AMERICAN COACH

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 26, 23 October 1937, Page 3

AMERICAN COACH

-Press Association.)

Services in Dominion for a Season ATHLETIC PROGRESS

. (By Telegraph-

WELLINGTON, Last Night. • As a result of enthusiastic work by Mr. B. 8utherland, of Wellington, xn co-operation with officials of tne i^ew Zealand Ainateur Athletie Association and Wellington Centre, athletes in .this and other centres are to have the services for the season of a lirst-class Americau coach in Mr. Fitch, Olynipie Games representative. He is to sail on November 10 and will arrive in Auckland on November 26. The proposal was iirst made by Mr. Sutherlanu on his return from a ft'ip to the LFnited fcitates and Japan. In the latter country he attendeu the iapanAmerican race field meeting and interviewed a number of Americau coaches, including Dean Cromwell, recognised as the foremost coach in the world and producer of inore Olympic winners than any other man. After seeing the Americans in action and learning some'thing of their coaching methoas, Mr. Butherland became conviuced that athletics in New Zealand would never ■make progress unless a first-class 'Americau coach was secured. He kept in touch with Dean Cromwell, who is at present athletics coach at the Univer'sity of Southern Ca'lifornia, and with jDr. Campbell, who occupied the same ' position for about seven years and is "now a lccturer. He also received keen 'support from the president of the New Zealand Ainateur Athletie Association, 'Mr. B. W. McVilly. The Council and ialso the Wellington Centre sub-com-mittee of the latter body, met on Thurs* day night and decided to embark on a scbeme to raise the neeessary .finance •under the direction of Mr. T. W. Leslie. Mr. Fitch represented America at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. In the semi-final of the 400 metres he created aworld record of 47 4-5sec., but jit was bettered by l-5see. in the iinal by Liddell (Great Britain), who won the seeond semi-final in 48 l-5sec.