The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-02-08
PHYSICAL GAMES FOR SCHOOLS. /
A Paper Read by Prof. Lewis
B. Jackson at the Teachers
Meeting Last Week.

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The moral, mental and physical pow.
ers Of every student in the public
schools. should be looked after with
untiring interest and energy.
A bright mind is best fitted to strong
and active body. A Herculean mind
supported by an invalid body is seldom
to be seen and even if such can be found
it does not argue that the same mind
would not prosper better in strong
and vigorous body.
1t matters not what course in life
man may pursue, good health and good
muscles q q a grt at b e;sing to him and
his friends. We can all agree that these
things are really essential and it follows
that the best place to develop them is
in the public schools.
We would like to develop our school
boys into brave, strong men. The
question now arises: how shall we &C.
complish this? How shall we proceed
so as to gain good results and still aid
the main purpose Of the school instead
Of retarding it.
All writer's on hygiene agree that there
is no exercise 80 good as healthy games
where both mind and body are called
into vigorous action and the hope Of
victory stimulates and excites.
Here may the youth be taught to re-
joice at victory modestly and bear de-
feat manfully. Games Of all kinds
should be controlled by the teacher and
INDUCED in if possible; but the teacher
should avoid all partiality and strive to
prevent unnecessary roughness and
profanity. Many enormously suppose
that the development is simply to cre-
ate roughness but this has not been the
verdict of thinking men either i'll the
past or present.
| Athletics were studied in Greece as a
branch of art and lead to several useful
rules of diet applicable to. ordinary
modes of life.
Bodily strength and activity we're SO
highly honored by the Greeks that the
athlete held q high position in society;
1 when he proposes to enter the list at
the Olympic or other public games he
was examined with regard to his birth,
social position and moral character. A
herald stepped forth and called upon
anyone if he knew ought disgracefu to
the candidate to state it,
Many famous philosophers were vic
torious athletes j. e., they pursued gym
nastics for exercise, not as profession.
Even the profound and eloquent Plato
appeared among the wrestlers in the
games at Corinth.
But we need not 60 back to antiqnity
to find the athlete and genius wrapped
i'm the same garb, it Is the rule rather
than the exception that they are found
1 thus.
And even in our own country re
might name Washington, Jackson and
Lincoln as famous athletea, and then
ask ourselves where are three TO whom
we owe q greater debt Of gratitude?
The laws Of hygiene are not difficult to
obey and those who observe them care
fully and judiciously will be most amply
rewarded. These laws have been form
ulated not Arbitrarily nor by guess WORK,
but upon facts and principles derived
from scientific aud practical study Of
the human body in all its parts and
organs and their various functions.
Sound health and vigorous constitu-
ton is desired by every person, Nature
provides everything that ia necessary
for life and health and if instead Of
strength we have feebleness it follows
that the laws of nature have been vio-
lated.
The word health signifies comforta-
BILE state OF the body and body which
is healthy should be fully developed
with all its organs sound and in perfect
working order. insufficient and excess
sive exercise are both detrimental to
the health, but the moderate, regular
and judicious use Of all the voluntary
muscles is conductive to the well being
Of every issue and organ, il the exer-
else is not carried SO far as to induce
excessive fatigue. All parts Of the body
sympathize with the improving condi-
ton of that which is mainly exercised.
The circulation excited from time to
time by the exercise requires fresh
vigor and the blood being driven with
unwanton force into all parts of the
system, every function is carried on
with increased activity and improve
ment in the general health becomes
| soon manifest and the mind if slmultan-
eouslyl cultivated with judgment in.
creases In power and endurance.
believe many Of the boys who will
become useful men can be kept in the
high school through their love for ath.
letics that could not otherwise be induc-
ed to stay and if it had not been for
l'athletics the very education which will
enable them to become useful in the
world would not have been acquired.
Moreover do not believe that high
school athletics leads to professionalism
hut to the contrary. / am inclined to
believe that if the mind and the body
are educated together in a systematic
manner thatFth student will be led to
see the true use of physical culture and
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