Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1942-09-17

IePOIIeu Ill lar DeL- 49,:
ter physical shape M
and all have a much .!|sI Sssa
keener spirit than
football ever has
known before. Grantland Rice
elm the first
place." Curly says, "most of them
know they will be in war service
soon. Most of these men are mar
ried, with kids to look after. But in
the grim game ahead of us they are
all looking forward to doing their
full share.
Elm the second place, they all have
more than few pals now in some
active branch of war service. They
know the sacrifices these men have
had to make. They know the harder
row they have had to face. And
so their pride has made them stick
closer to simpler living and the way
of life that would leave them ready
when needed.
Then and Now
give had linemen," Curly says,
'who would report at $50 pounds.
These men now come in at 23O or
225. They are ready to go. Others
who were from 10 to 20 pounds over
weight in other seasons, reported at
about the same weight they knew
after a hard year last winter.
Practically all of these men have
been keeping in shape for months.
Maybe that isn't much to ask, but
at least it is something. It may be
more than many others are doing
who haven't been called.
'"This is all new sign of the
times,' Lambeau continued. 'It
means we are going to have from
now on far better conditioned set
of men. 1t means that millions of
us realize the old, soft days are over.
1t means big jump in national
fitness. And 1 think we've needed
this lesson.
':Life, as we knew it, had been
pleasant. But has it been physical
ly helpful? Haven't we had too
many of our people who led soft
lives, physically, who took poor care
of their bodies? Who drank too
much? Who ate too much? Who
took little exercise? And so died
well before their due time? 1 think
so. So do most of the coaches and
trainers who have seen men report
from 20 to 40 pounds above the
weight they should carry. And this
goes for almost every part of our
people.
4 Ne1O Age
"With the expected EXCEPTIONS"
Curly carried on, ''we are coming
into a new physical age for the
young and the middle aged-even
for those past CO.
"They all read about and know
about the rigorous training of the
Commands, the Naval Cadets, the
Parachutists, the marines, the SOL
diers and sailors.
"Here we have a war that really
means the survival of the fittest.
Fittest, of course, means brain and
spirit, as well as body. But please
don't forget the big part that phys
ical fitness plays in stamina and en-
durance, especially.
''This is why I still insist this
country needs all the competitive
sport it can get. And that is why
know that football plays, and can
play, a big part in this program.
Football means physical fitness,
body contact, alertness, spirit, sac
rifice, team play, and the ability to
carry on when you are either hurt
or almost OUT
True Condition
Every football coach I've met feels
the same way about the situation.
I've seen any number of young col
lege stars report for training when
they were in no condition for a pill
low fight,
But it takes no great amount of
brains for them to see they are fac
ing a new age-a different world.
Before too long they will be flying
above strange seas, using the bayo-
net, handling tank, or swimming
in Oil-fired water. Their best chance
against the odds is to be trained and
fit for what they have to face.
What will happen to sports in an
other year is another guess. 1t may
move into blackout.
Baseball Umpires
But the main idea is to get from
hard, competitive sport all we can
at the moment, so that other mil
lions called at least will be partially
ready for the job ahead. 1 believe
the majority of those in sport have
this understanding. Those who
haven't can be listed with "the beau
tiful-and the damned"
There has been a tradition in base
ball that aggressive teams are those
which attack the umpires. This ira.
dition is all wrong.