US Naval Reserve Midshipmens School - Capstan Yearbook (Notre Dame, IN)

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K 1 poria Although the men in the Fourth Midshipman Class didnit exactly ask for it, they caught the Spirit of Notre Dame on the athletic fields and in the gymnasiums. Ath- letics occupied a most prominent position in the lives of the middies. Organized sports and outside competition were meager, but the future ensigns found that the tradition at Notre Dame still lives-every apprentice seaman and every mid- shipman participated in some form of athletics. From that first morning intearly October when the 0555 bell knocked the seaiman straight from his bunk into calis- thenics on the hard, cold, cement sidewalk-otherwise known as an exterior passageway-until the fag end of the four months here, there was little let-up in that business of hardening muscles. Directed by Lt. A. P. Brown, athletics officer, the sports program showed the Navy method- of preparing young men for combat under tough conditions. The program ranged from the rugged obstacle course to volley ball. Between these came football, baseball, track, basketball, tumbling, soccer, swimming and the worst nightmare of all, calis- thenics. . Q The early morning ghost patrolu garbed in gray sweat suits lasted about a month until the Indiana weather caught up with the yawning stoop and squatters. Although the 0555 bends went the way of so many good,' things, afternoon calisthenics remained to plague every middie for the entire four months. But, as each day went by, sore muscles became more and more a thing of the past. Fellows who had shown no inclination to touch their toes were soon laying their palms on the deck without any semblance of bent knees. Sit-ups and push-ups no longer brought the quantity of grunts and groans that were so much in evidence during the first week. ' The puffs and pants that came with double-timing during the early stages of indoctrinationturned to easier breathing after a few jaunts, and after two weeks of coaching in the art of running by Chief Specialist Quinn, a noted Mid- western runner, the boys began to take shape. Competition reached its highest peak in the aerial-minded tag football games which added much to the variety of injuries reported at evening sick call. Swimming paced the field for indoor sports. The two lengths seemed mighty long to many the first afternoon in the pool at Rockne Memorial Gymnasium. Speed swim- ming also had its pitfalls. But the sub-squad remedied most of the faults and soon there was more resembling fish than Friday dinner. 52381

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T ,' - ' J . , , . 7 :L H r J N nv 7 Strength Tests proved the worth of the athletic program. First given during the early days of the indoctrination period, they brought out clearly that few of the middies were in physical shape. Tests later during the training period indicated that all the aching muscles, panting and pufiing were not in vain. The famed weapon of the infantryman-the rifle-had its part in the athletic career of the middies, in the rugged Physical Drill with Arms and Bayonet Drill, which put stress on the part of the anatomy whichphysical instructors call the most underdeveloped part of the American youth's body-his arms and shoulders. I Cross Country, under Chief Quinn's direction, stood alone as the only organized team representing the Mid- shipman Class. , P... , articlpatlon wasn t the only taste midshipmen had of athletics. They had the chance to turn to America's favorite Saturday afternoon pastime-spectating, and for the football lovers among the class, it was a treat to watch the nation's number one eleven function. But to the amazement of other fans and sports writers alike, the Mid- dies reserved their lusty cheering for the underdogs. f fi? 1 . : ?'g::gi5:. H' . WSG? wigs-1 .' o 'S .aw-W mf ' ,- , ' f':'fwff? - '1 f'L:54A '- P u 2 af .1 1 :.:,: W- 4-ff -'Z-211441:-t,.-i-:.1i..'f,-,wif tg? 14' fi -1-at.:-rf' fp V Amy. .1 329.2+-zz-zffilzwffo-.-MW ' ,aff -vmewl f- i-Wivf 'ff ffyf: 1' ' wf?3'2:1e:s2:f'r:t:xaW , - - -vggggef .rw:fwg4f,- rw.. ,,6,:f:i-wt -V1 my vw 'Y f ,4 sfK'fbw ' f'.' wwf. -. H .-'givrqkr yy ,nf ' J ff ,,f-,fwtrgt , ' 'ef , ., .fi-:M-A -- .xf 1 - -W ,,,,.h,n4af, -f',, 1 , ' f' mfsz v- 1 ff... -Ewf':f i2:X,f,'f.'g z- . '- - 7, if 4 .'f +-Mis-1 fi gif' gg'2faj52d,a99f43551-47H11,''Q ' , A., . W .. MA, . , wr' fgaajww 'Qt ff f ' haf' ,,mf.z1f :-gfgt'g5,w34,t - f,f'x4:n:.W:,-v1.31 414 we . . , ' if Ag- -12Ma.1..?-fff:,',4,f?w . ' ' vf vera- ' g. ' 241 4 - -Liz -. - , -- af?-M411 :ww xt? 42mff:v2aa. ' ' ff-'sa f --fy fi if 'ff1g'f 'f- ' ' ff 2f,ff..'5' aff? tres..