The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-05-14
BASKETBALL AT COLLEGES.
Branch of Winter Athletics That
Promises to Become the
Leading Sport.

Basketball as college sport has
come into remarkable prominence the
last year and bids fair within year
or SO to become the leading branch Of
winter athletics in many colleges, says
the New York Times. Hockey year
or SO ago was popularity hailed as the
coming college winter sport, but the
reason why basketball is SO rapidly dis
tancing hockey in student favor is not
far to seek.
The games of the Intercollegiate
Hockey league are all played in the ST.
Nicholas rink in this city, and are.
therefore, fought out on noncollege
grounds. In basketball the case is re-
versed. In the Intercollegiate league
the members are Yale, Harvard, Prince
ton, Columbia and Cornell. A sched-
ule of 20 games is played in which each
team meets every other twice. Yale,
for example, plays two games with
Harvard, one at New Haven and the
other at Cambridge. In this way every
one of the five colleges has the benefit
of playing before it's own students,
arousing their interest and having
them to count on for spectators.
Ii is not difficult to understand the
popularity of basketball with those
who play it as well as with those who
watch it. Contrary to ignorant preju-
dice, few sports require more endur-
ance and staying power. For 40 min
utes, the length of the average game,
tho r,1avorc arn op, = q f1xy ~, tho rrsx
exerting every energy and putting
forth every effort. The poorly trained
or physically undeveloped have no
chance to succeed in varsity basketball
as it is played to-day. AS an evidence
of what physicians and trainers think
of the qualities required for participa-
ton in basketball, it is of interest to
note that Columbia's gymnasium au-
thorities require a man to pass as
rigorous a physical examination and
attain as high standard in the
strength test to play basketball as to
play football or row.
Basketball, when it is well played, as
1t usually is by the colleges, is fast
and spectacular game. It is exciting to
watch and exciting to play. 1t has, too.
that element Of roughness which coli
lege men and the public generally seem
to like in college sport. Basketball.
too, has an advantage in that there are
so few winter sports, hockey and gym
nastics being the only real competitors.
In spectacular interest it is OF course
much superior to gymnastics and is
rapidly surprising hockey. Where
Harvard has 35 candidates for its
hockey team it has 125 in basketball
and the same figures prevail at Column
bia. Yale, Princeton and Cornell each
have about so candidates for their
basketball teams.
Basketball usually attracts men who
have attained some prominence in
other sports that are seasonable at
other times of the year. Columbia, for
example, has among its team and sub
stitutes the stroke of the varsity crew.
the captain of the baseball nine, the
quarterback of the football team, the
captain of the gymnastic team, mem-
Der of the varsity four-oared crew, 3
member of the Lacrosse team, one of
the water-polo team and the captain of
the cross-country team.
To those who are unfamiliar with
college mems basketball the sport must
not be confused with the game as
played in the girls colleges. They are
as different as possible not only in
rules and number of competitors but
in general style of play.