The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1941-01-30

otherS who may Still move on beyond
him in other walks of life.
True champions are not carved
from Drawn and bOne-not even
from speed and stamina. They
must have something more.
Many competitors may be bigger,
faster and stronger than the field
they face-and yet not quite arrive
at the top, while others with less
to work with may carry the banner
of stardom well beyond their set
barriers.
"Of course" remarked Mr.. Kel.
land, she must have ability. But
ability-plus what else?"
The Top Ingredients
First of all I should say there
must be love of the game he plays
the love of the thing he is doing.
The star football player must love
football as game beyond any other
reward. This goes for baseball,
golf, and every other sport.
1t must bring to him the ambition
to excel-through practice, through
hard work, through condition,
through greater concentration.
Davey O'Brien at $50 pounds and
Charlie O'Rourke of Boston college
were far better football players than
most entries who range from 200 to
$50, and who are just as fast. Frank
Hinkey, "the disembodied ghOst' at
$50 pounds, is still football tradi-
ton.
The next two features are natural
knack and mental poise. These are
born in the athlete, not acquired.
ALI the scientists and all the chem
istry in the world can't supply knack
and mental poise from the outside.
They might wreck nations, but
they can't give man those two
things.
For example, Bobby Jones hap
pened to be born with the knack
for great golf. He was also born
with the ability to concentrate, and
later he forced himself to take
harder beating, on the mental and
psychological side, than anyone else
in his game. He was willing to suf-
fer more in order to win.
AS Don Marquis once wrote, "You
must suffer to be strong"
There is no easy road to the top
of the hill of fame in sport. There
are no paved boulevards of Incidence
and pleasant dreams. Those who
arrive must earn the ascent by hard
work.
And there is no substitute for hard
work. The genius can have his on
and off day. But Tommy Har-
mon, for example, was out there
taking aim for IS or 60 minutes of
every game. And don't forget Tom
my Harmon, always the marked
man, took more than his share of
punishment. But he was in shape
to carry this burden. Condition is
one of the great words from any
dictionary.
Color and Spirit
''What about two other major fac
tors?" Mr.. Kelland asked. ST mean
color and spirit"
"What is color?" I asked the
bronzed son of Arizona.
Color" replied Mr.. Kelland, "is
that peculiar and intangible quail
ity that catches the public imagi-
nation-the fancy of the mob.
mean the thing possessed by Babe
Ruth, Bobby Jones and Jack Demp-
sey- the three most colorful ath-
letes of all time.
"Color is something no one can
explain. But the crowd knows it.
It is never the same in two people.
But it always has the same result.
And the crowd finds it first of all.
The crowd knows that they like it,
but they don't know what it is.
cit is something with a direct hui
man appeal. 1t doesn't mean speed,
it doesn't mean power, it doesn't
mean skill or stamina. It is some
thing that goes even farther than
charm"
what about spirit?" I asked my
tormentor from 10000 yesterdays.
Spirit" remarked Mr.. Kelland,
sis the cold fire of competition on
the day you deliver the goods. 1t
is combination of enthusiasm and
determination, plus confidence"
To me spirit is burning flame
that never fades or dies.
Spirit is also something beyond
explaining, although it can be ex-
banded or developed under proper
encouragement. But the germ must
always be there.
Spirit is blood brother of inspira-
ton. What inspiration is to the true
poet, spirit is to the athlete. Minus
spirit-the true spirit of competition
against all odds-the greatest phys
ical specimen is just hulk. Without
spirit the best athlete is little better
than tractor laboring under a
heavy load.
"But after ALL" said Mr.. Kelland,
''the true champion must know how
to wear his laurels after he has won
them. He must know how to win.
If he is a good loser, then he isn't
true champion. 1 mean inwardIy.
In defeat he should keep his mouth
shut-but he should be burning up
inside. He should be all set to get
ready for the next test. If someone
knocks him down he should prepare
to get up again even before he
hits the ground.
81 don't believe in losing with a
smile. The idea of defeat should be
intolerable to a champion"