Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1897-09-24


scythe, to sharpen the edge of it, which
otherwise would grow dull and blunt.
He, therefore, who spends his whole
| time III recreation, is ever whetting,
never moving, his grass may grow and
his horse starve, as contrarily, he that
always tolls and never recreates, is ever
moving, never whetting, laboring much
TO no purpose. A good new scythe has
no edge There is perhaps, tendency
TO make too much of amusements. We
Americans seek our amusements with
the same impetuosity and energy that
we transact our business, and it must be
equally exciting and absorbing. There
should be one fixed principal i'll our
amusements, the same as III any other
conduct of life, and that is, the tendency
shall be upward and not downward,
they should be elevating and ennobling,
and not degrading and brutalizing in
their influence.
1t is pretty generally conce led by all
that football is scientific sport. Its
title TO that distinction rests upon the
reduction of the game TO scientific prin-
ciples within the last few years. The
| player is now told not only what to do,
but how to do it. Football has this in
common with all other sciences, that
only SO much can be learned from books
The player must 90 TO the field and there
get at the true inwardness of the science.
Injuries in football result either from
unnecessary roughness or accident.
Those resulting from roughness may be
easily eliminated. No college and
especially our Alma College should allow
man who cannot control his temper,
and who is not gentleman TO represent
her upon an eleven. If the gentleman is
a man of honor, he will do nothing mean
or base. The sluggar or vicious player
is of absolutely no use to the team. A
man cannot play his game and slug his
opponent at the same time. He neces-
sarily neglects his team work, and re-
duces the strength of his own side by
one. Keep sucl men off the team, and
there will be no more injuries from
brutality. AS TO that class of injuries
resulting from accident the beginner
ought 10 be taught the art Of self-protec-
ton. The thing to do is to get into
good condition by early training and
keep so. Football is the most active,
vigorous, hearty and manly of all our
athletic sports, and to play it benefcially
and without injury requires superb
physical condition. Train conscien-
tiously and faithfully and you will never
get hurt. Pad the clothing we'll over
the joints and wear well-htting shoes
md there is no danger of injury. The
team takes on the spirit of the captain
just as the class takes the spirit of the
teacher. The captain impresses his team
more than he is impressed by it. If he
be careless, Indifferent sort OF player,
his team will play that sort of a game.
On the other hand, if he be fearless,
aggressive player, like the captain of our
college team, his team acquires that
spirit An eleven should be physically fit
to play "a hard. forced, firm fast, furious
and aggressive game from start to finish.
1t should also be mentally fit, for, it
should know its game from first to last
Every man should know every play and
his place in every pl ay. Now them
after being able to play the game both
physically and mentally the next thing
to do is to play it. This is the decisive,
the definite, the last or final thing to do.
Football is sort of composite of many
sports, for it requires the quickness and
speed of the sprinter, the endurance,
strength and power of frst-class
wrestler. Every man of the whole team
should enter a contest imbued with a
just sense Of the responsibility resting
upon hi III as the chosen representative
of his college. He owes TO her the very
best and all that is in him. Her honor,
her athletic prestige is at stake, and she
demands of her sons that it be main
tanned. The team should have the ID.
ID. spirit, with determination TO win.
Each mans only tho ught should be, my
college. He should play with all the
snap, vim, drive, dash, rush and speed
there is in him. Then there will be team
work. An eleven playing in harmony,
in union, cooperation, in concert with
spirit and strike that are irresistible,
knowing no such thing as fail, sweeping
and carrying off everything before it TO
the desired end. And in our camp there
will be noise and excitement, regular
tumult and uproar and our towns
peoples cheers will be heard and the
professors of our college will forget
themselves and will waive their ats in
the air aud our stu dents, shout go up
victory for Alma Mater Yourg men
of the team make the most of yourselves.
In the conflict of life, when struggling
with trials aud misfortunes as well as