Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-17

of it's upkeep. The total maintenance OF
athletic fields is 4 cents a year per boy.
Work in the school yards, the gymnasiumA
and roof Fairgrounds costs the city prao,
ticaily nothing. A Ginning bar at S7.50
and a broad jump mat at 1880 equip a
school yard for an indefinite number Of
years.
The gymnasium and roof playground
equipment comes under the cost Of the
regular physical training work. The in
struction and supervision essential to the
success of the system are supplied by the
volunteer services of the regular school
teachers. 1t is impossible 20 tell what the
loyalty, enthusiasm and unseifishness Of
these school teachers mean to the children
Of New York. Blu in dollars and cents
DIT. Champion estimates that these teach
ers do the work Of an athletic teaching
force whose payroll would cost the city
a million a year.
But as this system Of play and exercise
Is now developed II can reach only y per
cent of New York's eOO,OOO school children.
In the athletic work at least It is the more
vigc rous children that seize the opportunity
and the weaker children are turned out on
the streets, as are the vast army Of children
hNiOW liz nCioti dkN VI FiNdu9 ~ WOAhs
No Longer an Experiment.
The work has passed the experimental
stage. and has, in the opinion of its advo-
Gates, proved both in economy and in inn
mediate good to those children who came
under its influence the practically and
need Of it's further development. \ The de-
partment Of physical training thinks that
every child in New York has a right to at
least one hour OF real play a day.
At this very moment the work on the
athletic fields is being crippled for lack
of funds, for the supervisors, the consult
ing biological engineers" as DIR. Champion
laughingly calls them, had to be dismissed,
thus leaving the expert work Of making up
the teams and of coaching entirely to the
inexperienced school teachers.
More than the loss in athletic proficiency,
due to the withdrawal of these athletic
teachers, there is actual danger In allowing
1000 boys to exercise at will on an athletic
field. AT the beginning of each season, 1t
is declared. every boy should be examined
and tested and the amount and quality Of
the work for each be determined. Careful
surveillance is then necessary TO prevent
strain and overwork.
ma NGutAACA ~ eA@aaF
needed in the high schools. as well as a
uniform gymnasium equipment. For now
thai applicants for the teachers. training
schools are marked on physical training
uniform teaching in the nigh schools is
essential. The department of physical
training hopes soon to make graduation
from each grade as dependent on success
full tests in physical training and hygiene
N. - q. .orr done1da,N IN good ztondfna IN
geography and spelling.
Toward this end the department is ask
ing for more teachers and adequate gym
nasium and apparatus equipment in the
elementary schools. At present the regular
classroom teachers who teach the physical
training are not visited often enough by
the supervising physical training teachers
to benefit by the advice, training and en-
thusiasm OF these experts. Also in many
of the elementary schools children are
forced to take their exercises in their
schoolrooms and the lessons are thus de-
prived Of the free play space and apparatus
tina endears the gymnasium to every child.
Play for the CrIDDleH.
In only one OF the seven schools for
crippled children are the pupils allowed to
romp and play. For with these children,
for some of whom exercise means cure
and for others sure death. only a teacher
trained in orShopedic methods can be en-
trusted. And the regular teachers in these
schools feel themselves hampered in their
work by the lack of physical training in
the schools.
The deaf mute schools are also entirely
without physical training teachers. Doc
tors lay great stress on the need of breath
ing exercises and an abundance of all
around health giving exercise for deaf
mutes.