Slippery Rock University - Saxigena Yearbook (Slippery Rock, PA)

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most base of emotions, hatrcd. Hatred has never built anything, but has always been destructive. Fair play and sportsmanship, if practiced will go a long way towards developing a finer type of citizenship throughout the country. Athletics develop in the young women and men initiative, resourcefulness, and the ability to think for themselves. Athletics are largely contests of wits, and teams who have played the game properly get a lot of benefit mentally as well as physically. The average sport is a hard, rough game, and there is nothing in the rules against playing it as hard as you can. However, it must be played clean and without muckerism. The game has no place for the mucker any more than it has for the mentally dull. Joshing on the field and court is all right, but it must not be carried to an extent where it becomes insu-lting. During the current basketball season peppered with defeat, the alumni have shown their loyalty by their actions in standing by the team and coach, particularly after just having a grid eleven that had found a great measure of success. However, the alumni should realize that loyalty isn't worth a nickel unless it works both ways. If the team shows it has been well coached, fights to the last ditch, and lives up to every tradition ofthe old school as regards sportsmanship, morale, and physical condition, the alumni should not feel bitter if the teamis beaten now and then. The most successful schools in athletics are those which have retained coaches over long periods. The most unsuccessful schools in athletics are those which allow their alumni to have them chasing rainbows. This means that they keep looking for the miracle man to coach their team. Practical Cxperience would show them that there is no such man. If they get a fairly good man, they had better keep him. This portion of the Saxigemz, the athletic division, like past issues, is meant to give homage to the athletes of Slippery Rock and to acquaint their many admirers and followers with facts con- cerning the various teams and athletes that might otherwise go unknown outside of the campus. Nothing said in praise of the athletes and the athletic organizations is meant in a spirit of brag- gadocio, rather, our comments are made from the point of view of an outsider looking in at them with an attitude of respect and awe. We make no attempt to exaggerate the qualities of the Slippery Rock players, because we feel that this is unnecessary. Various things said in this department of the year book are the antithesis of what they would say about themselves. To us they are real heroes, and we only ask that the reader try to look at them through our eyes. We wish to take this occasion to thank our many contributors and others who co-operated with us in this gesture of respect for what we honestly believe to be the greatest grid team and one of the greatest athletic seasons in Slippery Rock history. -THE ATHLETIC Emrronsf '

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Everyone who has had any connection with Slippery Rock already knows more J about the efficient, genial, inspiring, brainy, hard-working, successful coaches than they know about themselves and we cannot, in this short space, elaborate on them. Coach N. K. Thompson's system of play has produced champions for a full score of years, and probably will continue to work for the future glory of Slippery Rock. His record speaks for itself. Coach A. P. Vincent, tall, quiet, and unassuming, has taught his men well all the tricks of athletics and has instilled in them the indomitable fire that characterized his play as a former star Westminster athlete. The role of trainer constitutes one of the most important parts of any major athletic organization. While there was no broken bones for Trainer Jack Svetek to care for, there were the usual number of cuts, bruises, pulled muscles, sprains, dislocations, and other minor injuries-to say nothing of several black eyes. As was displayed this season, the skill of a trainer is largely determined by his ability to care for these minor injuries and to prevent them from keeping the players out of the game. MA Slippery Rock's athletic successes are a tribute to the efficiency of the student managers. Trained by years of experience in the necessities of an athletic team, they carry out their assignments to the minutest detail. The business backbone of the various athletic squads gains considerably more than a varsity letter. During the time of his services, the manager has learned to work, consequently, he can make men co-operate with him. He learns how to handle people and make them feel that they have been treated courteously. It is just the same as working in the field after graduation. A team which finds everything planned for it, every effort expended for its personal comfort has taken a gigantic step toward success. The spirit of Slippery Rock, that etherial, intangible intre- pidity that has hovered over this seemingly peaceful institu- tion ever since its founding, is guided in an awakening each year by the cheerleaders. Under the pep-lads' coaxing, the students many times vehemently pledge their loyalty to their athletic warriors, when in the over-wrought atmosphere of a yell rally, like ancient tribal braves, they chant their gutteral yells of faith. There is something in the air that causes the student body to yell when the leaders pick up the green and white megaphones and enthusiastically repeat their allegiance formula, something that makes them roar their defiance and pledge again their loyalty to their team.