The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-07-12
SMALL SCHOOL
CR|DIRONS WOES
ENCULF COACH
Mentor at Union College
Laments He's Even
Blocking Dummy
BY LEO SOROKA
United Press Staff Correspondent

Un1te0 fTeSS stan COkKeSpOuuenb
Schenectady, N. July l2-Pity
the football coach at small colleges,
especially If he Is the target for the
players blocks and tackles during
preseason practice--example, Nell
son w. Nitchman, head coach Of
Union Colleges indicated 1888
football squad.
In the first place, Nitchman said,
small colleges must contend with
the lack of reserves which impairs
their progress considerably, whereas
the coaching staff in the larger COLI
leges is not alarmed because there
are generally several capable re-
serves.
"A severe injury to one Of our
better players or perhaps some
scholastic or financial difficulty
which he encounters often neces-
states our doing without him per-
manently or temporarily" Mitch
man said.
Too Few Good Cogs
'The small college coach cannot,
like the successful business execu-
tive, build and retain highly COM
petent organization, making an oc-
casional change in personnel to
guarantee consistently fine results"
Nitchman said spring practice
with aims Of determining the relative
strengths of veterans and freshmen
is taboo at the small college. But this
fact, he said, doesn't mean the small
college coach's job is extremely easy
in the spring.
Between the termination of winter
sports and the beginning of spring
sports, Nitchman inaugurates week
of dummy" scrimmage in the
gymnasium on basic plays only.
Thereafter many football players
engage in spring activities, so Mitch
man confines the rest Of his spring
work to drilling individuals on fund
amental skills.
Prospective football players par
ticipating in informal" daily work.
outs during the late spring are given
Individual attention, with Nitchman
Serving as the target for the youths.
Candidates report at their leisure
for Is to 20 minutes from one to five
DAYS weekly, executing line and open
field blocks at the expense of the
coach. Nitchman said the spring
period affords an opportunity to as
certain whether players technique
lis poor; for example, If he lunges
las he blocks, If he drives of on the
wrong foot, If he commits himself
too soon in his open field blocking,
or II he fails to carry through after
contact.
Hard Work For Coach
"The coach as the target may find
this daily work quite trying physi-
cally." Nitchman said. Nevertheless
there is a great qualification IN
realizing that the many original
flaws found in our numerous green
bows" have been ironed out through
Striving for perfection by constant
Repetition"
In four seasons at Union College.
Nitchman's teams have won IL ana
HE'D two of the 80 games played. Sam
Hammerstrom Of Jamestown. N. X,
Complied So points to become the
highest scorer in the East IN last
years undefeated campaign.
The small college coach, Mitch
man said, must work with what
ever material he has on hand.
"One year the squad may be COM
orised of 80 boys with good physiques
and reasonably good football back
rround." he said. "yet cyclically the
next wear the majority Of boys on
The squad may be small in stature
and may have had no football ex-
oerience whatsoever"
Nitchman believes a team is as
good as its reserves, so he tries 70
Build on the two-team idea. But
1e says:
"In a small college this Is very
iifficult as even many Of its best
bows are mediocre players whose
ievelopement takes a full two years