The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-02-05
COLLEGE, SPORTS.

yersity is known to the people of Utah,
and that favorably, because of his
manly utterances concerning them and
the hatred against him which his re-
marks evoked from persons and pa
pers that could not brook good word
for the majority of the inhabitants of
this territory. What he has to say on
other matters will therefore be inter-
esting to them.
In his report of the University for
1S93-94 President Eliot takes up the
subject Of athletics as associated with
college culture. He approves, of
course, of those rational exercises
which conduce to physical development
and do not interfere with intellectual
studies. He rightly argues that:
''The athletic sports and exercises
which commend themselves to sensible
teachers and parents are those which
can be used moderately and steadily,
and which remain available in some
measure in mature life. Such are
gymnasium exercises, walking, run
ming, rowing, sailing, riding, cycling,
tennis, cunning. bowling and fencing.
The youthful expert in any of these
sports and exercises will carry into his
strenuous professional life a great
source of enjoyment, and a real safe
guard of health and of the invaluable
capacity to endure without injury
mental and moral stress"
We are of the opinion that such ez-
ercises, in moderation, will stimulate
rather than enervate the intellectual
faculties and make learning a pleasure
instead of a drudge. They are con-
ducive to health, they are in the nature
Of recreation. and they thus give zest
to study and d relish for intellectual en-
gagements.
But with some of the violent sports
which are incident to college life there
is positive injury accompanied with
danger. Injury to the exhausted
frame, danger to life and limb. The
over-eXerted student is unfit to devote
his brain and mind to close study.
President Eliot says concerning this:
'fOn the other hand, the games which
demand so much practice and such Sc
we're training that the brain is tenn
porariIy dulIed for all other use, or
individuals Of like powers and tastes,
or which contain as essential elements
violent personal encounters, can have
no direct application in the after life
Of professional or business men. More
over, all games which require intense
training for short periods present a
serious physical and moral danger for
the players, the familiar danger of re-
action when training stops. Il edu-
cation, therefore, it is the moderate
and long-aV2ilaOle exercises and sports
which alone have real interest and
value. The intense, highly competi-
tive sports afford some stimulus for
other and better things; but this slim
illus is now too dearly bought"
Particularly are these remarks APP
plicable to the modern game of foot
ball. We say modern" because the
old English game was not attended
with the same violence and brutality
which modern manners have intro
duced into it. President Eliot refers to
it in this way:
I'm particular the game of football
grows worse and worse as regards foul
and violent play, and the number and
| gravity of the injuries which the play
ers suffer. 1t has become perfectly
clear that the game as now played is
unfit for college use. The rules of the
game are at present such as to cause
| inevitably a large number of broken
| bones SprainS, and WrencheS, even
| during trial or practice games played
! IegitimateIy; and they also permit
| those who play with reckless violence
or with shreWd violations Of the rules
| to gain thereby great advantages
| What is called the development of the
! game has steadily increased it's risks
until they have become unjustifiable.
The fact that utter exhaustion has
| followed some of these bouts and that
it is necessary to have the attendance
Of physicians while they are in pro
gress. ought to be sufficient to show
! that they are not suitable accessories
F., to collegiate or university training. He
says further on this point:
The employment of a physician t.
supervise the various crews. from
which much gain was expected, led t.
no good result, the physician prescrib
ing the drugs necessary to procure
sleep for the over-wrought men, but eX
| ercising no influence whatever to pre-
vent them from becoming thus ex
| hausted. This policy of over-work ha:
| been pursued by the coaches and cap
tains for years in spite Of the steady
protests of experts in regard to the
physical condition of athletes"
These should form hints to our Utal
colleges and academies. Whatever
viii develop the physical powers O
students in a healthful and rationa
manner will doubtless prove beneficial
But those competitive sports which in
volve undue exertion and provoke pas
sionate and vindictive violence, are
alike damaging to mind and body anc
ought to be excluded from the institu
tons of learning throughout The
country.
Let it not be imagined that we de
sire to make milksops of our you'll
or to curtail their recreations Ath
letic sports we believe in, when con
Quoted with temperance, good humo
and as an incentive to study Blu
when they are carried beyond the lin
its of prudence and moderation the,
are turned into an evil that ought t,
be abated.
THE WAY is HARD,