To generalize somewhat, athletes are a strange

lot, and professional athletes are undoubtedly the’
strangest. Perhaps it’s the money that doesit.

-What brings this not. too
original (and unimportant)
‘theorem to mind at? this
particular moment in time is
the. fact. that pre-season
hockey is in full flight and
once again, from almost
every camp, coaches -are
decrying the condition of
some of their -highly priced
youngathletes. —_—_.
. And the athletes them-

selves? A few of them are
bemoaning the fact that
some coaches in the league
actually expect their players
to run in training camp.

NO NEED

One of them said the other

‘day that he was there to play

hockey and not to run. So
there.

The Canucks opened
camp with a two mile run
each day for a week while
the Winnipeg Jets had their
‘McVie mile’ a run which

had to. be: accomplished-in.

just under six minutes.

“The interesting pect of
all this is the amount of ink .

given this.” “training
procedure. And not only the
coverage, but the fact that
many scribes (and. players)
seemed to think that this
policy of making athletes run
was some new and original
commandment.

In one sense, the basic
difference between the
amateur athlete and the pro
is that the amateur works
hard at his particular sport,
not because of any reward
except the intangible prize of
succeeding, while the pro,
again ai generalization,

‘ Works only as hard as he has

to in order to keep picking
up his cheque. ae

Another interesting fact

that seems to escape many of

‘the whining types of athletes

is that the guys who do well

on these ‘brutal’ training |
systems are the better

players. Perhaps there is. a

message in - there
_ somewhere. ,
DOING HARM

So maiy- of these young,
gifted would be athletes are
doing themselves inesti-

mable harm. by not accepting -

the simple truth that top-
notch conditioning is the
surest way to succeed, and
avoid injury.

We all know the excellent
conditioning of the East
European hockey teams. But
so often we pass it off by

saying ‘they'll be sent to the -
salt mines if they don’t do it’ .
-. whichis a load of batdung.:.°

to success. With no ex-
ceptions.

| Look at the Vancouver

Whitecaps. They spent close’
to an hour running every day

before starting the rest of
their practice. Did it work?

Someone once said to
Buzz Parsons that he seemed

to have a lucky streak going ~

when it came to playing the
Cosmos.

Parsons reply: ‘No luck,
just hard work.’

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It’s = probably haman

nature that people are
_ always trying to.) avoid
‘. physical effort, but .it is
. amazing. to..tour- the ‘North .
Shore. checking. out. all the
’ -athletic:fields with the many
_teamspracticing. - _ :

“In far too many instances

there are groups of kids
standing around doing -as

that.good thoughts and good -
create.

equipment will-
success in. lieu of good

_ works.

. Canadian . football ‘too .
- Must come under the gun.
. : Because of the nature of the
. game ‘as it is. played today,

the emphasis is on bulk in
athletes: And too much bulk

means. the conditioning _
_ suffers. a bit. And in. this.
‘sport, a lack of conditioning

is dangerous.

7 “Last -year in the NFL the

injury rate throughout the
league was 100 ‘per cent.

That’s everybody. Every
single player in the league —
, }

little as possible while one or -
vi | two work: hard. Any bets as |
“: ~ to. which kids ‘will be: the
‘better: athletes. in’ a few

Oe

perros

was injured at one time or

\ another last season. A great

act to emulate isn’t it? <~ -

‘But the interesting part of

- football is that the average.
_ player . participates in the

' physical activity for only

‘about seven minutes
maximum, =| ee

the ball is snapped until. the
referee blows it dead, added

up over the course of. the _

game. and. taking. into
consideration that no player
plays both ways. oe
The problem is that: the
athlete, ‘in action so little
time is required to go at it

with -the possibility - of |

considerable violence. If the

body is not ready for: this.
kind of activity, . you - find

statistics of the ludicrous
nature like 100 per cent.

’. Phere is no~sport where
top conditioning cannot help

_ Page B3, October 3, 1979 - North Shore News

who: say

That’s from the: moment -

re ee oe re a

the participant. In fact,
there are many good athletes
; they have minimal
skills, but’ by emphasizing

. the conditioning, they have

succeeded, . -

Western culture is a hard
act. to follow. Have.a good
look. at. the spectators some
time and see. how many
potential athletes are there.
munching out. — :

The concessio n stands are
doing a: landslide ‘business
and if others had their way .

‘we could booze it up as well.

- Perhaps if Joe Fan realized

: he was paying the salaries of

these professional athletes,

- he would start to‘expect the
best that athlete can produce —— -

and not how little he can get
awaywith,

. That is if we really. cori- |
‘sider pro sport.as an athletic

contest and not simply
entertainment for the
masses. :

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