The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-06-09
BELIEVES UTAH
HAS MATERIAL
Noted Physical Educator Says
University Ought to Win
in Olympic Games.
SCIENCE OF ATHLETICS
DR.. ANDERSON DISCUSSES THE
DRY AND PRACTICE.

DR.. William Gilbert Anderson, director
OF the Yale gymnasium, and one of the
most noted physical educators III the
United States arrived in Salt Lake yes
terday. He will spend six weeks here.
During his stay he will be a member of
the faculty of the University OF Utah
school of physical education. He will
give a series of lectures and conduct sew
eral classes. DIR. Anderson stands at the
head of his profession, which he has fol-
lowed for twenty-five years He has held
important positions in physical educational
societies in this country and also in for
eign countries. He is the author of a
number of books on this subject and his
exercises and his methods are in use
throughout the country.
America ought 10 win the Olympic
games said DR.. Anderson. There is
no country, in the world that produces the
athletes that America does. This is sim
ply because the Americans take athletics
with more seriousness and make more of
a business of them than the people do in
other countries. The foreigners criticise
us severely for this, especially at Oxford
and Cambridge. II is true that there Is
too much working TO win in our sports,
but my criticism is that our athletics are
confined only to a few men and not the
general mass OF students. In course OF
time. the games will be changed so that
ali can compete, then athletics will take
place of gymnastics. AT present we do
not get all the best men. In every school
there are athletic stars who are never
seen in a race simply because the pres
ent games are not universal
Theoretical and Practical.
THE theoretical side of athletics is
equally as important as the practical and
physical, and training is far more impOr-
tant than gymnastics and athletics them
selves. The teachers should know the
laws of sanitation, diet sleep, personal
cleanliness, health and practical physiOl-
ogy. Diet is an extremely important fac
tor. and experiments are now being car
lied on to find the benefits of meat for
the athletes. A contest Will be held be-
tween meat eaters and Vegetarians, and IL
will be interesting TO note the winner.
Among the Vegetarians, We have some
good athletes. AS a rule We find that
athletes Eat too much and eat too rapidly.
Boys from the west invariably make
good in athletics in eastern colleges be-
cause they have more endurance and,
given the same opportunities as the east
ern boys. they excel them.
Athletics are a necessity to a college
community. One Of the greatest benefits
derived from them is that they put down
rOWdyism and brutality 1t curtails the
animal spirit in q person, as there is so
much of this spirit in a boy, and il must
get out in some way If IL did not eX-
haust itself on the football field it prob
ably would in some downtown fight.
Judge Matheson and Judge Timer Of the
city courts in New Haven gave me some
interesting data on the good behavior of
the tOuNEC bDAS d i ale Us a result Oh
the introduction Of athletics, and their
experience has been that the more inter
est in athletics at Yale the fewer dealings
they have with the college men. While
athletics are going on at the school
town braWi seldom happens
Utah to the Fore.
The victory of Utah over Stanford has
giVen I tab great precedence. The Stan
ford team Won second in the western con-
ference AT Chicago, and the fact that
Utah defeated il has given this school
considerable reputation there.
The university is ideally located for
a summer school OF physical education.
There are similar schools at Harvard and
Columbia and the Chautauqua. but out
side of these places there are none of
Importance, so Utah occupies the center
of great unoccupied territory. The ad-
Nantages here are So great that | pre-
terTed coming hither 10 going to the
Olympic games as intended. Utah is in
a position 10 take the lead in this has the
facilities. equipment ana the officers OF
the school are sympathetic. The western
people should not so east for such
school. for the west must provide for
Itself in this, as for other things.
The University Of Utah should be
congratulated on having the services Of
Miss Maud MAY BabcOck and Coach Joe
Maddox. Being a Wisconsin man, l am
especially well aware of what Mr.. Mad
dock can do for a football team