Evening star., 1935-10-06


~ qualities of a good tackle. A
4 n study of his reply will give
every boy who hopes to be a success
ful player something to think about.
Every coach" this foot ball author
ity says, lis anxious to have alert,
high-spirited, rugged men at his tackle
posts. Weight and size, though de-
sirable, are not as important as quick
ness, speed. determination and cour-
age. Because the tackle is in the thick
OF the fray at all times, his play calls
for stout heart, stamina and per-
siStent drive.
On defense, the tackle must watch
the ball like hawk and develop a
quick, nimble and slashing charge.
He must at all times keep directly
in front of the play directed at him,
and must not give an inch of ground
The good tackle learns to recover
quickly and hurl his weight forward
with reckless abandon. He must
tackle with precision. On offense he
must be a good, clean-cut blocker"
NOW the tackles are often the big
gest, most powerful players on a
foot ball team. Out-and-out Drawn is
probably more important for them
than for any other men in the game
Yet notice how much stress this COL
lege coach puts on mental qualities,
as distinct from mere size and
strength.
Observation-Disclosures hearted
neutrality-suspicious. drive-determi-
-courage-reckles abandon
precision" Every one of those words
refers to a boys mind and heart, as
much as to his body! They give you
some idea of how important the men
tai or psychological angle is in de-
veloping good foot ball player.
OF course, no physical weakling can
hope to become a gridiron star. But
given a healthy. normally strong body,
there is no reason why any boy can't
become a good player - provided
always that he has, or can develop,
the proper mental qualifications.
NOR is this the opinion of one coach
alone. Another authority says
that the most important attribute of
a good player is love of the game.
Many a player has become outstand-
ing simply because he had a normally
strong body, plus a never-say-die
spirit and a real love for foot ball.
These mental traits are even more
important for a back than they are
for hneman.- Another coach, in dis
cussing famous halfbacks, points out
that they have varied greatly in build,
weight and speed. Some are short,
powerful, and stocky. Others are tall,
shifty, and rangy. But every half
back, this coach insists, must have in
telligence, alertness and courage.
A fullback should be strong and
heavy, with the ability to get up
great power and momentum quickly.
But he also must be clear-headed,
aggressive, dogged and fearless. And
q quarterback, even more than the
other backs, must have the proper
mental qualities if he expects to be of
the utmost value to his team.
THE choice of plays is quarter
backs chief responsibility. He
must exercise good judgment, and
must be able to keep a clear head at
all times. no matter what the situa-
tion. His teammates look to him as
their leader, and he can do a great
deal to inspire them. One veteran
player says that the confident spirit
of team depends more on the clear,
sharp calling of signals by the quar-
terback than on all the pep talks"
that its coach can give it.
Every one who has watched many
foot ball games has had the experience
of seeing a light team consistently
outplay a stronger, heavier team. The
secret Of this accomplishment is alert
ness-the ability to get the jump on
the other fellow. A light tackle or
guard who is wide awake and on his
toes can get into motion, hit his big
ger opponent first, and shove him
around with surprising ease.
One of the hardest jobs that any
coach has is to get every player to
give his absolute best on every play.
Foot ball is a game of constant physi-
,to, ,4 yr fa,