Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-19
SOCCER IS GAINING GROUND
Three Universities Have Taken Up
the Game in Earnest.
TO BE MADE MAJOR SPORT
Considerable Headwny Has Been
Made with the Game I'm This
Country and Il IL Popular
where Played.

NEW YORK. Dec 1s-There is every
evidence that soccer is shortly to come
into its own at three big universities at
least The Yale ell, ven has already played
greater number Of games this fall than
has ever been the case before. Princeton,
although not in the intercollegiate soccer
league. is developing considerable 4nthusI-
rsm for this sport. And It became known
recently that the Hsrvard athletic authori-
ties intend to raise soccer to the plane OF
major sports. including it in the category
with foot ball, rowing. base ball and track.
The army will also Join the procession at
an early date. So that before very long
there Is every reason to believe that this
open foot ball win be played on all collegs
canpuses.
The Harvard soccer team has already
had a very considerable amount Of prac-
tice and is getting more daily on Soldiers
field. which has usually been sort of
deserted village" at this time Of the year.
All that has been changed. Now there are
usually four or five and sometimes more
soccer elevens kicking and diibbling the
ball Instead Of waiting for the spring,
when the regular series Of intercollegiate
team Harvard may be'said to have at the
present moment several elevens ali highly
proficient in this game. And the crimson
Is making no secret Of its intention and
desire to carry off the championship this
coming year.
Not only is soccer being played by the
members OF the large squad now candi-
dates for the soccer III" but the Harvard
-
TO get into condition. Many candidates for
the track and gym" teams have also been
out in the last fortnight for the same pur-
pose This state OF affairs will continue
until the Christmas holidays, when the
game will probably be allowed to lapse
until fairly well along into the spring,
when the ground will again be in such
condition as to permit further play.
Several leading colleges will be met early
In the season, and Harvard has every hope
OF defeating them all. Particularly is she
desirous OF doing so now that It is the
intention to further soccer as a major art.
But there is another impulse which has
had very considerable Influence on the
Crimson's decision to put this game on
par with all others.
More Can Play.
1t is felt in Cambridge particularly by
the students Of the undergraduates schools
that the present game OF foot ball Is not
for them, nor can 1t be made so regardless
of any changes which may be made in
the rules. They feel, according to a Har-
ward senior, that the gravest defect of
modern college athletics is that they are
not playable by properly representative
portion OF the university. According to
him. what is needed in every such insti-
tuition today is a game that will require
very little equipment-thereby permitting
the man OF slender means and who is not
member of varsity squad to play IT.
and yet shall develop initiative, courage.
agility and speed. 1t is to soccer, there
fore, that the Harvard undergraduates are
now looking for this purpose.
Take foot ball as it is played today"
said this Harvard man, "and what chance
have I got In it7" Crhe speaker was a
slender man, Weighing some 145 pounds
and standing about 5 feet ~ They'd get
my scalp so quickly in that game that
I'd never even know ia been the leading
figure IN the massacre Yet I love out
door sport So that by virtue OF my de-
ficiency in weight and size I'm kept from
doing any real athletic work in the fall
So Is almost every man in college situated
like myself.
what we need, therefore, is safe and
sane sport that everyone Of us can play
| and enjoy We do not want any elaborate
coaching system or training table. We
| just want to feel that. once we've got our
muscles hardened up by running around,
we can get out and play a hard fast
game without fear OF serious in1ury-and
do this regardless OF the weight of the
men against whom we play, In a game
like soccer q big man has nothing on his
smaller opponent. Speed and courage are
far more in demand than mere brute
strength, So that, II you are trying to find
a game that every college man or prepara-
tory school boy can play safely and with
profit you've simply got to admit soccer's
claims
Faculty FRvors II.
That's why the faculty at Harvard has
given a practically unanimous consent to
make soccer a major sport Now that
we've gained their permission wen be able
to work toward the end we all want to
reach, athletic training in a game for
every student. regardless OF size, weight
4 and strength Of his body or purse. Soccer
| Is bound 20 become every mans game.
I'm glad that Harvard has taken the lead
and Initiative In this movement"
DR.. Cecil Herbert OF the Yale university
faculty recently remarked that the day of
soccer was dawnlng In America particu,
1aV V1a F.as