The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-03-08
8 ATHLETIC: SOLDIER BOYS
Ie More Physical Training Than
Those Of Other Lands.

J -as. - . ~ y
III khe United States soldier is tough
~ and tronger-physically tougher
& han he was before the Spanish
It is not the, war which is to be
anked for it. Athletic training has
lshe the work. & +. .'-..{ I.
Ok It is said by Army and Navy Life
hat this country gives far more at
Hention to the physical culture Of it's
Soldiers than does either Great Brit
am, France or Germany. While they
Ssequire a daily setting up exercise
@milar to our own these gun calls
&enics and other prescribed forms Of
Snscle stretching are supplemented
Xf this country by athletic sports.
E%3hv'phese are not compulsory. They do
EsE} need to be. They have been en-
MED into so heartily that every post
Iany size has it's organization which
acks its crack team, it's football elev-
Hn or it's baseball team. This is just
|ghat the war department wants them
Ito do, as it has organized bureau
For the encouragement of athletics.
4 aNearly every garrison has its COM
mittee, consisting of at least one COM
SFYnissioned officer in addition to non-
Il commissioned officers and privates, to
lagrange programmes for field days,
AXorganize teams and pick out the star
men Of the command to represent it
%s'n, the various events.
&b The soldiers themselves have so
SWillingly fallen in with the idea that
they have contributed to paying for
q the outfits needed, and some of the
n garrisons support gymnasiums, which
are. equipped with the latest designs
! Of chest weights, rowing machines and
horses, as we'll as bars, trapeze, rings
and n supply Of foils and boxing
gloves.
- IF the post is too small to allow an
independent athletic field it is laid
out on the drill ground, with dia-
mond, running track and supports
8ypfor basketball. When the pigskin
q season opens the field becomes foot
ball oval.
The average soldier would not be
1. much Of an American if he were not
K, fond Of baseball, while he makes a
u first-class man on the football team
because the daily routine keeps him
hard yet wiry and supple, and gives
? him plenty of wind. Within the last
J. two years college clevens have sought
8 matches with military teams because
4 they get such "fine practice" to
ho tro Int k1,o,
: more than once ended in the soldiers
scoring every point.
But the garrison bets it's money on
others besides it's nine and eleven. 1t
has its high jumper, its long distance
runner and sprinter, it's strong men,
who can put the shot and throw the
hammer, while it's team in the relay
.,- race is carefully selected for fleet
d MISS and endurance. The athletic
8S committee often has it's hands full to
, select entries for field day-not
from lack of material, but because
there are so many good men from
ss whom to choose.
:, SsWhen it comes to bout with glove
: some Of those who doff the uniform
to don the tights are experts. While
the war department is not supposed
to encourage prizefights, many a live
ly bout is fought here and there in
the ,garrisons, just as the men of the
navy have habit Of settling diff
ferences in the same way. There is
no objection to glove fights in the
army, however, and they are fire.
quently on the list Of indoor events,
~, which serve to relieve the monotony
of winter duty.
Any one who studies the sporting
records and compares what the men
in uniform can do with the work Of
the so-called professionals and crack
amateurs among the civilians may be
4 astonishcd at the large number of SOL
diers who have made high averages
/ in this or that event.
The first post field day was held
50 but few years ago. Within the last
50 year several commanders organized
their first baseball nine. This is es-
pecially true in the east, where the
enthusiasm for athletics has not be-
come so intense as in the west, al
r. though each year finds more and more
interest in it but in the western mil