New-York tribune., 1907-12-29
TIEUS ON COLLEGE SPORT
Manu- Radical Suggestions Made by
FacuIty Ncmbcrs.

Al the morning session Of the intercollegiate
Athletic Association of the United States at the
Murray Hill Hotel, Captain Palmer +. Pierce read
a paper on THE intercollegiate Athletic Assoca-
tion of the United States: It's Origin. Growth and
Function" He told Of the bad condition in which
collegiate athletics found two years ago. par
ticuarly professionalism, and then. In CON
trast pointed out the high range upon which col
lege athletics now are. quoting some well known
sporting authorities and writers to that end There
will be he thought. sti1 greater Improvement IN
the future. That there need for the associa-
tion he pointed out, evidence by its growth in
two years TO a membership OF sixty institutions,
We hold that a in life will carry with him
the ethics he learns in college the athletic
field" said Captain Pierce. ALREADY the force of
the association is profound We must raise. how
ever our standard still higher. We must be ma
tonal In every scope. BY the organization we hope
to raise college athletics so that all tho good is
retained and all the bad is lost There is i'm
perative need for such an organization"
Captain Pierce said the association would he
clearing house could promote propaganda and
an agency Of practical reform.
Professor James F. Kemp delegate from Column
bIa University. read paper The Function Of
Athletics in College and University Life" He said
in part:
There is no doubt that collegiate athletics
regarded of great Importance. A proper
perspective is lost. I heard a revered bishop
give two-thirds his address graduating class
TO discussion of the place of athletics in the
ColleSe lie when many OF those before MN were
women graduates and a great proportion of the
from the professional schools
Professor Kemp scored those phases Of ntercol-
legate athletics which took teams long distances
and out of the proper field OF competition. lie
urged that such contests IN term time be limited
to points than hour two distant.
He advocated baseball. lacrosse and the like
naments in summer vacation time, after the close
of college. and to have the championships in that
way settled just the races are. That is the
only he said. that the proper standards of
work could be maintained with intercollegiate con-
tests He said. further:
Il am personally convinced after long observa-
tion. that on the whole would be much better
off in all the main purposes of college or uni
versy If did not have intercollegiate sports at
all. but I prospect their disappear
ance, and as l respect the very sincere desire on
the part of alumni and students to participate in
them. am willing to concede their indulgence on
Saturday afternoons between neighhors
Where undertaken between rivals remote from each
other they can only be scheduled during the vaca-
tion, if to maintain our proper standards
of work
Professor H ID. Wild, of Williams College said
the degree of Bachelor of Arts should not be sup
posed to carry great ability in athletics and that
there was scarcely more serious problem In col
leges. College athletics he said had deveIoned g.
type contrary American democracv ,,s
spectacular college hero. Sport had been degraded
by being unduy elevated and it a violation of
the spirit or the founders of some colleges that
athletics should take so important a place
DR. Luther II. Gulick, director of physicaI train
ing in the public schools New York CIV dis
cussed ''amateurism,'' taking up phases of atb
letics in secondary schools telling at length OF the
danger to young students from what he called the
commercial offers made to them. He told of one
young student who had forty offers from that MANY
colleges because he had made a fairly good record
for 100 yards. Every student with an average rec
ord, he said, approached. He said further.
Control is necessity of freedom This naradox
is well Illustrated In the of college atbIetios
The games have developed spontaneously and have
been uncontrolled. The result that a great mass
of students is out of athletics. Those who naad
most to play athletic fields are ordered off b,,
the trainers, because they do not have that tvne
of physique or powers available as intercollegiate
material. Athletic sports in college as well as
elsewhere, need to be responsible to somebody Tho
present situation is extraordinary"
Professor Paul c.. Philips of Amherst Co,,eee
discussed intercollegiate Athletic Schedules
which. he said, in general called for too MANY
contests. There should be cooperation in the mat
| ter, he declared between managers and commit
tee and faculty. He thought the number Of foot.
ball games should be to seven games in a
season. allowed TO go above nine and that
baseball games should be limited to one a ueak
during the season.