, the coordination of yon
muscles and the strength of your body are still
at their height, If you have lost confidence In
yourself you cannot win. There time ir
my track competition when felt that 1 waS
too old to compete against the youngsters Oi
another running generation There was moth
ing physically the matter with me, but in every
race that particular season when had reached
the hallway mark suddenly lost commence
in myself and my opponents went by.
Fortunately however, did not give up COM
petition after losing a few starts Then, forget
ting myself in a minor race, was surprised
to discover that stin retained my former speed
New confidence surged through me and came
back to run faster than I had ever done IL
college.
Many times I have exchanged confidence
with champions, the majority of whom arr
outwardly modest Without exception hav'
discovered that every one Of them Is SUR
of himself as the cockiest athlete who ever tolC
the world he was good
OF course, confidence can be overdone anC
it is true that many of at time o.
another reach the point where we think WI
are better than we really are. Sometimes WI
grow careless and dissipate our talents away
But generally those who make a great displa!
of their confidence only trying to buo!
themselves up and pretend that they really ar
as good they would have the world thinl
them.
Only a very few champions ever let thei
followers see their inner confidence But the.
are all oocky way down underneath, Just tn
same, even though they may not stand up be
fore hugh audiences, as old John L. Sullivan
loved to do, and say, in a deep bass voice, :"
can lick any man in the house!"