The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-27
A THOUSAND GIRL ATHLETES.
VASSAR WHERE THE GIRLS VIO-
LATE TRADITION AND PLAY
LIKE BOYS.

Fencing as Training for Ball.
Larky Girls stuff n ManIISin and
Stand Him Up as Constructor of
Fencing'-Piercing Tin Heart
with n FOfI-UnifOrm for sports Il
a Blazer, with the Glass Embroid-
cred Upon II, and BIOOmers.
Vassar College, Poughkeepsie. N, Y,
Sept 26.-The girls began coming this
year as early as ten days before But
they were not allowed to get lonely. The
good-natured seniors who constitute the
reception committee got here as soon as
the earliest fresh" and all now feel at
home.
1t is a striking commentary upon the
aims, physical and mental, of college life
that the girls visited the gymnasium be-
fore they visited the study hSlls and
they inquired after the lawns and
grounds before they asked about new
books and desks. The statisticlan early
got out her pen this year and figured
that we have at Vassar 100 trained ath-
| letes. Wellesley has as many. Wells
has 1875. and the other college bring the
number up to 1000 easy computation.
The games of this year are going to be
tennis. basket ball. cricket, golf, base
ball and football. All OF these have their
| devotees. But at present basket ball bids
fair to be the rage. The girls are form
ing themselves into teams and are de-
ploring the muscles that are soft from
cycling The bicycle develops the calves,
but not the arms. That is bad for basket
| ball. '''F''' =
The Vassar Athletic Association has its
field day in November, when there will
be 1O0-yard dashes, hurdles, running high
jumps and standing jumps. The costume
! for these is boomers, with or without
skirts.
The basket ball teams are specially
strong this year. The first practice
games are being held. And as this Is
to be the game OF the year, you may
like to know how it is played at Vassar.
Going to the game to-day. girls?'
"Of course, we are. Wouldn't miss It
for anything" You might hear calls
such as these at any hour of the day of
the basket ball game. Long before the
| time set for the contest, 4 o'clock the
benches at the side Of the field are filled
with spectators, pretty girls In light
| gowns. Late Corners are forced to seat
themselves in groups on the ground in
| imminent danger from the flying ball
The excited conversation concerning the
merits of the various players are
| hushed at the cry of Here they CONS"
| as the two teams run into the field The
| girls are dressed in blue flannel blouses
and short-kilted skirts worn over bloom
| ers. The classes to which the teams be,
long are shown by large numerals sewed
| on the fronts of the blOuses. The OBJ
/ iRptG Of basket hall the 60 fann
ball-the making of goals. These are wire
| baskets fastened at the top of two poles
| ten feet tall which stand, one at each end
of the field.
The ball is always thrown, never kicked
nor run with, and cannot be held longer
! than five second. This makes agility and
| quickness of decision more necessary than
! strength and endurance. Tackling is for
! hidden, and thus the game Is free from
the brutal features of football, but IL is
sufficiently lively to be exciting, and many
| hard knocks are received. The theory of
| the game is simple. The players of each
| side try to get the ball down to their own
! goal where the goal keeper is ready to
throw 1t into the basket. Every time the
| ball goes into the basket, the lucky side
| scores one. Fouls, which consist of kick
| ing the ball. walking with 1t, tacklinR or
holding 1t too long. give the ball to the
| other side, which then has a free throw
into the basket from a point sixteen feet
| from the goal. The time of the game is
twenty minutes, divided into two innings
of ten minutes each. The ball is Of pig
skim round, and 30 inches In circumfer-
| ence. ffaft
So much for technicalities. Now FOR
the game itself The players waste no
| strength in practice. They take their
| places at once, waiting with set, intent
| faces for the word Of command The
| umpire, from his position in the middle
| Of the field cries PLAY" losses the ball
up in the air, the center man from eacn
| team leaps for It and the fight has be-
| gun. Contrary to tradition anent woman
and to the usual reports Of the game. the
Vassar teams play in perfect silence
| There is no coaching no cry II any one
| Is hurt, no apologies for a blow given
and no accusations OF foul play.
Tradition gets another blow in the
| fact that the girls play with absolute
fairness, not attempting any underhand
tricks, nor disputlng the umpire
For ten minutes the teams struggle
| together each one striving TO force the
ball down to her own goal. The excite-
| ment Of the spectators finds vent In
| prolonged cheers whenever brilliant MAY
| is made. Now the ball is passed swiffIv
down the line, now three girls are rush
| ing for the ball and rolling over ana over
| in their efforts TO get It.
Often a girl is thrown headlong, springs
to her feet and Is Off again before the
| spectators can do more than gasp. The
| prettiest plays are made when the bail Ia
sent from one player to another straight
along the field to a goalkeeper, evadine ali
the efforts of the opposite guards TO ston
it. The feat requires GOODNESS, quiekness
| and dash.
"Timew shouts the umpire. The game
stops at once. The players stretch
| themselves out on mats to rest, while the
| girls on the benches cheer and sing songs
to work off their excitement.
Again the umpire calls "Timeg' The
| players spring to their position. Their