The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-01
A DAY IN THE YALE "GYM."
A VORTEX OF PHYSICAL ENERGY
AND ACTIVITY. o."

Figures showing Extent 0f University
Athletic LBe-Out Of $500 students
At Least $500 Use the Gymnasium.
With 400 Using II at One Time.
More men can be seen at work at one
were men In college when I was at Yale.
said Julian Curtiss, who keeps a fatherly
eye on the young Yale athletes. the other
day. ....
How many students were there at Yale
in your day7' Mr.. Curtiss was esked--he
was graduated In 70. About thousand
was the eply.
Mr.. Curtiss's statement exaggerated
matters much less than may appear at first
glance. In fact, IL was not much wide OF
the mark. II often happens that there are
three or four hundred students In the gym
nasum at one time, all Of them trying for
places on some one OF the many teams that
make up the irriculum Of college sport now
adays, and DR.. W. q. Anderson. the gym
nssium director, estimates that there are
at least six hundred students in all trying
for places on the different teams In the course
of the college year. Many moro than his
make use Of the gymnasium. Numerous
students having neither tho physique
nor the inclination-and there are few who
do not have the inclination II they have the
physique-do not try for the teams, but 90
In for gymnasium work solely for body
building. They allow the more gifted ones
to 20 In for athletic laurels and devote their
time in the gym to improving the body.
One reason for this Ia that gymnasium work
IL compulsory at Yale,in the academic de-
partment However. inclination rather than
oornpulsion sends the men to the gymnasium
and the great growth Of the gymnasium's
part In college HE is shown by remark Of
Dr.. Anderson on the subject. -
we aim to get so per cent. OF all the
college men into the gymnasium he said.
There are 800 men In college and . con-
servative estimate Of those who use the
gymnasium in some way or other II 200.
OF this number about 600 60 In for special
lines Of athletics ...
More specific figures give q clearer idea
Of how and to what extent the athletic
and gymnastic work prevails. The follow
ing approximate figures were furnished to
THs SUN by DR.. Anderson. In the fall
when tho football candidates report q
many a 800 respond to the call for the
VARSITY. freshman and class teams., A
number OF these are. Of course. weedsd
out as the beet material Ii discovered. Just
as il the case In other branches Of sport.
Other figures are - follows: O.. -....... ..
Candidates for, class. Varsity and.fresh-
man crews, $50; baseball. no. general gym
nastio work. including the ten men who
compose the regular Varsity team. $50;
track team candidates. $50; members Of
the water polo and swimming teams. Is:
handbaIl players. 20; dancing. 50; members
Of boxing class. 90; basketball, 10: hockey.
u; fencers, Is; bowleas, 20. This list foots
up about 400, but includes rspetitions.
students who in the course Of the year try for
two or more teams. To offset that In . meas
ure, however, 1t may be said that - many
a. eighty students use the swimming tank
q day and there are members Of the gun
club and tennis team and wrestling ohm
that have not been mentioned. o..
The whole is thoroughly systematiSed
and the different departments arranged
and sub-divided 30 that An Intelligent idea
Ia had Of what everybody 70 doing. No
shirking is permitted. and there u nothing
haphazard about the work. The baseball
candidate, track candidate, football oandi-
date, or whatever he may be. must report
as religiously as he does for his studies.
II he does not he must have . good excuse.
or be dropped from the squad. CAsss Of
the latter happening are few. Personal
pride in keeping on with what one has
started out to do and the still more potent
influence Of doing some good for his college
reputation on the athletic Aotherwise
college spirit-keep the list Of laggards
down to a small number. What except
college spirit could hold a student to the six
months drudgery OF crew work. The
glory OF seeing the Blue in front after q
twent y minutes heart breaking pull on
the Thames IL more than enough to make
UP for all the weary weeks Of slavery in
getting At for the short tussle.
The Yale gymnasium on snowy winters
day-such as II was on . recent Saturday
when the weather viii not permit Of out
door practice. Is Q very vortex Of physical
activity and application. The students
who were pelting one another With snow |
balls on the campus outside. - . sort OF |
aftermath to the sophomore-freAhman
! inco.n's Birthday scrap, threw no more |
ardor into their efforts than those at j
work in the gymnasium with more definite |,
purpose In view. There was to be found i
the quintess nee Of youthful buoyancy. |
strength and determination. II In q sight
LOT tbt Oh INsr0IIhefh. anu W Iusfc
alone Ii calculated to brace up /
shsky nerves and tone up dyspeptic stom-
achs Big and little men. short and TALL
slim and stout, narrow-chested and with
Iorsos Ike Hercules, sp ndle-shanksd and
with calves that bulge with muscle. are
going through all sorts Of capers; and II
here IL an unsound one among than there
10 40 u,ward indication Of It, In the tank
In the basement q squad ~ crew mon are
II work with John Kennedy. the coach.
instructions a them in no gentle
voice with nifty or more looking on and
resdy TO take their turn They are solemn
and serious 81 demeanor. and neither la
bought or word QUESTION tie supreme
Commands Of the ooAoh About twenty
minutes 10 . squad 10 tho spportioninsa,
" iiInr
Zach one thinks hs II . slAdisior,' re-
nsrks Kennedy with q smile aud Just Q
lnke ~ sarcasm alter tn dAys grind is
,yeT. -fss, Ne fssd 'sm on rsv inss,
lads capt Wstssiasn ~ the Varsity ass.
.salups psrhsps hls o~n freshman days
} len Ls fell allie Ia pull en- elsnt -oAi.i
'hell slnsls HANDED
AdJuifh,s ths iank 10 il,s SWIMMING pod
sl,sf. the smpiii,iOus sihl.,s holds forth
90 tha hyof above 10 ths hsndbail oouu
here LAh doAsl ,ouls oi.ts, only Tee