Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 62, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 March 1915 — CONTROL OF COLLEGE TEAMS [ARTICLE]

CONTROL OF COLLEGE TEAMS

Present System Tends to Discourage Initiative and Self-Reliance, Essential Points. With all due respect to our friend, the professional coach, we must admit that there is much truth in what President Hibben of Princeton university has to say on the subject of student control of college athletic teams. The present system of coaching is the natural outgrowth of the development of intercollegiate athletics and the demand for winning teams. By engaging experts to assist in drilling the various teams the colleges have taken out of the hands of the players themselves the work of team development and it is now the generally accepted practice to allow the coaches to direct every detail of play. Doctor Hibben does not believe that responsibility for the work of the team should be diverted from the players actually in the game and placed altogether on the shoulders of those on the side lines. He thinks the team captain should direct its development and style of play One of the results of the modern practice, he says, has been to discourage initiative and self-reliance, which he regards as essential points in a college training, says Lafayette Courier. Undoubtedly the stand the Princeton president has taken will be approved by many educators and hot a few leaders in college athletic affairs.