NEW BRITAIN HIGH, COACHED

BYCHICK SHEA '29, A WINNER

As A CLIMAX to three brilliant football seasons, New Britain, Conn., high school, of which Charles A. "Chick" Shea '29 is coach, went down to Miami on Christmas Day and overwhelmed Miami High in the Orange Bowl, score 32 to 13. Shea's great record is the pride of New Britain, long a home of state football champions. His popularity is widespread and he is given credit for the marvelous sports record of the school.

Shea's teams know what to do and they do it. He is a stickler for the fundamentals, a strict disciplinarian and one who knows how to handle boys all the time. His teams are splendidly coached and even in their few defeats looked good.

Shea prepped for Dartmouth at Cambridge Latin and Westbrook. In college he played hockey and baseball for three years and later was freshman coach. He was athletic director at Pomfret school before going to New Britain in 1932.

Arriving in the Hardware City he found athletics in the doldrums. The school athletic treasury was $2,800 in the red and the equipment for teams was sparse, with a valuation of $500. Today New Britain High teams are among the best equipped in the country. For the grid he had a squad of 80, each boy fitted out in the latest. The athletic treasury contains $13,000 and the equipment, all paid for, is valued at $8,000.

Shea's teams take on the best available in the section in all sports. During his regime the football teams won 33, lost 7, and tied 3. Four of the losses were in 1932. From 1934 to 1936, the football teams went through 26 games without a defeat and captured three successive state titles.

REVIVES BASKETBALL TEAM

When Shea took hold basketball was a down and out sport. Nowadays the Red & Gold teams pack them in. In his regime they have won 60 and lost 13 games. For four successive years Shea coached New Britain high teams qualified for the Yale tournament. Previous to his going to New Britain the school never made the tourney.

The record of baseball teams under Shea shows 45 games won and 17 lost. His 1933 team tied for the Connecticut title and the 1934 team was runner up.

The complete record in all sports for four years shows 138 victories and 34 defeats. Of the latter, 15 came in Shea's first year, when he was unfamiliar with his material. In the 1934-35 season his teams won 42 out of 46 contests.

Shea's fairness to all candidates may be shown by the following account, overheard by the writer. There was a group of 13 year olds at a football game. The boys were talking football. One piped up and said, "Guess I'll make the team next year." He was kidded considerably and then he said, "Well, if I don't make it, then I'll know I haven't the goods. Because any time you go out for that guy, Shea, you get a chance to show what you can do. Anyway that's all I need."

WODIN, SNOW GOD OF THE 1935 CARNIVAL