The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-29
HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS
PROFESSORS SAY ATHLETIC TRAIN
ING is BENEFICIAL.
Mr.. McMuIIen and Mr.. Hall Discuss the
Work and Name i'm Which
Interest Has Increased.

One of the surprising things in the ath-
letic world of the past year or two is the
manner in which high school athletes ave
been able to cope with college teams and
older and more experienced men. A few
years ago athletic work in the Indianapolis
high schools received but little attention,
and but little interest was taken in the
young men who engaged in sports. But it is
different now, and all of the students of the
two schools take pride in their athletes and
encourage their efforts, while rivalry be-
tween the two schools has increased a hun
dred fold since the inauguration of dual
contests. Interviews with Lynn B. Nc.
Mullen, OF the Shortridge High School, and
Robert Hall, of the Manual Training High
School. are published here to show the adj
vantages the scholars receive from athletic
work and the manner in which athletics
have increased in the past few years.
My experience in high school athletics
leads me to believe that such sports, under
proper restrictions. are good for the indi-
viduals engaging in them, good for the
school as a whole, and enormously good in
that they are creating a public sentiment
in favor of compulsory gymnastic training
in the Schools said Lynn B. McMullen. of
the Shortridge High School. yesterday.
Things are not as they once were. The
boys of the present generation do not have
the village green nor the homely sawbuck
to engage their attention. Consequently
their attention drifts TO other things. Too
often these other things are cigarettes,
poolrOoms and saloons. II a boy engages
In athletics he has not time for much of
these other things. True. he may not have
much time for his studies, and may not
shine as a student. Blu In my work, which
requires a pupil to think on his feet or to
solve knotty problems, / find that the ath-
letes are far above the average. After all,
is not this the quality that makes men sue
c~essful?
good. Briefly, it unites the members in "A
common cause. 1t gets many pupils out
into the open air to watch the practices
UP v%aulting poles and the like in their back
yards.
But the greatest good these sports are
doing is that the public is being made to
see that education Of the mind alone is not
good-tha all the learning in the world is
useless If the body cannot carry il. The
training of the bodies of the men OF the
present was done outside OF the school
The training of the bodies of the men and
women Of the future must be done in the
school if it is done at all.
LARGE NUMBER BENEFITED.
1.-THE number Of people benefited is rap
idly increasing. Four or five years ago
enough men could hardly be got together
to fill the various teams. Last fall there
were at least thirty men trying for the
football team and a like number for the
basketball team. The only restriction 20
the number of men seems to be the lack
of training quarters.
-Four years ago we had four boys on
whom we could depend the year around.
They played football in the fall and en-
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it is now. while some of the best continue
throughout the year, they are many times
unable TO make all the different teams be-
cause Of a specialist crOWding them out.
Financially the athletic association is in
better condition than ever before, and has
enOugh money to help equip a gymnasium
if the opportunity offered. a few years
ago the treasury was empty at the begin
ming Of the season and usually empty at
the end, the teachers putting up the money
70 bring teams here and trusting 10 luck
to get il back.
Under the constitution adopted last June
affairs are now in the hands of a board Of
control, consisting Of the captain and
managers of the various teams. the presi-
dent. secretary and treasurer OF the assO-
citation. This board has full control OF all
the athletics OF the school. and under its
jurisdiction affairs move much more
Smoothly and satisfactorily than before.
The sentiment throughout the school is to
get a gymnasium. and there is a possibility
of the senior class cooperating toward
that end.
THE adoption Of the plan year before
last to give TO the successful athletes the
school monogram has helped wonderfully
in building up the cause. The restrictions
are carefully made, so that a player has 10
do his whole duty in the principal game Of
the season in football, basketball, base
ball and win one point in the interscho-
lastic track meet before he Is entitled TO a
monogram"
PROFESSOR HALLS VIEWS.
In discussing the matter Mr. Hall said:
Every institution with any school pride
has an established scholastic standard for
athletes, below which If they fall they are
not permitted TO compete on any OF the
teams. Independent OF the influence OF
athletics upon studies there are about three
classes of students in any school-the good.
who always do first-grade work. the
medium and the poor. Fiom these classes
are 10 be chosen the fellows who cOnsti-
tute the various athletic teams TO reDre-