University of Virginia Library

SPOTLIGHT ON SPORTS

By Jack Glenn

CIRCLING THE EDGE OF THE MAT like a vulture
sighting its prey Coach Mike Caruso made his presence
known Saturday night in the Virginia Tech wrestling match.
His words of encouragement and advice inspired his
charges out on the floor in front of a throng of Virginia
rooters, but in a sense it also inspired the crowd that sat
watching the spectacles before them.

It was refreshing to see a coach with
a type of winning attitude that bordered
on the extreme but never on the ungentlemanly.
It seemed obvious that this
man meant to win—regardless of the odds
against him. The fact that his team lost
in no way detracts from his efforts,
although we suspect that this backhanded
compliment pleases him little because he
is such an competitor that he probably
avoids moral victory whenever possible.

Mr. Caruso

MOST PEOPLE, however, have probably already heard
of his way, and even expect it of him. We wonder how
many people showed up Saturday night just to see what
this new coach was like and how he had affected the
team. What they saw was probably encouraging, for Virginia's
grapplers fared well—especially in the lower weights—
against the ever-strong Hokies from the hills of southwest
Virginia. Though the coach might have been slightly disappointed
in the final score, the showing this year was
much better than the last encounter's 49-0 humiliation.

Thus coach Caruso provides hope for the future, but
not only for the wrestling squad's fortunes. His arrival
may come to be marked as the rebirth of Virginia athletics
if his enthusiasm for winning washes over into several
other sports. This is not to say that the coaches of other
sports wander around with defeatist thoughts in their
heads, nor is it to say that all other sports are losers by
record or attitude. It is to say, however, that Coach
Caruso has the kind of faith in himself and in his ability
that we like to see.

HE LOVES TO WIN. Yet so does everyone, but not
everyone knows how to do so. In the only match so far,
a losing one, we have not seen only inklings of it yet, but
we think that Mr. Caruso inspires the kind of killer-instinct
that makes good coaches and good teams as well.

PERHAPS IN A "GENTLEMAN'S" SCHOOL we
need to explain that such a drive is still within the bounds
of Cavalier tradition. We have noticed in the past the
somewhat poor records of Virginia teams. Only subconsciously
have we noticed the lack of this killer instinct
so necessary for a winner's share of victories. Perhaps
it is just what we need to pull out the frustrating football
games, the basketball squeakers, and the other athletic
close calls of the future.