Evening star., 1945-01-25
Crowded AAU Meets
Loom With No New
Records Likely
By DANIEL J. FERRIS,

: Is
Secretary Treasurer. Amateur Athletic
Union.
NEW YORK, Jan. Is R.-Ameri-
can track and field should enjoy In
1945 one OF Its most successful COM
petitive seasons, sans records, per-
haps, but jammed full Of thrilling
racing.
This sport, which has given the
armed forces higher percentage of
its members than any other. actually
will have an increased number Of
athletes available in 1945. Many OF
them, Of course, will be Of high
school age, while others will be
servicemen and Army and Navy
trainees.
An indication Of the trend toward
track and field was revealed when
an unpublicized schoolboy meet in
New York drew more than 2,100
entries few weeks ago. In times
when team sports are affected, track
and field more than holds its own,
for it is pastime which appeals
to the individual.
Any boy can go out to run to keep
in shape. The same applies to the
serviceman or trainee. 1t Is an in
expensive pastime and yet one which
Is important in the rigors of war.
Results of such training have sue
cessfully proved themselves on the
battle fronts, in the air and in every
branch of the armed forces.
No Federal Ban Likely.
Thus there Is little likelihood of
the Government taking any steps to
curtan track and field activities
which are doing SO much to prepare
and to keep SO many Of our young
men physically fit for Army and
Navy duty. Even those already in
the service are greatly benefited
by the training and conditioning
which Is necessary to enable them
to compete successfully in special
and championship contests.
Great credit should be- given to
those athletic organizations which
have been carrying on under trying
conditions to provide meets and
events for all amateur athletes in
and out of the service.
More than so per cent of the par
ticipants in the national outdoor
championships last June already
were in the Army or Navy or were
trainees. When the national indoor
title contests are held in New York
on February "a it is expected that
the services will furnish an even
larger percentage of the entrants.
Because of the Nationwide pub
licity which track receives and the
tremendous interest aroused in our
youth by the appearances of foreign
athletes, it is hoped that Gunder
Haegg, the worlds greatest distance
runner, and Haakon Lidman, crack
hurdler, will be able to come to
America from Sweden within the
next fortnight,
Big Meets Soon Due.
Practically all of the established
meets are scheduled for February
and March and it will be a stimulus
indeed if Haegg and Lidman are on
hand for several of them.
| Meanwhile, plans are under way
for the outdoor season. Many or
ganizations are planning for out
door track meets each week end,
pointing toward the climactic AAU
district and national champion
ships.
The AAU Is making every effort
In its drive for the reduction of ply
sical nnfltness. These plans were
outlined at the annual meeting In
Atlantic City in December. A def
mite movement Is under way to pro-
vide athletic activities for boys be-
tween u and Is years of age thi.
summer. The AAU Is not standing
still in its effort to develop oul
young manhood of whatever age.