Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-17
oTTUMWA HIGH SCHOOL BASKET.
BALL TEAM MAY VISIT
EXPOSITION.
BIG GAMES TO BE PLAYED
Principal J. E. Roberts to Present a
Proposition to the Students to Com.
pete for the United States Basketball
Championship at Worlds Fair.

From Wednesdays Daily.
The proposition of sending basket
ball team from the Ottumwa high
school, under the personal supervision
of Principal j. e. Roberts, to the Lou
isiana Purchase exposition in st. Louis
next July, to compete for the high
school championship of the United
States, will be determined late this
afternoon at called meeting Of the stu
dents interested in basketball. Mr..
Roberts mas had the matter OF compet-
ing for the championship in mind for
some time, but he looks more to the
educational aspect of the proposition
than to the idea of winning the honors,
although to prepare for the latter the
local students will, should the project
go through, continue the practice they
already have started until the time OF
leaving for the exposition. The cham
pionship is open to all high schools in
the United States.
Favors Basketball.
The game of basketball has always
been Principal Roberts favorite game
and he intends this year to advance the
| sport as much as possible. He has
| coached several teams before coming
| to this city and has also played the
game. The students are handicapped
in that they have no place to practice
except the gym" at the Y. NJ. G. A.
but this fact has not yet caused any
| lack of enthusiasm in the sport. On
the other hand. many of the students
/ A
Roberts, and this new project should
it be consummated will doubtless be
the making of a high school basketball
team that will in every contest keep
I W the excellent athletic record of the
local school.
/ The Educational Features.
/ The visit to st. Louis will necessi
4 tate a period of from ten days to two
weeks. All of this time, howerer.wil
not be spent in contesting for the
championship and it is Mr. Roberts
idea to visit the most important
4 places in the exposition with the stud
ent players, This will afford an ed
j ucation for the students that practic
i ally means the same as a years course
in college. There will be an unlimit
4 ed field for learning and Mr.. Roberts
will map out a number of places t.
II visit, which in his estimation are the
most prominent and the ones that vii
be most beneficial in an educationa
way to the students.
i The Championship.
/ The championship games will bt
played in the month Of July, although
the exact dates have not yet been set
Ali the high school teams in the Unit
ed States composed of players whom
their principals will vouch for as be
. ing students eligible TO play regula
high school games, are privileged Il
compete. Students who have played
the game the season of 1903-4 and VIII,
will graduate in June next year are al
so eligible to play The contests vii
he played in connection with the Olynl
plan games and all other athletic cor
tests. 1t is supposed the plan vii
be the same as all other chalnpionshi
. games, the losers being disqualif1e
and the winners being matched wit
other teams.
The Players.
The material for high school has
: ketball team this year is considere,
better than that of any previous yeal
The representative team, however, ,ha
not yet been selected, although seyera
fast men are practicing. Chester Buck
ner, the manager, has already secure
one game and is negotiating with sey
eral other schools and colleges TO
, games. Every Saturday Captain Rear
: has a number of men at practice il
the Y. M. G. A. gymnasium and up t
this time, good work has been don
by the players. The game alread
scheduled is with Company NJ of FAN
field and will be played at that plac
January /, 1904.