The Washington herald., 1907-01-07
Leading Winter Sport Is Be-
coming More Popular.
DEVELOPS FINE QUALITIES
New Forward Pass of Football Is
Borrowed from the Indoor Game,
which Is Now Played in More Gym
nasiums Than Ever BefOre-ActiOn
I'm Every Minute of the Two Halves.


go to fill up the interim between football
and baseball seasons. all have gradually
given way before basketball until it
now stands as the most popular winter
sport. as well as the most useful and
beneficial.
For ten years or more it has been
gradually growing In favor, and even
without the forward pass OF the football
field to throw it into stiI brighter relief,
the game was sure to win its way on the
merits of its play. The qualities it de-
mands and those it develops were enough
in themselves to insure ultimate favor
but the play Of the last few years, to
gether with the sudden prominence which
the grating of its forward pass into the
football rules has given it, places basket
ball far ahead Of the position il held in
| former years and gives an added i'm
portance to the play Of this season.
Develops Fine Qualities.
Among the qualities developed in the
men who take it up seriously are cool
I ness, decision, suppleness. activity. and
team play. Weight. height, and superior
strength are advantages, but with the ex-
cepti0n Of the center position. where
I height is a requisite. there is no special
premium put upon any of those natural
qualities
Speed and agility are the qualities most
desirable, and after them come endurance
and the ability to submerge self in
order 10 play for and with the team %
/ The new man at the game is apt to be
All nerves He passes too quickly,
works too hard, and when ne gets "a
/ chance to shoot for a goal he invariably
/ does IL as quickly as possible. with the
| result that his try misses where an in
/ stants hesitation for the sake OF poise
/ ana aim would have converted his worth
/ less try into "a valuable score.
/ It is discOncerting 20 know that one man
/ on the other team is specially placed 10
guard him, and the knowledge that he is
+ ever near and trying his utmost 10 inter
cept the shot gives green man the rat
/ Ties as quickly as anything could.
Veteran L. Cool.
The veteran has learned his lesson. and
with the pass Of the ball has sized up the
situation. As he catches il. ne knows
/ how near his guard is and whether be
must hurry the shot or can take time ia
| aim. II he has an instant for prepara-
/ ton, the try seldom fails, and it is by
reason Of that c00lness which enables
/ him TO decide in advance that he is so
/ much more valuable than some other
man who may be- able TO do many things
/ better. but who lacks his experience. The
game develops this quality and teaches
/ the players instinctively 10 decids and
I act IN unison.
/ SupplenesS and activity are developed
/ as IN no other game. since every muscle
i OF the body is called into play and every
move must be quick If il is 20 DE effective
! The moves of football are frequently slow
/ and ponderOus, calling for strength to
/ repel OF urge on an attack, and TIE actual
/ period Of play in two 30-minute halves
has been found 20 be less than fifteen
/ minutes
Better Than Baseball.
/ In baseball quick action is demanded
/ spasmodicaly. while at least one-haIf the
/ time of the game is spent in idIeness and
+ rest on the bench. Hockey demands con
siderable action. but it relates more Il
/ the legs than 10 any other part of tbs
/ body, and continued skating tends C
/ harden muscles that should DE soft To be
( ball player
Basketball on the other hand. develop.
all parts Of the body equally From tho
( blowing of the whistle at the start Of q
. contest. there is scarcely q pause until
the end OF the half During two periods
4 Of twenty minutes each. there IS seldom
more than quarter hour taken out foi
all delays and pauses, leaving twenty
five minutes Of actual play during which
/ every man is not only moving, but +.
working fast-running. lodging. catching
. pasSing-tryiRg by every fair method il
his power 10 Outwit. Outplay. or weal
down the opponent who is specially op.
posed 10 him
/ 1t is constant and quick action for every
muscle Of the body since the possibilities
OF the play call them all into service
sooner or later. \ game for the small
man as well as the big one. il develop.
the same traits in both
! Except for the extra strength Of tn,
big man. which sometimes enables hin
to outlast the smaller. there is no ad
vantage in his power