ATHLETIC COACH FAREWELLED

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 146, 16 March 1939, Page 6

ATHLETIC COACH FAREWELLED

Tributes To Work Of Mr. A. L. Fitch PRESENTATION MADE BY CENTRE Members of the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association and others interested in the sport met last evening to say farewell to Mr. A. L. Filch. Los Angeles, who has been coach to the Wellington centre for the last two seasons and whose services have also been shared by th<* Canterbury centre this season. Later, Mr. Fitch left by the Limited express for the north. He will concn first in Hamilton and will be under engagement to the Auckland centre till he sails from Auckland by the Alariposa on April 3. On Ids way back to California, .Mr. Fitch will stop for about a month in the Hawaiian Islands, where he is to do coaching work among tlie men of the United States Navy and in the schools and the University of Hawaii. The deputy-mayor. Mr. AJ. K. Luekie, expressed appreciation of the work which Mr. Fitch had doue in improving the physical fitness of the youth of the community and the hope that be would one day be able to return to New Zealand. The chairman of the council of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association. Mr. 11. 1. Austed, said Hurt Mr. Fitch’s instruction in the scientific side of the sport: must have liad a good deal to do with the success of the Wei lington and Canterbury teams in Napier last Saturday, when Weilington won the New Zealand championship,

with Canterbury in second place. It had been said that the response of some Wellington athletes to Mr. Fitch's coaching had been a little disappointing. It seemed extraordinary that they should not wish to take full advantage of the valuable tuition offered to them free: if a charge bad been made, there would no doubt have been a large and regular attendance. The chairman of the New Zealand Olympic Council, Air. H. McCormick, said that the athletic association was negotiating for a tour of American athletes, and Mr. Fitch had generously offered his services in selecting the team. He had also given valuable assistance on the question of sending a team to the next Olympic Games. The president of the AVelllugtou Secondary Schools Association, Mr. F. Martyn Renner, expressing appreciation of Air. Fitch’s work in the secondary schools, said that no boy could be taught to think clearly unless he bad a thoroughly sound physical body. He hoped that the Government would consider appointing a man like Mr. Fitch to direct training activities iu secondary schools. Mr. V. P. Boot, speaking on behalf of active athletes, said that'they could not have had a finer coach than Air. Fitch. All the benefits of his work were, not yet apparent; the coaches to whom he had given instruction would continue to improve New Zealand athletes, who, he felt confident, would in the future, be able to bold their own with any in the world. Air. B. Sutherland, the originator of the coaching scheme, said that Mr. Fitch had done wonderful work in Wellington and Canterbury. Athletes who had not benefited by his teaching could blame onlj- their Own lack of interest. He was sorry that Air. Fitci) could not see his way clear to stay in New Zealand.

The president of the Wellington Centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, Air. A. C. Kitto, presented Mr. Fitch with a travelling rug. The centre was thoroughly pleased with the work he had done iu the last two years, and hoped that the time would come when lie would be able to return to the Dominion, he said. The president of the Kiwi club, Mr. J. H. Fowler, Mr. K. Poulton and Air. T. ML Leslie also spoke. Responding, Air. Fitch urged that several outstanding students who wanted to take up physical education as a career should be sent to an American university accredited in that field. Some universities were now giving degrees in physical education. Referring to his experience in New Zealand, he said he had found that many boys were not particularly interested in breaking records or achieving outstanding success: they took on the sport purely as a pleasure. Mr, Fitch, handed over engraved watches for presentation to C. Robinson. of the Kiwi club, as the athlete contributing most to the sport in AVellington this season, both as an outstanding competitor and as a sportsman, and to T. 1). Blewitt, Canterbury, as the athlete who had shown must improvement in Canterbury this season.