The San Francisco call., 1907-06-02
PREP SCHOOL ATHLETES
FAVOR SERIES OF CHANGES
Effort May Be Made to Have
the Academic League
Adopt Rugby
By Rorner- Shawhan

That the regular routine of the Aca-
demic athletic league will undergo
several important changes within the
next few months is almost assured
Talk of changing the baseball and
football seasons to the fall and spring
of the year respectively, the playing of
a series of baseball games instead of
single final game, and the cutting
out" of track meets in the fall has
only needs a few good takers to argue
the points at the next meeting of the
league to have the reforms" carried
through.
The idea has prevailed for some time
that the prep" schools are bound to
follow the lead of the universities in
all branches of sports. The fact that
the officials of the Academic league
brought the last football season to a
successful conclusion, after the unive--
stiles had given all their time to
Rugby, shows that 1t matters little
to the colleges what the prep"
schools do.
However, it is gathered from several
sources that an effort will be made to
have the Academic league adopt the
Rugby game at its next meeting. If
this is done and the league should de-
eide to play Rugby in the spring of the
year, man entering university WOuiu
be in the best possible condition to
try out for the freshman team. An
other point in favor of changing the
seasons is the fact that our rainiest
weather comes during the months Of
January, February and March, which
has done a great deal toward spelling
a baseball teams chances of winning
subleague series. During the base
ball season of 1905 the weather was
fo1T kt.s-
side of the bay had outside games
scheduled for each Saturday prior to
the beginning Of their schedule and
invariably the day before or the day on
which the games were to be played
rain would set in and kilograms would
have to be exchanged canceling the
contests. If baseball could be played
in the fall all subleague games and the
final contest could be finished by the
middle Of October or the first of No
vennber at the latest.
The unfairness Of having one final
contest in baseball was brought to
light week ago yesterday. when Ala
media and Wilmerding struggled IL long
innings before the game was broken
up. Captain Burton of the Alameda
team stepped to the plate and knocked
a home run
Does this piece of luck" as some of
better team, especially when the game
was won by score of to 8?
1t matters little what the condition
of player is. One may have a sprained
tendon, another may be out of the hos
pital and not fit to play, yet the final
game is scheduled for a certain date
and it has to be played.
If a team has five regular men on it
and the rest are subs, why 1t is "hard
lick" if they lose, or it couldn't be
helped" Another phrase would be "the
best team lost"
To have a series of games for the
subleague contest is not feasible, due
to the many protests which occur be-
fore the final is reached. However a
series of three games to decide a base
ball championship would be fair to all
concerned. In the big leagues" it
sometimes takes a whole season to de-
eide the better team.
In football it is different. The strain
on the body is greater and series of
games. after playing many hard bat
ties, would mean that aNteam would
have to stay in condition for at least
three weeks to decide the Champion
ship, with the best chances in the
world of going stale
Cutting out track in the fall It is an
ticipated will meet with a great deal of
opposition at the hands of the league
delegates.
According to some of the principals
about the bay there is too much outside
influence in high school life of late to
have a student who is athletically in
clined, establish a successful career In
a preparatory institution.
In the fall. according to the pres
ent regime, there is one San Fran
cisco, one bay county and one aca-
.demic field day. Besides this the foot
ball season is in full swing, a swim
ming and basketball tournament is in
dulged in and several cross country
runs, given under the auspices of the
various athletic clubs besides the Pa
cific athletic league handicap field day.
are run off.
In the spring the same sports are re
peated with the omission of football
and basketball and the addition OF
baseball and tennis.
Walter Christie, who has the good of
prep school boys always at heart.
acknowledges that the seasons are al
together too strenuous for growing
boys, and it was due to his influence
that the tearing Dipsea Indian runs
were abandoned.
Here is one place where the "prep'.
schools could follow the universities TO
advantage.
1t is only an annual event at col
lege and better performances are wit
messed as result.
The San Francisco field day gives a
good start to the schools on this side
of the bay. To have the schools on
the other side consider the bay county
as preliminary meet for them and
then to have all meet in the spring
academic and Stanford interscholastic
field days, would have the desired re-
suit, and greater Importance would be
attached to the championship.
Principal Miller of Cogswell has an
ticipated withdrawing his school from
the bay county for some time, and so
has Principal Merrill Of Lick