U.S. ATHLETIC COACH ARRIVES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 54, 26 November 1937, Page 5

U.S. ATHLETIC COACH ARRIVES

—Press Association.*

To Train N.Z. Athletes in Track Events LOVELOCK PRAISED

{By Telegraph

AUCKLAND, This Day. Tall, young, quietly-spoken, Alfred L. Fitch, the American athlete who has been engaged as coach by the Wellington centre of the New Zealand Amateur Athletic Association, arrived at Auckland this morning on the Monterey and was warmly welcomed by lnrpresentatives of the athletic world. Fitch is a New Yorker, but he has spent many of his 24 years in California, graduating last year at the University of California, where he studied business administration and coaching ^"methods. * He said that in many American universities physieal education was recognised as a line of study. Football, basketball, and baseball are sports in which Fitch has participated, in addition to specialising in track and field athletics. He was for four years special assistant-cOach to Dean Cromwell, the American Olympie coaeh. Last year, as a member of the U,S. Olympie team, Fitch represented Ameriea ixi the relay events. He said that amon^ the promising Uew talent in t.he States was Louis Zamperini, a Southern California freshman, the first American to finish in the 5000 metreS' event at Berlin. Jesse Owens seemed to be engaged mainly in the entertainment world. "I tLink your countryman, Jack Loveloek, is certainly the highest type of athlete one could . expect to find." said Fitch. "He is a real gentlemsqn and a real sportsman. His running seemB effortless." In Ameriea a definite running style was adopted for each different type of physique. In general it was accepted that the body should be held forward just beyond the centre of gravity, with the head un a little. Cb ""ers-and clay surface tracks had bqen widely adopt? ed in Ameriea, and, be^iuse they allow the water to drain away easily, .they were probably the most suitable traeks for any country where , rain was frequent. He had been on very few good grass + acks. While shy of commenting on women partieipating in the more strenuous forms of sport, Fitch said it depended on the individual. He agreed that women could not be expected to reaeh the prowess of men in eompetitive track •ivents. The New Zealand All Blaeks were by ro means unknown m American sporting cireles and Rugby was gaining in popular; ty in Califorrnia. Fitch deelared that there was no reason why New Zealand should not produce athletes equal to any in the world.