File:How to become an athlete (1916) (14779734871).jpg

Identifier: howtobecomeathle00sull (find matches)
Title: How to become an athlete
Year: 1916 (1910s)
Authors: Sullivan, James Edward, 1862-1914. (from old catalog)
Subjects: Athletics
Publisher: New York, American sports publishing company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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ence late in the yeai^ and have them run long distancesfrom fall to spring. I would send them cross-country, at distances from fourto six miles several times weekly. Not at top speed, ofcourse, but at a good, steady gait. If I had a lot ofnovices who could not win at anything, but were anxious tofollow the game, I would start them walking. Id havethem walk for a year or more. Not walk as one doesthrough the country, but on the track where they wouldhave a chance to be judged, and race each other. Outof this bunch two or three good walkers might be developed.The work would give the others strength and confidenceso that if trained for running I feel confident many ofthem would eventually develop into champions, becausea walking race of two or three miles is the most gruellingsport there is, and the man who can go that far at goodracing speed must have strength and gameness. I think this type of work would make novices good sub-jects for a trainer who desires to find and develop distance
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J. C. D. Reidpntli. 2, John Paul Joues. 3. Abel Kiviat. Spaldings athletic library 29 runners. 1 say this with confidence, for some of thegreatest distance runners in the world were men that startedout as walkers. George Bonhag and Jim Gilford, two of thegreatest five mile runners America ever had, were goodwalkers. Harry Fredericks, one time American mile cham-pion, was an amateur walker. Frank Lantry was a goodwalker, and later developed into a runner. In recentyears, we can cite the case of Myles McHugh. who was afairly good walker. After trying that game for some timehe took up running, and to-day he is a runner of ability. If a club has a lot of youngsters who have athletic in-clinations, but lack strength and dash, I would suggestthat such men go to the track each day and walk underproper coaching nearly as fast as they can, as far as theycan. After six months or a year of this, those who donot excel as walkers will have laid the foundation forseveral of the other track events.

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