New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-21

POINTS To ORDINARY PLAYERS
Nature makes up i'm some way or other for
that which she denies To her children. 1t is
well known that blind men have other senses that
are much keener than those possessed 10y people
who have the fun use of their eyes. and the deaf
and dumb athletes Of Washington Heights offer
another striking instance of this marvellous pro
vision of nature. These boys not only make
physically powerful athletes. but they are quick
of appreciation and learn new sports rapidly
They pick up the fine points of play. if any
thing trihe more quickly than the ordinary
boys of their age and they are certainly very
successful in competition.
T. & Cook a former athlete of the Young
Mems Christian Association is the athletic in
structor of the Institution for the instruction
of the Deaf and Dumb, and ne has developed
team of expert basketball players from
among the pupils of the school. They also had
strong baseball team last spring and year
ago one of the strongest football teams pro-
duced by any school from boys Of their was
turned out. The basketball team won the in
terscholastic championship las. winter 10y beat
ing the Adelphi Academy team of BROOKLYN 10y
a score of - To Is points.
This year the, was some difficulty about get
ting into the Intcrscholastic Football League
and So the school did not form a football eleven
at all The basketball team for this winter
however. is already practising regularly and
the opening matches of the season will be- played
soon The boys average only 30 pounds but
Instructor Cook believes that light players. who
are quicker in running ana lodging than heavy
men make better basketball players. The team
is mad up Of H. Muench and T. Ellis for
wards. J. ANens and f. Rappbodt guards. and
r 6. Cook. centre
Mr. Cock declares that deaf-mutes have a
distinct advantage oyer ordinary boys in that
their attention is never distracted from their
play by happenings outside Of the game Their
inability 10 hear makes them concentrate their
minds better on what they are doing. They
are particularly easy TO teach too. says Cook
for they are very tractablr and understand
quickly what is wanted Of them. At the Fan
wood Athletic Association. which is part Of
the institution. they have regular training
table a Varsity squad and all the other feat
ures To be found in the athletics Of any OF the
big colleges. For the et-ball team. of course
most Of the work is done i'm the gymnasium
but as the recreation hour of the boys in the
institution is only from ( to = daily. they have
little opportunity for outdoor play. Basket ball
is used as part Of the physical development
course. and therefore can be- played during the
regular time allotted for gymnasium instruc-
ton The football and baseball players how
ever. were trained in the short afternoons and
yet they certainly reflected great credit on the
school The institution is conducted much
the same principle as West Point, with all its
rightly Of rules and military precision and the
only exceptions are made in favor Of the boys
selected to play on the Varsity teams, who are
allowed 10 have extra time for practice and
matches
There are two languages in use AT the school,
that I'm which every word is spelled out i'm deaf
and dumb letters. and sign language. where
a single motion means a whole sentence. Some
OF the students expert in the slower
method that they spell out forty five words
minute giving each word it's full number of
letters The sign language is used mostly. how
ever. in the sports, and much can be understood
by these boys from the lips Of a talking Oppo-
nent They read the motions of the lips very
accurately. In football these deaf-mutes have
a distinct advantage. for their signals never
their captains shouting out "Forty-one. seven
teen. twenty one nine" or some other row Of
figures as the college captains do ne makes
motion Of his hand and fingers. and every
player understands just what is meant. Each
man has 10 look at his captain before he
lines up and he gets the sigral from him. If
ne should miss it. ne has a sign which he makes
to his nearest neighbor. asking for the next
play and the other fellow repeats the captains
signal They line up and strap the ball very
quickly. and spectator who them
play last fall remarked: 1T is just "A wggle of
the finger: they line up. and away they co.
Deaf -mutcs are even more enthusiastic than