Evening star., 1937-04-18

champions or candidates for Davis
Cup teams they will be creditable
representatives Of this country in the
game, at home or abroad.
And Washington, through its new
and effective net association, is Join
ing with New York, Boston, Philadel-
phia, Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati,
Milwaukee, Kansas City, Atlanta
Memphis and other major cities in
furthering the object of the national
body by individual cooperation.
More to the point, the Capital
stands better than an even chance of
achieving something tangible out Of
the movement, due to it's abundance
OF youngsters whose games are prom
ising, to say the least.
1t was largely because of the
realization of this fact that Stan
McCaskey, president of the District
Tennis Association, took the national
body's step to heart and appointed
Maj. c. w. Christenberry, vice presi-
ednt Of the D. C. T. A., chairman of
Washington's Junior Davis Cup Squad
Committee. Working with the major
will be trio of well-known figures in
local tennis circles who ever have
kept the games youth at heart since
they themselves played in their prime.
They are Clarence Charest, Louis I.
Doyle and Tom Mangan, whose
identity is known to every follower Of
the game here.
Also on the committee Is Charles w.
Phillips, colleague Of Maj. Christen-
berry. who plays on the War Depart
ment's team in the Government
League.
WHILE no definite plans have as
yet been formulated, certain
blueprints have been established for
the guidance Of similar groups
throughout the country. Each squad
will be under the eye Of one or more
experienced senior players, who are
competent to coach the boys in
strokes, tactics, fighting spirit, phys
| ical condition, court manners and
sportsmanship.
Several days q week during the
Summer vacation. good practice will
be provided against expert amateurs
! or professionals. Possibly In July or
August the best two or three boys on
each squad may be asked to assemble
at representative club to play an
intersquad match along Davis Cup
lines.
| The exact procedure which has been
adopted by the New York squad prob
ably will be typical Of others, and it is,
briefly, as follows:
| % Committees now are CORE
spending or talking with the most
promising players Of each club in the
city which wishes to cooperate. Sug-
gestions are being made as to the best
manner In which the leading players
can be singled out.
q Before Summer vacation starts.
these boys will be assembled to meet
| the captain or coach Of the squad,
who will discuss strokes, tactics, etc.
| (3) After schools close the candi-
dates for the squad will be asked to
play q few sets, the captain or coach
watching the play, after which linn
tied number Of the most promising
will be invited to join the city's junior
Davis Cup squad-further coaching
and practice to be provided during
the Summer.
The U. S. L. T. A. has set aside an
appropriation for initiating this work
and it is expected that the sectional
associations will match the amount
allotted to each squad center from the
| general appropriations made annually
by the national association to the sec
tional organizations. This the Middle
Atlantic Association, sectional body for
the District, has promised to do. AS
the plan develops professional in
structors will be employed at each
center for the purpose of teaching the
selected members Of the squad the
technique of correct racket grip, swing
and footwork.
The ultimate goal Of the national
association is that, in time, a group OF
some IS to 100 youngsters, ranging
from Is to 20 years of age, located in
all sections Of the country, will have
been properly coached in all phases
Of the game and will be fit to repre-
sent the United States in international
competition. To paraphrase bit,
this preliminary work would serve as
undergraduate" work, leading to q
Davis Cup diploma.
WASHINGTON is ripe for the un-
w dertaking of such work. At
present the Capital has only two play
ers outstanding enough even to be
considered as Davis Cup material.
They are Barney Welsh, the local
champion and currently ranked six
teenth in the country, and Gilbert
Hunt, good enough to be one of the
Nations best when in the mood to
play. He held the national ranking
Of No. 23 two years ago.
Both, obviously, would not be among
those eligible" for Davis Cup coach
ing, in that each already has q sound
knowledge Of the game, has played
against some Of the best in the coun-
try and needs only constant competi-
ton to develop into the limit of
ability.
But what about our promising, but
Is yet immature youngsters? In the
order of their ranking, they are Allie
Ritzenberg, the junior champion
Harry March, the runner-up and now
. student at the University Of North
Carolina; Charley Charming, . fresh
man at the University Of Virginia
Ralph Adair. Billy Turner, Dewitt