The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-03-15
HOW ENCOURAGEMENT OF PROM INVENT CITIZENS AND CAREFUL TRAINING HAVE DEVELOPED YOUNG MANHOOD.
BY BILL AK.

Birmingham is fast forging to the front as a home of amateur athletics. Includ- ing the suburbs, which are a part of Greater BirmiL gham, it is very probable that no other city in the south can compare with this. the Magic.
 Everyone. not only in Birmingham, but everyone in the sunny southland, knows how Birmingham patronzes baseball and other professional sports. Everybody in the south knows that football has a ready market in Birmingham, and that more championship games are played In Birmingham than any other southern city with the possible exception of At lanta. The third most popular sport is basketball, game which had its south ern origin in Birmingham.
 The established institutions playing am ateur baseball, football and basketball are the Birmingham Athletic club, How ard college, Birmingham college, the Y. M <C. A.. the athletic clubs of Ensley, Pratt City and Wylam, the Birmingham High school the various grammar schools of the city and the high schools of the suburbs. Each of these organizations is represented by worthy teams, and it is true that had Birmingham no other sports, the home talent could be devel oped until the fans would have enough to keep them interested and guessing.
 In addition, Birmingham is a member of the Interstate Photographic meet, the other cities represented being Memphis, Galveston and Texarkana. So popular has the movement been, that it is very o1,ah Ia hat p this league will be increased to a dozen. Atlanta, Montgomery and Mobile are anxious to gain admission.
 Birmingham, also, has a playground as- sociation, with a park. This is branch of outdoor work that is popular and beneficial to it's members. There is also in process of formation Sunday School Athletic league, similar to those in east ern and western cities, which have proved so popular and the occasion of so much honest rivilary.
 Birmingham is an ideal sporting city in every respect. The city is fast de- veloping the most formidable array of athletes imaginable, and all southern col leges are watching the crop with greedy and anxious eyes. Birmingham furnishes as many football and baseball players to Alabama and Auburn as all the re- mainder of the state. This is due to tho fact that there are so many athletic associations in the city, and so much en- couragement to athletics given here.
 Some time ago I wrote a little para graph deploring the fact that the basket ball team of the Birmingham Athletic club was not as strong as it should be. This article created a deal of. interest, and some resentment. It was pointer, too, for other sporting writers, who take delight in digging when there is no occasion or reason for digging. Since the brilliant victory over the Mobile Y. M c. A. Friday night, I take pleasure in taking my hat off to the Birmingham Athletic club, and must admit that in selecting the best teams of the south, it's aggregation must be awarded high rank I urge that the present spirit be continued. Chairman Shute has done great, work in a basketball way and there is every assurance that his predic- ton of a championship team next sea- son will be fulfilled.
 The most marvellous development ever witnessed in Birmingham has occurred at the Birmingham High school. The football prowess of that light, though ter rife bunch is well known all over Ala bama In basketball, it promises to do other marvellous things. It is also power in basketball as was shown when n defeated ti1e team of the Y. M. C. A. While this game was a short one, and while the center of the Y. M C. A., who is a member of the Birmingham High school, was not allowed to participate, it was 8 victory nevertheless, and another feather in the cap of the school boys, and their splendid coach, Prince The Y. M. c. A. has had successful sea- son, too, although it's basketball team this season has not been as powerful as that of last year. The Y. M. c. A. has