The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-10-19

son now commence, giving a healthy
done to the so-called winter months Of
our perpetual summer. The former
game has made its home here for
long time. The latter, though it has
been played on Maui for some years
has only become a prominent game for
the Islands within a year. 1t has now
evidently come to stay and there win
be more and more interest taken in it
as Onlookers learn its fascinating and
picturesque qualities. From point of
fascination and quick changing scene
polo, to the Spectator, is probably the
king of games.
1t Is an excellent thing that athletics
take so prominent part in the amuse-
ments of our youth. Few tropical coun-
tries, indeed few temperate countries,
produce such sturdy scions of the
Anglo-SaX stock as we do. Our
young men, born sometimes of the
third generation Of residence here are
as active, as deep chested, as strong
limbed and as mentally well gifted as
any born in the so-called bracing elm
ates of the mainland. They not only
contend well in athletics here among
themselves, but when they go to the
mainland, either East or West, they
make a mark thoroughly dispropor-
tionate to their small numbers. Taking
percentages Hawaiian youth stands
high, very high in the general athle-
tics of the mainland.
In a country such as this, with
climate such as ours is, it is very easy
to run any game into the .round. We
have practically no seasons. The fall
months are a little cooler than the sum-
mer months, but what can be played
in the summer months can just as well
be played in the winter months, and
vice versa. There is no climatic rea-
son for US to change our amusements
as there is in the temperate zone. We
could go on playing any game the year
round.
But human nature must have variety,
tousjours perdriX as the French pro-
verb has it. every day partridge for
dinner becomes very monotonous, and
the interest in the same game continu-
ed through the year would soon be lost
This the leaders in athletics have rec
ognized, and though the climate does
not call for limitations, as temperate
zone climates do, arbitrary limitations
are made. and we get our boating and
yachting seasons, our football season,
our baseball season, our cricket season
and our polo season. By sticking to
seasons we keep up the interest in
games and do not let them be run into
the ground.
There will be much of interest
in the series of games which are
going to be played both at foot
ball and at polo during the en-
suing weeks. Football is no longer a
game of mere brute strength, such as
1t used to be some decades ago. 1t is
a thoroughly scientific sport and the
captain handles his team, much as a
general handles his forces in the field
1t true that football is played with the
feet, but it is played with the feet un-
der the very strong direction of the
head. Indeed a football captain with
out a brain to conceive and carry out
combination would prove as disastrous
to his team as any society general
would be to the troops he did not know
how to lead. The present football sea-
son will show the lovers of this sport
some new players who have Joined the
local ranks from the East. This intro |
duction of new blood must add cOnsd- |
erably to the interest. We have mo-
delled our play here very much upon
Western methods and style, and little |
dash from the East is just the thing we
need. We are a cosmopolitan commun-
ity and learn and assimilate readily |
We are free from local prejudices, as
far as athletics go, and that makes our
sports the broader and the more inter
esting. T. ...r, .t.,.
The coming polo games will, to a |
large number of spectators, be new. The |
matches played in the middle of the
year attracted a fair number of en-
thusiasts, but the game had not |
Caught on to the general. Polo com |
bines varied interests. A man must
sarily a good polo player. He must |
have skill with his "stick," he must |
have an unerring eye, a ready hand, |
and a pretty stout heart. His pony |
must obey him at touch, therefore he
must develop a love for the most noble |
of the domestic animals. Above all, |
just as in football, the playing must be |
done by combination. Individual play |
may be brilliant but it is the united |
team work, under capable captain |
that tells.
1t evidently looks as if the city were |
going to have some good healthy |
amusement provided for it during the
coming weeks. There is nothing bet
ter for a community than sound, pure,
amusement and relaxation. This anna
W.