The Complete Airman

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THE COMPLETE ATHLETIC TRAINER BY S. A. MUSSABINI 14 k IN COLLABORATION WITH CHARLES RANSON WITH THIRTY 1I.LUSTRATIONS I PREFACE N the multitude of physical culture counsels derived from all parts of the world, the author believes that none surpass or even equal the old-fashioned English training methods which oncc stood for our unassailable supremacy in the field of athletics. The American coaches, supposedly gifted with super- natural powers, freely admit that the foundation- stone of their reflected successes in recent years was laid by the teachings of the old school of Englands professional athletes, These imply an adherence to simple and therefore natural health rules combined with a nice technical understanding. Nowadays, elementary details are mostly neglected or overlooked, for the reason that most of the qualified track trainers have gone out of business. They and their lund have bad to seek other occupations. Soine have gone to America, and many arc to be found tending to the professional football teams up and down the country. As a result, the willing amateur athletes have lacked competent coaching, and the British Olympic teams have not covered themselves with glory. They have generally been. beaten where their predecessors often excelled. The Americans and other competing nations have attempted and not by any means adopted professional training on the approved old English lines, especially in regard to track athletics. What shape these lines take it is the purport of this book to illustrate, under the direction of one who has travelled along them. If serving no other good purpose, their production here and at a time when athletic trainers and training is a topic of the day may lead to a revival and a better understanding of track and general athletics. Among all the splendid British field games, the only exception to a generally well-understood set of first principles is to be found in foot- racing. Knowledge is recognised in its highest aspect-that is, as the most powerful agent for progress and improvement-in golf, cricket, football, tennis, bowls and suchlike games of skill. The simplicity of running-and of sprint- running in particular-has seemingly covered up the thousand and one little details to be eradicated or acquired, which go to fashion the first-class and highly polished short-distance runner, such as we met with in the past. In saying so much, there is no attempt to belittle the present-day amateur, nor to suggest that, given the same understanding of his subject, and the will to put it into practice, he would not do as well or better than the professionals. The natural advantages are on his side for the old-time professional pedestrian master- pieces came of a class, however strong and hardy, lacking in ordinary comforts and often the bare necessities of life. But they made compensation by their fine technique. Here is the lesson, then, that I wish to clearly place before the athletes of old England, in the hope of restoring their rather dimmed prestige as the pioneers and most expert demonstrators of the nearly lost art so far as they are concerned of track athletics. In recent times, not only the Americans, but the French, the Germans, the Italians and the Swedes have produced extraordinary runners. It is safe to assert, however, that none of them except, perhaps, the French are as rich in raw material as we., Only something stands between us and our regaining possession of the Blue Riband of the worlds athletics- which, I feel, is more dependent upon the issue of foot-racing than any other branch of sport. This is the somewhat common failure to look below the surface and investigate causes which go to account for there being the usual wrong way and right way...