The Washington times., 1932-10-21

"It's tough for Chick to
have to step out Of the big
league" they said. Gle has
no material at Manhattan at
all and he can't hope to have
the success he enjoyed at
Syracuse or N. Y. u"
They sympathized further
wien his team was beaten by
st. Thomas last Saturday, but
if they could stand today on the
Manhattan College gridiron and
watch the little coach direct his
forces and hear his view on the
subject their sympathy might
we'll turn to envy.
"Sure we were licked last
Saturday," Chick said, smiling
from beneath the peak of the
little baseball cap he always
wears when coaching. I'VE
were licked, but what Of it?
I tell you we are having the
most glorious season foot
ball team ever had. That goes
if we're licked again. Listen
to those kids"
In the center of the field his
varsity squad of 80 caVorted
happily in the game of touch
ALL" At the far end of the field
a group of lightWeights went
through signal practice. They
we're members of the 150-pound
team. A chill rain swept down
but the cries of Manhattan Col
lege's football warriors made one
forget the rain and the mud.
Did you ever see bunch
of kids enjoy themselves
mOre?" Chick asked.
Pictures of the strained faces,
the tenSeness and the absence
of smiling faces which a football
writer encounters on college prac-
tice gridirons every day inevitably
came up to be contrasted with
the Joyous group under the tute-
lage of Chick Meehan.
Football playing is fun and
I'm proving it here" Chick
said. Look at those $50
pound kids down there. If our
only aim was to win l couldn't
waste time on them. I'd have
to concentrate on my varsity.
But the brothers here at Man
haitian have what many think
is a quaint idea. They asked
me to run the athletic program
for them and they said that
my aim was to be that every
student in college become a
participant in some form of
athletics. Well, by gOlIy, about
every student now is doing
something.
The high-poWered Chick Nee
han, who turned out nationally
known juggernapts at Syracuse
and New York University, was
gone. In his place was an en-.
thusiastic leader in a new move
ment. Before he's through he'll
have the student body of 1000 en-
gaging in some sport al year
around. Chick said:
I'm looking ahead three or
four years. Everyone knows
that success in football depends
20 per cent on your material
and 80 per cent on coaching. 1
don't have great material here,
but don't care. AS soon as
prep school boys, all over the
country realize that they can
have more fun participating in
sports here than anywhere else
they'll flock here, and the first
thing we know we'll have good
football material. But that's
only incidental.
But Chick'\ one couldn't help
asking. Don't you miss the thrill
you used to get out of licking
some big team? Remember that
night in Pittsburgh when your
N. Y. U. team beat a great Car
negie Tech eleven? Remember the
night when your Syracuse team
beat supposedly great Colgate
outfit. Remember. ="
"Say," Chick smiled, "Wait a
minute. Sure, that was thrilling.
But listen. Come into the gym
nasium with me. You'll see q
hundred kids in there playing
handball, basketball, wrestling,
working on rowing machines.
I'm responsible for that. I've
cOaxed them to take up sport
and encouraged them. Now
they're crazy about it. There's
a real thrill for yOu-that really
makes a man want to get up
and yell"
And a look at Chick Meehan's
smiling face, which shows abso-
Lutte self-contentment, bears un-
doubted witness that he speaks