Evening star., 1936-03-18

~ ASING opinion upon findings
- arising from six-year sur
vey of foot ball fatalities, Prof.
- Floyd r. Eastwood Of New
York University believes that one OF
the greatest, if not the greatest, safe
guards against injury and fatal acci-
dent on the gridiron is complete
warming up of the individual before
he enters the game.
Coaches, he says to the writer, would
be well advised in seeing that this is
done, for, in so doing, it is his con-
viction there would be more favor
able report concerning the hazards
of foot ball in years to come.
Prof. Eastwood is associated with
Prof. Frank C. Lloyd, also Of N. Y. u,
in these annual surveys, which are
sponsored by the National Bureau OF
Casualty and Surety Underwriters.
He debates the statement recently
reported by this writer from New Jer-
sey sources that deaths and injuries
in high school games increase as con-
tests continue.
First 20 Minutes Hazardous.
THE greatest percentage of. acci-
L dents in colleges occurred" he
saws, in the first 10 minutes of games
and during the first 20 minutes of
practice Scrimmage. In school games
the highest percentage of casualties
occurred in the first 20 minutes.
Thereafter a marked decline Is shown
in all cases.
1T sens to me" he goes on to say,
"that If the length of quarters were
changed, little reduction in fatalities
and injuries would occur.
The thing that seems to me most
necessary is a complete warming up
of the individual before he enters q
game. I feel sure that you and
both have seen the common practice
Of sending the team on the field to
warm up, then, 10 minutes before the
game they are called into the locker
room for lengthy talk and brought
out on the field again just in time to
start the game. This previous warm
ing up has had little value in allow
ing the boys to relearn, so to speak, or
warm up before the start of a contest
"A further need is indicated in the
data we have collected, that boys sent
into a game after it has started seldom
are satisfactorily warmed up. A grea;
deal more work is necessary to make
definite statements along this line.
want you fully to appreciate that this
Is my personal opinion from the analy-
sis Of data we have received"
Some of this data is extremely in
teresting, especially that which bears
upon the matter of extending the
time of preliminary practice as pro-
posed by Harvard.
Decline Late in Season.
THUS in colleges, Prof. EASTWOOD
= finds that the greatest percent
age of accidents steadily increased
until the week of october and ther
decreased steadily for the remainder
of the season. The most serious in
juries occurred before September IT
Fundamentally, the same situation ex-
listed in 1882 and 1888.
In high schools in 1885 the percent
age Of accidents steadily rose up to
the week Of October IL and thereafter
declined. On the other hand, the
high peak in school fatalities was
reached in the third week in October,
% per cent, and another peak, IT per
cent, between the second and third
weeks in November. It is not easy to
say what to make of this finding. But
one theory may be adduced from the
fact that there were but three COL
iege fatanties-that collegiate players
have the benefit of better coaching,
training and general supervision, that
gridirons are in better condition and
that the players are more mature.