The Ely miner., 1942-10-08

football players will be drawn into
some branch of the service. We
need too many men. Being mar
ried or having dependents won't
help those between 20 and IS, es-
pecially those who are physically
fit, as most athletes should be.
"There is little use in building
up a sporting nation if these men
can't be used in time of war for
active service"
Looking ahead
''What will happen to competitive
sport?" I asked. "I'm referring
largely to baseball and football"
Sport will have to get along with
what it has left. There won't be
any stars left on the professional
side. I don't think there will be
many stars left on the amateur side
for college football either. There
may be few big spectacles of any
sort-or none at ALL" But that
doesn't mean all sport will be
thrown overheard. That would be a
serious mistake.
With a draft limit fixed between
Is and so, something almost GER
tain to happen, with more and more
married men drawn Uneven those
with families-it is difficult to see
now how the two major baseball
leagues or the professional football
leagues can operate after 1912 has
slipped over the hill. Men physical
ly equipped to play hard games
are the ones that are needed above
all other types.
What will be used to fill in the
huge gaps is another guess.
The College Side
College football may run into the
same tangle. The season just ahead
will be one of the most spectacular
in football history. There will be
far more men playing more games,
when you include the different serv-
ice teams.
But with the growing need for
men, especially young man power,
the colleges viii get a terrific raid
ing. Which is the way it should be.
On a general average to find the
best type of man power we must
look to youth-to those between 18
and 80. So far as war and training
for war is concerned, the best years
range between 18 and 25.
No one but a complete idiot can
gamble on this being short war.
Suppose it isn't short war, which
few who should know think it will
be? In that case the younger men,
the athletes, will be among those
who can help most.
I saw a big chunk of the present
German army in hard training
around Berlin in 1886 during the
last Olympic games. Kids by the
thousands-12, Is and IA years old
marched mile after mile-up to Is
miles day.
No matter what the game, young
sters must be caught and trained
early in order to reach any real
heights.
Training Plan
There should be some plan for
training and developing boys around
13 or IA or Is in this country today.
Those to whom I have talked in
the army and the war department
in general agree with this. These
youngsters will be a vital part of
our service in case the war lasted
five or six years. Not forgetting
the force that will be needed after
the war is over.
An athlete might be no better
than one who was never cast in any
athletic test. But he should be.
Not in the matter of courage, but
along the line Of physical condition
and trained muscles-in co-Ordi-
nation and endurance.
This country has been shy in leg
strength and leg stamina for a long
time. The place to start now is at
far younger ages, and some war
plan must be worked out to meet
this vital situation.
There never has been a better
coach than Bob Zuppke to get set
for one vital contest.
Fritz Crisler, Michigan's able
leader, discovered this when he hap
pened to say that Tom Harmon was
a better back than Grange ever
was.
That was all Zuppke needed.
Using this as his theme in a series
of blazing oratorical sorties, Zuppke
had his team so steamed up by
game time that Harmon could fine
no exits.
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There was the afternoon when
Zup's often beaten little Illinois
squad moved to apparently hopeless
slaughter against one of the great
est teams Minnesota ever had. But
on that day Illinois slipped through
the biggest football upset of all time.
It was just before that Minnesota
game that Zup gave one of his IA
nous pre-game talks to his small
squad. Here was his opening out
burst to an astonished group
"I am Louis the Fourteenth and
you are my court. After US, the
deluge."
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