Evening star., 1938-10-14
BAN0NB0YS0V
IS ONE OF FAULTS
Coaches Also Declare They
Lack Time to Instruct,
Condition Players.
N pv,uroN uAWYTNS
By BURTON HAWKINS.

OUIluillUit IoJCI D.
By BURTON HAWKINS.
The public high school football Sc
ries Is under way and the toll, thus
far, includes two broken legs, one dis
located knee. one nastily gashed eye
and . total Of eight stitches in one
lads tongue and lips. Coaches can
not afford to have their names used,
but their fingers are pointing at the
revised rules governing scholastic ath-
letics this year as the reason for the
epidemic Of injuries.
Thus far, in their hrst season of
application. the rules which prohibit
boys over ls from playing high school
football and restrict coaches to an
hour and a half practice a day, four
days a week, plus the elimination of
spring practice, have proved dismal
nop.
Probably never before In the history
of local scholastic football have in
juries plagued teams as has been the
case this season. It may be coinci.
dence, but the men who coach the
youngsters prefer to believe it isn't.
Further. as a means of defense. some
are said to be ignoring the rule which
limits practice to an hour and half
! day.
Rules Have Backired.
sThe rules. designed to eliminate in
juries and spread football among more
youngsters, have backfired. The
coaches are fed up. to put it mildly.
but are expected to maintain q dis
Greet silence. They will talk only
with the promise no names will be
mentioned, and one Of the group speaks
like this:
They've limited us to eight games.
We can't use inexperienced players in
those games because We must present
a representative team capable Of win
ming. The inexperienced kids have to
sit on the bench all season and they're
getting discouraged and quitting.
You can't blame those boys for
quitting. but If we would schedule
two more games against fairly easy
teams we could use those boys, give
them something to look forward to
and at the same time develop material.
They limit our practice sessions,
cut the age limit, thereby giving us
greener material which needs more
training, and expect us to produce
good teams It's impossible. I. for
one. am not observing that hour and
half practice rule and neither are
other coaches. We couldn't do it
and place team on the field"
Many Boys Neglected.
Another coach, long noted for his
ability In handling youngsters, says,
I'VE must choose between condition.
ing and teaching and it is difficult,
Of course. to condition A squad first
and then drill 1t in fundamentals in
the time we are allotted Therefore,
We are forced to take those boys who
are ready for instruction, teach them
the technical points of the game and
neglect the inexperienced boys who
need both conditioning and technical
training
Two or three of the schools get
boys from outlying districts, boys who
are fortunate enough to have been
hardened by healthful outdoor work
and play. But most of us get boys
from apartment house areas. They
are soft and rarely have touched A
football before reaching high school.
Those boys need instruction and lots
OF it. but under the present set-up they
! can't get it,"
Lack OF spring practice and lack
OF equipment due to poor financing
are our chief difficulties" continues
another coach. we could teach the
kids fundamentals in spring practice
and condition them when they re.
ported back in the fall.
Can't Condition Players.
These boys are not in condition to
play football and it's almost impos-
siole to get them in shape. There
aren't enough men IN physical edu.
cation departments to do a decent
Job. Scholastic football will be a
thing OF the past very shortly unless
conditions are remedied here"
George Preston Marshall, who owns
the Washington Redskins and doesn't
mind being quoted. says local scholastic
football is disgrace. He claims it is
the worst in the country and Mr..
Marshall has been around.
Look at this field." demanded
Marshall at recent high school game
I wouldn't let my team step on .
field that was in that condition and
certainly these boys shouldn't have to.
The kids aren't getting q square deal"
Meanwhile Delbert Coon, Anacostia
tackle, and Earl Wood, Roosevelt
tackle, are nursing fractured legs.
Jack Neam. Western guard. is digest
ing liquids. You can't bite into a
steak with three stitches in your
tongue and five more in your lips
Robert Gordon, Anacostia halfback,
has a dislocated knee, and Otis Scott,
Anacostia end, has nastily gashed
right eye As = souvcflier Of his par
tlcipation in the schoolboy series.
Coaches Afraid to Talk.
The season still is young. Only
four series games have been played
and already there Is bumper crop Of
injuries. Time may bring more.
Frank Dohson, University of Mary
land coach, says, IAN undefeated foot
ball record isn't worth q. sprained
instep to one player"
The high school coaches feel the
same way and feel revision Of rules
would decrease the mounting injuries.
but they cannot afford to officially
speak. AZ.