The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-21
ATHLETICS IN EDUCATION.
Why Most OF tho Discussion az tho CUES.
ton MAS Missed tho Mark

To THE Ep,ToR or THE srS-Sir' The
v0lumlnous discussion Of athletics. IN" placs
Il holds and the place II should hold In our
social scheme, and especially In tho colleges
has been sterile, simply becarSe tho stream
OF argu mont has been dlfr,,scd over too broad
q surface and rs effective force disspated
by the failure or neglect to discriminate
bot ween athletics for amusement or exercise
and athletics for fame.
This distinction must be made In the col
leGea. where sIde by side exist these TWO
problems. How to govern the athlete,
tho man who goes out" TO make tho
team" to represent the college In the fierce
competition for Intercollegiate supremacy ana
how TO provide proper outlets for the phys
ical neryy OF the general student body.
In the first place. - 10 tho serious business
OF college athletics. There you have the
key word. serious business" The college
student ls ward Of soclety-he by no means
pays the cost OF his education while he 10
ketting Il; and society looks to him to make
such. use Of his opportunities during that
period Of special privilege that later on no
may be able. a. a capable citizen. to make
adequate return to tho State. This return
must necessarily be appraised according to
the accepted definitions OF education and
citizenship. =.
II life were wholly . matter OF books. ath-
letcs could claim no value whatever IN con-
n6ctlon with education: II life wore merely
. physical struggle for existence. books
would bs useless and the gymnasium and
athletic field the essential equipment OF the
university.
A. II is. however. for the average man
the man who Is to depend for his SUCCESS In
cal prowess solely. but upon the ensemble Of
me- snss snd s Il. mode
With Il thu it, S sSSs ss
ddly versatile and adapted instrument for
s modsrn college sdn IA a'h1sts !.
minus mind but . quick, .cleyer thinker, and
tTsInsd TO Keep The speed Of h: acts cts apscs
words chat lend themselves most aptly to
the description OF his character are tnose
that most y describe the man 81 action u nm N
Instances Of injuries sustained In college
for "i intsrcolies iste sport-oT, on the other
hand, the Instances that might readily be
cited Of who haze stSstd 5he
athletes who have won large prizes In lie:
however Interesting and :4ssest!ve they nay
horrd pictures q tks football player dyIns
the tennis naVsp s and Il. sss
tho bottom fact Ia that the young fellow who
| wants donors and has better body than
mind viii play football. run or row; You
cannot have colleges without intercollegiate
athletics. II athletics Is an evil at all. 1t Is
As to the general student body Why
should not the colleges, az. 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,
merely connected with the college, but as
offlcials In its employ. there should be doctors
and surgeons: not called In from outside to
handle emergency cases. but constantly on
hand to prevent emergencies.
Yhe con sid GRAFTON OF these two questions
as they concern the colleges brings me again
Inevitably to the idea I have already eug-
gested In a letter to THE Sun: The Idea that
actually the demands upon our colleges
change with the changes Of society. and that
their administration should change CORE.
spond ingly. A thousand arguments might
be marshaled In favor OF q physical depart
ment In the college scheme. with ia courses
elective and requlyed. its professors. TO one
argument against 1t.
How interesting It would be to hear from
college "'thorltles-from the presid ents OF
Harvard Yale and Princeton. on the eve Of the
opening OF a new academic year-their views
on this matter. 7. N. +.
NEW YORK, Aug. 10.