Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-09-02
WIN, LOSE OR
UkAW By FRANCIS s1AAA
The Star Maker


history such 1885, threeyear period in which the
Walter Reed Hospital Swim Club girls wrapped up six
straight National AAU team titles set barrel of records
and sent their brighter stars to the Olympic Games
No longer Is there Walter Reed Swim Club. But the
young who fashioned that fabulous stable water
going lies remains in midst and Stan Tnkham pre-
diets some day the Washington girls land men) will
be back in the national and international picture again
ut may take time" Tinkham cautions, "or it
may happen sooner than anybody has right to expect
Just don't know But I've got the nucleus of couple of
teams, girl and boy. right now"
For nearly year, since Walter Reed Hospital
officials forced to dsband their racing stable Tnk
ham had been coach without pool. He's got one
at the indoor Northern Virginia Aquatic Club in
Arlington which is replica of the Payne Whitney pool
at Yale. The teams name is the Potomac Swim Club
sHH$
RETIRED FROM COMPETITIVE swimming now are
most Of Tinkhams stars at Walter Realistically Manu.
Dougie Gray, Wanda Werner, Mary Jane Sears Betty
Mullen Brey and Marie Gillet but swimming coaches
accustomed to turnovers I'm any longrange program
you've got to develop blood against the day you
the boys to college and the girls lose their zes for hard
training" Stan says resgnedy.
When Tinkham was "a years old-thiS was in 1956-he
became the youngest American Olympic swimming coach
in history He rated the job because that year his
Walter Reed girls owned about of every two United
States womens records plus three world Seven of
his starshe Misses Mann, Sears, Werner Brey Gillet
Gray and Kay Knapp-won national titles and four went
to Melbourne. Australia, for the Olympcs. Miss Manu.
Miss Sears silver.
IF you count the diving we won the Olympic SWIM
ming by n points Stan says. II" you don't diving
Australia beat u.s. Most people think diving belongs in
team totals
How will we do in 1850? Well, I think wen be
stronger. There's crop coming up. But Australia
has some new kids too particularly the Konrads Well
dominate the diving again and do well in the sprints but
those Australians are awfuy tough to beat in free sye
THE YOUNG MAN WHO ORIGINALLY hailed from
Yankton, s. Dak sort of fell into coaching especially
coaching girls He had been A-Amerca swimmer at the
University Of North Carolina and after he graduated
the Army tapped him. Pfc. Tnkham was put into the
Medical Corps and assigned to Walter Reed
The hospital had coach and very good one in Jim
Campbell who coaches at the University of Pennsylvania
and the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington But in a.
Campbell quit and T1nkham's commanding officer know
ing Of STAINS swimming background, handed him the job
He was %.
Campbell left Tinkham the nucleus, but the young
private did the polishing and developing And how come
such success with the girls-more so than with the
mems team?
"Oh guess there girl swimmers" Stan says
I'D like to have good mems team We may here" waving
hand at his plush, modernstc aquatic club although
at the moment the girls in training bit ahead in
ability"
TINKHAM HAS NO PREFERENCE when it comes to
coaching 1.-THE girls will work harder and they're steader
he dscoses ION the other hand they are competitive to
able to take victory defeat in stride"
Having been an Olympic coach, and having produced
many national champions in such short time obviously
doesn't hurt Tnkham chances Of developing future
great teams However the young only touches this
advantage obquey Look at the divers the Los Angeles
Athletic Club turns out he illustrates They developed
few champions and because of their they draw
other girls So they always have winners guess the
thing applied to the Yankees in baseball The kids the
way wanted to play for the Yankees they wanted
to be in the World Series"
The Russians probably will win the 1860 olympics,
I1nkham thinks although they're not likely to score in
swimming They don't have many swimmers Stan reports
The Russians put weghtfters and ballet dancers in
the diving events, but )" He shrugged.
III say this for the Russians they spend more time,
money and MIN in an effort to improve than any other
country Even lor swimming when they have solid per-
formers yet. II the United States is going To win the
oympics-I mean track and field and all the res-were
going to have to take interest That's all there is to