The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-08-24
GET OUT Of RUT,
SAYS DR. HAND
Y. m. C. A. Physical Director
Urges Athletes to Shake
Off Lethargy.
By E. H. Hand. MD.

athletic public of Honolulu "were get
ting wise" ana trying to pull out OF
the rut and keep up with the times.
We often hear or read of a mar
being called a "Sport or Promoter
of Athletics Now here is a deini
ton of Sport, a true athletic sport
if you please. He is one who is al
ways willing to boost by taking active
part, managing or financing any kind
of game during its season and not
at the expense of killing off some other
form of athletic sport which is not out
of it's season.
How many promoters in Honolulu
can toe the mark on that definition
[ do not mean that they have will,
fully planned to kill off other events,
but for some incentive, personal or
club benefit, they have planned coun-
ter attractions, and some one has lost.
Now the seasons all through the
States, both North and South, East and
West, for the outdoor sports are sched-
uled about as follows:
Baseball, May l to September IS;
Intercollegiate Football, September 10
to December l; Soccer, December 1 to
March 1; Field and Track, April Is to
May Is; rowing during June or Sep
TENDER. Tennis, golf and polo are
what we call privileged athletics.
We all know that the Texas League,
Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama tried
to promote winter baseball, and we all
know the results. The Pacific Coast is
going to learn its lesson in the near
future; and when I arrived in Homo
lulu three years ago / prophesied just
what the Major League in Honolulu
has just experienced. Some one is
bound to take issue on this subject
and perhaps will call attention to the
new Athletic Park as an illustration;
but all I have to say is, give them
two years time if they play winter
baseball.
Now I do not believe in knocking,
but I do believe in jumping on to
wrong doing with both feet, critically
speaking, when [ know there is wrong
doing to all branches of athletic sports,
for the sake of boosting winter base
ball. and I hope that the promoters of
the new athletic park will join in by
discouraging the playing of scheduled
league games during October, Novem-
Der, December, January, February and
March.
Of course some one will bob UP with
the remark that people want to see
baseball. I don t deny that, for
like to see it myself, but I would rather
witness a game of polo or even inter
scholastic or intercollegiate football in
sleet and snow in preference to base
ball out of season, to say nothing about
it the year around.
There are a great many men in Ho'
nolulu who are always willing to assist
have heard it from the lips of more
than fifteen that they do not like to
subscribe for season tickets and not
be able to use them on account OF
some other more exciting attraction
which has the undisputed right to the
season, being conducted at the same
time and date, to say nothing of be
ing compelled to miss one event when
they are interested in both.
Honolulu has more good ball players,
track athletes, football players, oars
men and swimmers than are found any
where on the globe for place of its
size, and nearly all are willing to take
part in all events excepting for but
one excuse-''I am pretising for base
ball,n and what is the result9 The
baseball starts off with rush, the pub
lie gets tired of it, and finally there
are twenty-five spectators at the last
game. Did baseball succeed9 Yes, it
succeeded in robbing some other ath-
letic event of its season, and put few
cents in the treasury of the participant
ing clubs, and has almost succeeded
in disgusting the men who played on
the teams to such an extent that some
have given up the sport for keeps. Do
you call that promoting athleticss Is
the man who backs up such a condl-
ton entitled to be called an athletic
sport. or even a promoter of athletics?
The only pilikia with Honolulu ath-
letics is that the different branches
have no respect for each other and do
not pull together; but there is always
a remedy-either get together and
form an athletic union for the promo
ton and protection of athletics or take
the initiative as follows: Boys, if
baseball men play out of season let the
football. rowing, soccer and track men
refuse to buy tickets or subscribe to-
wards expenses. If any other events
try to get out If season, turn the
tables, or put the shoe on the other
foot.
An athletic union is the wisest form.
By such an organization great deal
can be accomplished at little or no
expense, all men could be registered,
and all this squabbling about jumping
from one boat club to another or from
one baseball or soccer team to another
could be prevented. I do not mean to
form an amateur athletic union, for
we would be tackling something too
large to handle. for we all know that
the majority of our best athletes
would be barred or some of our base
ball players would not be permitted to
take part in other events. | do not
agree with the A A. L. in every sense,
for I consider man an amateur who
does not make his living by athletics
and devotes his time to regular en-
plovment other than athletics.
We all know that there is nothing
that stirs up the blood and nervous