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Show "(7" Athletics Due for New Era; Analysis of . Trouble Shows Needs t i i I Students and Team Members Unanimous inDe-' inDe-' manding "U" Man for Coach; Athletic Council Coun-cil Should Direct Affairs; Gymnasiuni Should Be Open in Evenings as Well as in Daytime; Variety of Sports Would Result. By S. L. KERR. THINGS nrc due to move and turn so rapidly at Uto University of Utah during the next few weeks, n t filet i ally t-pculiins. th;i I t iio instil in-stil ution, before I ho ikv year Is far jidvam-ed, will Unci itself wcli started aiotiR h eoir?e wliich Its warmest tup-l-'Ortvrs have vtrKod for years, but generally gener-ally villi despair. For several years, annually or biennially, biennial-ly, the question has been asked, "What Is wrornf witii alliletirs at !ie University f Utah ?" Many answers have boon uiven, few of tiiem a.creeiiiEr upon tiie set of the trouble. In the present article ar-ticle the writer believe !;.; h;1 s arrived at a truo perpeetive of the question, for the reason that lie lias eaucrht a plimpso f t)ie problem In the piwvss of ciysta!-I'.z;itioii, ciysta!-I'.z;itioii, and lie aims to point out the solution, il? vv" as fomc of the present nd past defects. Three Important Factors. The quick solution of the Crimson's troubles will come as the result of these three factors, which now exist: The rs-lin.T rs-lin.T l ion oT Xelsu H. o: i:nn as enrich ; the, increased facilities at the university j ' in the way of an improve, i vninasiuiu. and a demand on Ut part ci tia- si laienis f t!ie unh ei :-lt'. as well as many i":ic- rulty membrrs, alumni and townspeople, l hat the athletic situation be handled sanely. There i? just one chance that ''U" alh- Metics will not be given this opportunity in the near future, ami that chance is that those In authority will refuse to recognize rec-ognize the insistent demand of the n a-joriiy a-joriiy of students and alumni. The writer makes so hold as to suy that the appointment of Tominv Fitr.pat-riek Fitr.pat-riek as coach will insure a period of athletics ath-letics at tne school which will 1 worthv of the Institution, not for the reason that Tommy himself would be able to do this alone, or that he could be expected to. but for the reason that his appointment appoint-ment would mark the realization of the 1 new, vigorous and broad policy now he-inc he-inc desired almost unanimouslv bv thoe who a iv familiar with the situation. "UM Man for Coach. One of the Mist points In this new policy pol-icy is that a local man. a "U" man. who Mvlertands the UXversitv of Utah and the high schools of the state, be appoint- J ed to the coachiusr job. The choice has j lallen upon Uitzpatrick praetieailv unan- I itnously. because he is just about the ! only man who can measure up to the : qualifications and who is available at the present time. I It may be said that the .senrral opinion ! is that Tommy will be made th ext coach: that the athletic authorities on the hnl wid resnond to the demand now be-jns' be-jns' made. There is just one point that m.,kes this uncertain, and the is a point which must be eieared up. for The farther far-ther reason that it wiif arise auain in the future. It is boin debated whether the, (Continued on Following Page.) I 'U' ATHLETICS DIE mm Brira1 (Continued from Preceding Page.) recommendation of a coach to the board of regents should oome from the athletic council or from Dr. L.eo H. Marshall, head of the department of physical education. It is probable that in t he present instancy in-stancy the recommendation will be made hy Dr. Marshall, and Fitzpn trick's name will probably be the one susestcd. if the mat tor had rested with the athletic council, the choice would, in all probability, proba-bility, have been made a week or more ago. Athletic Council Responsible. This brings up a second point in the policy which must eventually result. Coaching matters must be taken out of the hands of the department of physical 1 education and gven to the athletic conn- i oil. Everyone "knows that the athletic council is heid responsible for the success of athletics. Then, why should it not I be given full authority? Moreover, ev- I eryone knows that in reality there lias been no connection between athletics and j the department of physical education, and 1 no understanding whatever. As a matter of fact, whether it is true or not, it is frequently repeated on the campus that members of the physical education department de-partment are, at best, only lukewarm in support of Intercollegiate athletics, and would like to see intermural sports take the place of the present system. Sucli a general belief, whether true or not, handicaps han-dicaps athletics under the present arrangement. Moreover, the policy advocated will give the members of the department of physical education a chance to establish sports within the school, a. thing which no advocate of Intercollegiate sports ever opposed. The new gymnasium facilities, if handled properly, will make it possible for practically every student in the university uni-versity to engage in athletic activity, to the advantage of intercollegiate sport, and with the support of those behind the movement to put strong teams into the field against other institutions. Develop New Material. In fact, this is just what has always been desired by supporters of the "U." By having a large number of men engage en-gage in sport, material ca.n be found for the varsity teems. It is the system followed fol-lowed in rival universities and it is the system which will have Crimson athletics. ath-letics. Tommy Fttzpatriek believes in such an arrangement and would work to strengthen it. The question arises:' "What is necessary neces-sary to bring about a large participation in interclass and iuterorganizat'on con-testa?" con-testa?" The answer is that the old, sleepy and clannish rules which have hitherto prevailed for the university gymnasium must be abandoned. Yesterday Yes-terday afternoon the university swlm-ming swlm-ming pool was filled with water for the first time, and the men's lockers were moved to the new quarters. Why not throw open the gymnasium so that that swimming pool, new showers and 'gymnasium 'gym-nasium equipment may be used at night as well as in the daytime; by the alumni alum-ni and friends of the school as well as by the students; by the people from down town, as well, unless the gym is too overcrowded to accommodate the latter? In the past the gymnasium building has been locked up with the first touch of- darkness and on Saturdays shortly after noon. It is the same trouble which has prevailed in connection with the university library and other buildings, and it marks a wrong attitude. The people of the state paid for the university univer-sity buildings and equipment and the money at the present time is not being used to the best advantage. Let those persons in charge of the university gymnasium gym-nasium wake up. Let them open the building and encourage exerciso and competition. It is what they themselves have already desired, and It is what successful suc-cessful intercollegiate athletics must have. The facilities have finally been supplied and no further excuses should be made. A Wide-open Gym. The fj'.ct is. the change in the policy of operating the gymnasium is just as good as here, for the students are demanding de-manding the change and their demand will become louder and louder. There is no reason why the university should not put boxing, wrestling. swimming and any number of other kinds of teams into competition. Just a little encourage encour-age men t and a wide open gym will accomplish ac-complish the result. This is how Utah athletics are likely to stack up shortly after the Christmas vacation is over. Tommy Fttzpatriek is likely to be on the Job as coach, and the university gymnasium will probably be open at nitht while rival busker bull teams, swimmers. boxers, wrestlers, track men. handball players aud any number of other enthusiasts make it a hive of act iviry. It is not likely that there will any longer bo a lack of candidates can-didates for basketball, baseball and track tams. Moreover, an attractive gymnasium, gymna-sium, together with the mixing and persuasive per-suasive qualities of the little Irishman, should brine many of those high - school boys to Utah who now find their way to Logan. The only thing remaining will be to give thp coach, nnd athletic round h fr-:-e hand m athletics and conditions will just nhriut be fulfilled for the ua-.m of a new era. |