Why? The Science of Athletics

CHAPTER XIII SKILL AND PHYSICAL CLEVERNESS Skill Defined-Building up Physical Skills-Creation of Specialized Technique-Processes of Evolutions in Athletics -Knowledge is Power-Muscles .and their Functions- Mathematical Considerations. SuccEss in athletics depends upon a great many things, of which good technique, or "skill", is by no means the least. Some men are more naturally gifted with what may be called "physical cleverness" than are others ; but that means only that they have a greater capacity for learning new physical skills quickly. It is but seldom that one finds a would-be athlete so absolutely dull that it is impossible to improve his performances, while it is certainly a fact that the men who do not learn very quickly, but are gifted yvith great perseverance, not infrequently obtain the best results in the long run, simply because their persistence and endless practice wear smooth the paths of nerve impulses from brain to muscles by exceeding great traffic. Matti Jarvinen (Fig. 22, Plate 5) provides perhaps the best case in point. His father, Verneri Jarvinen, was the first Finn ever to mast-head the Finnish Flag in Olympic competition, when he won the Discus Throw (Hellenic style) at the intercalated series of Games at Athens in I906. He has four sons, Matti, holder of the world's javelin record, Akilles placed second in the Olympic Decathlon I928, holder of the world's record I930, and second in the European Championship 400-metres Low Hurdles I934, and J(alle, who is a first-class shot putter. Yrjo was also a fine athlete. These brothers have worked N 193