The students on campus who participate in sports have mixed feelings about Harvard's athlete program. Many seem satisfied with the attempt of Robert B. Watson '37. Harvard's athletic director, to provide athletics for all. But others are dissatisfied with certain parts of the program. Still other students hold different opinions about what the present situation actually is from the opinions expressed by Watson.

For instance, Watson says that only a few of the top-notch high school athletes come to Harvard, Rob Shaw, a standout varsity football player disagrees with Watson. Shaw maintains that Harvard's raw athletic talent approaches the talent at some of the Big Ten schools and other "big-time" programs.

He says, some athletes at Harvard do not develop as much as those at "big-time" schools because the athletes here branch off into academics and other activities.

Shaw is a good enough football player to have been offered a tryout by a professional team in the Canadian Football League after he graduates next month. But he still says he likes the low-key atmosphere around athletics here and he has never regretted not having gone to a "big-time" sports school.

On the other hand, Bill Okerman, next year's cross-country captain agrees with Watson, saying that Harvard does not get many of the blue-chip high school athletes in cross-country and track.

But Okerman says that the coaches here are good and the academic work load is not too heavy. so if you work hard you can improve yourself and become a good intercollegiate athlete.

Further, "At Harvard there is not much external pressure on athletes to perform well. So, when you do succeed, you know you did it yourself and you have a feeling of accomplishment."

Okerman says he is glad Harvard is not pursuing the policy of recruiting hand-picked varsity athletes and cutting back sharply on J.V. programs, as some lvy League schools have done. "When you do that, sports becomes too much like a business," he says.

At Harvard, J.V. squads have been eliminated in baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming and golf in recent years. But the Athletic Department plans to bring back J.V. baseball and J.V. soccer in 1975-76. Also, a J.V. lacrosse team is a possibility for next year.

Brian Shea, a senior who played freshman soccer, agrees with Okerman that the J.V. programs should be maintained.

He points out that the J.V. programs serve several purposes. "Some guys need the experience at the J.V. level in order to become good enough to eventually make the varsity. Others play J.V. sports just for fun. There are a lot of good athletes on campus who can't make the varsity squads, but who can still find a good level of competition in the J.V. programs."

Robin Wynne, a senior who has played golf for Harvard all four years feels that the lack of freshman and J.V. squads hurting the overall golf program.

Only 11 of the 32 people who tried out for golf this year were allowed to play at all and the upperclassmen on the team do not search out the good freshmen since they are afraid the freshmen will capture some of the scarce playing spots, Wynne says.

As he says, "You don't get the best team this way."

On the other hand, swimming coach Ray Essick does "not feel the need for a J.V. program" in his sport.