The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-08

University the A. and NJ. College, Wake
Forest, Trinity, Cuilford, Horner's
School, Oak Ridge and Bingham's School.
Mebane. President Winston, of the A.
and NJ. College, was present, representing
much pleased with the work of the con-
ference
There will be another meeting" said
he, Sin Durham the first Saturday in
May, for further conference, where it
is hoped to form permanent college
Athletic Association. The troubles that
We are contending with are not confined
to North Carolina, but exist to greater
or less degree among all the colleges Of
the country. Colleges elsewhere have
made vigorous efforts to be rid of these
troubles. The best colleges, like Har-
ward Yale, Princeton. Cornell, Columbia
and University of Pennsylvania have
been especially active in trying to purify
college athletics. We are going to fol-
low their example, and l think we may
be safely guided by their experience.
The troubles that we are trying to
remedy are as follows:
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. Under this
head l include any athlete who plays for
a consideration, no matter whether the
consideration be money, board. tuition,
or employment by the institution in some
other capacity, if the employment, or the
tuition, be given with a view to athletic
skill or service. In some institutions
men are hired outright, receiving wages
In others they get their board and tut
tion free, while in others still they Sc
Iiul Ia,
rection. Such persons are not usually
bona fide students but are at the inst-
tuition for the purpose of playing ball.
Many evils result from professionalism.
It necessarily destroys amateur athletics.
'2nd: Excessive devotion to athletics
by bcnafide students. Many young men,
not professionals, go to school or college,
and through athletic zeal, neglect their
studies. They fail in their studies, take
up another course of study, fail in that,
hang on at the college as long as posi-
Bile, register for a minimum Of work, and
do minimum of that they registered
for remaining for years in the college as
the star players on their teams. If dis
missed by colleges that realize the harm
they arc doing, they go off to some other
institution and there begin again the
same career. This evil is fully as great,
in my opinion. as professionalism. l.
has been met in the best institutions by
excluding from athletics students who
are deficient in any of their studies, or
who are dropped from one class to a low
er, or who take special and irreguia"
courses. or who pass from one institu-
tion to another. or who register lateF
than thirty days after the beginning
Of the academic year.
'3rd: Extravaganza in money and in
playing. This evil comes from the de-
sire of college to compete with insti.
buttons with which it really has no right
to compete. No institution in North
Carolina can expect to compete in root
ball for example, with Harvard. The de-
sire 10 do so would cause extraordinarv
expense in hiring a professional coach,
or possibly two, with a salary, for three
months work, greater than that o.
Professor for the same period. The stu
dents selected for this competition |o2'I
have TO be unduly trained and would have
to take long trips at much expenditure OF
time and money and frequently WITH eX-
travagance of conduct in order 10 nett
ether teams trained like themselves.
Such a system is artificial. t IS MOI d
natural evolution"