Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-29
TO CHECK: ATHLETICS
Movement to Regulate Sub
ject in High Schools.
TEACHERS AGITATED
BOARD OF EDUCATION TO CON-
sIDER ENTIRE SUBJECT.
Tendency to Subordinate Scholarship to
Athletics Reports From Other
Cities-Secret Societies.
TEACHERS AGITATED

Is scholarship being subordinated to ath-
letics in the high schools of Washington?
This question is agitating the minds of
| many teachers, and the remarks of prom
| inent member of the board OF education
would seem to suggest the earnest consid-
Grafton of the subject by that body In the
near future This is what he said to Star
reporter yesterday:
THAT athletics are seriously impairing the
intellectual development OF the public school
pupils few question. and 1t would seem,
from the interest already manifested In the
subject, athletics will be curtailed or at
least. be properly regulated in the near fu-
ture.
mo teacher in these days of strenuous
endeavor has the temerity to oppose ath-
letics In the schools. That they tend toward
the general wellbeing of the boys all ad-
NIT. But they insist. and with arguments
that cannot be combatted. that athletics
should only be countenanced under proper
regulations rigidly enforced
During the past few years competition
has grown keener among the high schools
and the annual foot ball games have en-
gendered bad feeling. Several students have
been disciplined for lighting and threatened
with dismissal.
THE base ball games have not been free
from contentious and the annual drill usu-
ally provokes disagreeabie features. These
quarrels and chickering's have been reflected
In some measure by the several principals.
whose ambition in the past seems to have
been a desire to win victories by Drawn
rather than brain.
Properly regulated, athletics are neces-
sary The development of the body is of
equal. if not greater, Importance than the
mind. For sound mind in q weak struc-
ture becomes q useless adjunct and must
fall for proper support"
This subject of athletics with special ref
erence to their proper management in the
public schools, is not a new one. Boards
of education in other cities have wrestled
with the problem. and from recent reports 1t
would appear they have found remedy.
In the annual report of the superintendent
of instruction of Cleveland, Ohio, the sub
ject of physical education is treated this
way:
"The members of the school board. the
school director and the superintendent of
instruction have given special thought and
attention to physical training that will be
far reaching and which VIII touch the life
of every child and every class of children
and youth in the city The consensus of
opinion Is that the purpose and aim OF this
department should be to build up physically
the weaker pupils Of the schools, and that
all exercises in the gymnasium and In the
athletic field should be-planned with this In
view. The general practice in the high
school. theHeelese and the university has
been to select the strong boys in small
numbers and make them stronger. This has
been especially true in athletics. The physi-
cally weak or understood boy has had no
chance for anything better He is. In fact,
excluded from the ranks Of the robust and
strong and deprived not only Of the benefits,
but of the pleasure of the sports of his
more fortoHate and less needy classnaate
Hardly per cent of the boys in our schools
have had any active part in the athletics of
their class. Many of the large number re-
manning live in hopes of better things for
themselves, but there are others with less
physical strength who become depressed in
spirit and make effort to better their
condition. 1t Is the policy of the present
administration of the schools to give every
pupil an equal opportunity to secure for
himself every benefit it is possible to obtain
from well-organized system of physical
culture"
Superintendent Southworth of the public
schools of Somerville, Mass. devotes
major part of his 1904 report to the subject
of athletics. Read what he says:
1.-The interest in school athletics Is con-
stantly growing. not only among students.
but with the public. Cnregulated, they are
a menace to the schools; properly CON
trolled, they are productive of good. They
must be subordinated to scholastic inter-
ests Honors won in the classroom or at
college examinations must be held superior
to those gained on the ball field. The school
teams must Ally represent their schools IN
conduct and character. They may elevate
or discredit the reputation Of their schools
and their city. Not only should their con-
duct be sportsmanlike on the field. but
clean and manly everywhere. Games
should be absolutely free from trickery or
rufianism or baseness of any sort
For several years the Somerviile mgn
schools have stood for what Is best In attn
letics. The long line Of victories has been
honorably won by their teams. The play
ers have reflected credit on their schools
and city. not only by their prowess. but by
their gentiemanly demeanor, This condi-
ton has not come about by chance. but
has been developed by experiment and fall
ure, as well as by success.
The Somerville high schools belong to the
fp%n Al,..yao aap a
other high schools.
The interests of the schools and the char
acter of the games are safeguarded by
stringent rules. For example,
l. The governing board consists of one
under graduate. two graduates. and one
teacher from each school approved by the
head master.
2 The head masters form board of final
appeal.
g. The teachers on the governing board
are committee on games. Two members
of this committee must attend each game.
with power to settle certain questions that
may arise.
T. No student can play on a team unless
a bona fde member of the school, taking
a full years work.
s. Nor can he play unless taking course
of twelve~prepared recitation periods per
week in a way to secure promotion.
g. He must also have attained a promo
ton standard during the previous year.
T. He can take part in no contest unless
he is in good and regular standing and
maintaining honorable conduct
g. student once ruled out of a game for
improper play is disqualified for future play
unless formally renstated-
These rules insure intelligent manage
ment and a fair standard of scholarship in
players.
Rules have been vigorously enforced and
PLAYERS frequently debarred for low scho-
lastic standing. The head masters and the
teachers generally have actively participant
ed in the afairs of the association. More
than all else. as contributors toward har-
mony and success. have been the attitude
and spirit and cooperation Of the S tudents
themselves.
The most i'm portant person connected with
the athletic interests of the school Is the
coach Upon him rests not only much OF
the responsibility for championship sue
cesses, but in large degree Is he also re-
sponsible for the morale of the team. In
his personality and character. in manliness
and power he should be the equal OF any
teacher His control should be absolute
and he should allow nothing that in the
least detracts from the highest type OF
sportsmanlike play gentlemanly conduct.
The leading criticism upon school athletics
is that they have been left too largely to