The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-21
ATHLETICS IN EDUCATION.
Why Most Of tho Discussion OF the Ques.
tIon Has Missed the Mark.

To THE Enron or Tar SrN str: The
volumInous discussion Of athletics, the plncH
II holds and the place N should hold IN our
social scheme. and especially In the colleges,
has been sterile, simply because the stream
OF arg1i mcnt has been dlfYuscd over too broad
a surface and its effective force dissipntcd
by tho failure or neglect to discriminate
between athletics for amusement or exercise
and athletics for fame.
This distinction must be made In the col
leges, where side by side exist these two
problems: How to govern tho athlete.
tho man who goes out" to make the
team" to represent the college In the fierce
competition for intercollegiate supremacy and
how 10 provide proper outlets for the phys
lcal energy of the general student body.
In tho first place. a. IN the serious busin ess
OF college athletics. There You have the
key word, SERIOUS business" The college
student u ward of sooiety-he by no means
pays the COST of his education while he 10
gettins II: and society looks to him to make
such use Of his opportunities during that
period Of special privilege that later on he
may be able, 40 q capable citizen. to make
adequate return To the State. This return
must necessarily be appraised according to
tho accepted definitions Of education and
citlsenshlp
II life wore wholly q matter OF books. ath-
letlcs could claim no value whatever In con-
nection with education: II life were merely
. physical struggle for existence. books
would be useless. and tho gymnasium and
athletic field the essential equipment OF the
university.
As It 10, however. for the average man
the man who Ia to depend for his success in
life not upon books alone. nor yet upon phys.
cal solely but upon the ensemble ebHS;e q
mental and morsi-the life OF the mod ern
college. with It's social opportunities, It's ad-
mens ana it, RAINING Of the mi mi nd, is a SPLEEN
didly versatile and adapted instrument for
The suocessful modern college athlete is
not dull clod. Q mass OF bone and muscle,
minus mind. but z quick. cleycr thinker and
e. S ssn ss OF hi ae
words that lend themselves most aptly to
The desoription OF hls character are those &c
any sphere--in business. in politics, in any
place OF influence and power:
instances Of injuries sustained in college
Hs Ss hst s S'nse
S Of n xho hS s s sssd II hs aSd
athletes who have won, large prizes In life
however Interesting and n sgestive they may
Ss are nos s III Ho sass abo be an
horrid pictures Of the football player dying
the bottom fact is that the young fellow who
wants honors and has a better body than
mind win play, football: run Or row; You
athletics. II athletics is an evil at ALL 1t is
Q necessary one.
AZ 70 the general student body: Why
should not the colleges. as they provide
trained men to supervise the intellectual
activities Of the students. also employ skilled
and competent men to care for their physical
condition and direct them in, their sports,
pursued for the sake OF fun and health? Not
merely connected, with the college. but as
ofiolals in It's employ. there should be doctors
and surgeons; not called in from outside to
handle emergency cases. but con stantly on
hand to prevent Emergencies.
The consld Grafton OF these two questions
a. they concern the colleges brings me again
Inevitably to tho idea I have already smg-
sested in letter to The SUN The ide9 that
actually the demands upon our colleges
change with the changes OF society. and that
their, admin ist ration should change CORE.
spondi sly. A thousand arguments might
be marshaled In favor of a physical depart
ment In the college scheme. with it's courses
elective and required. Its professors, to one
argument against II.
How interesting It would be to hear from
college naturalization the presidents OF
Harvard Yale and Princeton. on the eve Of the
opening Of . new academic year-their views
on thls matter. T. n. f.
NEW YonK. Aug. 10.