author
Elmer Berry
1879–1952
A pioneer of early American coaching and physical education, this writer brought practical experience from the playing field into clear, useful books on sport and training. His work captures a moment when football, baseball, and exercise science were all taking shape together.
1 Audiobook
The forward pass in football
by Elmer Berry
About the author
Born on October 9, 1879, Elmer Berry was an American athlete, coach, and teacher whose career centered on physical education. He played football and basketball at the International YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, and later built a long association with that institution, which became Springfield College.
Berry coached at several colleges, including the University of Nebraska, and was especially known for his work in football, basketball, baseball, and athletic training. Alongside coaching, he taught physiology and the physiology of exercise, giving him a rare mix of practical and academic experience.
He also wrote books and manuals on athletics, including works on baseball coaching, smoking and health, and The Forward Pass in Football. That blend of hands-on coaching and scientific interest makes his writing a useful window into the early development of American sports and physical education. Berry died on April 21, 1952.