The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-26

coming sooner or later-most likely
later.
know what some of you are think
fng-those who are impressed by what
you read IN the papers about the
brutality of football-you are thinking
something about like this: Well, but
IL you are going to put football in
the place of bull fighting will you
make a very long step in advance,
after all? l should say yes, most de-
cidedly, even If the game of which I
speak we're the kind of football you
know. the American intercollegiate;
but 1t is not that. 1t is Soccer. the
And I want to tell you it is a mighty
good game, an infinetly better game
than / ever fancied 1t could be.
have grown to be such an enthusiast
that i am sure I shall begin a propa-
ganda in its favor just as soon as I
am. once back on American soil.
HE LIKES THE GAME.
Now, let me see If I can tell you
why I like the game and why we
adopted 1t for the schools here instead
of American football. In the first
place. never could have taught the
intercollegiate game to such large
numbers without having at my dis
posal a considerable squad Of Ameri-
cans to teach it. Secondly, even if I
had had coaches I should not have
chosen this game because of the lack
Of suitable grounds and because the
climate and the very temperament OF
the people are not adopted to such
strenuous sport. Third, Soccer was
already known here. the English hav-
ing established it years ago. Many
Peruvians were playing and not few
school boys knew something of the
rules. Nearly all had more or less Of
an idea of how to proceed. And
finally, as 1 have already intimated.
open, easily learned, not too violent,
yet demands courage, strength, endur-
ance. agility, and above all co-opera-
tfon-teaTn play.
If I were you of the High School ]
would take up this game. 1 am talk
ing, of course, to the boys principally,
but then the girls are so nice, and
they are so versatile, SO wide-awake.
so interested in everything that's go
ing, that 1 have nc fear of boring
them by talking about football. Quite
to the contrary. Their eyes are
sparkling and they are saying to
themselves already, We'll, if the boys
don't get busy, why we will start this
excellent game ourselves l am in
earnest. You really ought to make
this game one of your school sports.
boys. You can do it. Let P. H. S. be
pioneer in this matter. With your
knowledge of sports in general, and OF
American football and basketball in
particular, you could learn in no time.
I fancy some of You think that you
could beat mo time" that you alreday
know the game. But you can't and
You don't 1t is not what you think
it Is It is really a game Just lock
rio
/ How to Play Soccer" and any other
books about the sport, and you will
find that there is really something to
learn. Go on. Do as I say.
If you decide to undertake this sport
you may have trouble in finding some
one to help you with a little coaching.
There are probably none of the young
away to college who have played
Soccer. There are mighty few colleges
Where it is played. But if there
should happen to be any young Eng
Iishnen about town they will surely
help you, for every Englishman knows
Soccer. Then if you get some teams
going you can have games with
come into the harbor. They would
soon teach you that there is some
thing to the game.
THE RIGHT STEP.
I am indicting on this because !
think 1t would be step In the right
direction. Our games, especially foot
hall. have grown to be too serious to
serve the purpose for which they were
originally intended. We must see that
our athletics take on more the charac-
ter of real sports I have had my
eyes opened by the way the English
maintain away from home their in
terest in athletic games. There are in
Lima a considerable number of Eng
lishmen. They have their club house
and athletic field. And they use them.
Saturday afternoons they are always
out. for football, cricket. la. crosse or
something of the sort. They continue
to take part in their sports long after
their school days have past. They
play purely for the JOY Of playing. But
we, at least in football, play with our
minds set upon winning. The great
match of the season over there is no
more interest. School days finished
nc more football.
: I have wandered just a bit from my
subject started out to tell you
about athletics in the Peruvian
schools and have wound up by talk
ing about football at home. But that
isn't getting so very far from the
subject after all. and even if it were
I am sure you would pardon the d.
gression. Well, we had some sixteen
teams in the field this year; that Is to
say, sixteen first elevens, for all of the
schools hold their second elevens and
some of them have four or five teams
The playing, then, was not confined
to the teams representing the schools
1t would be safe to say that hardly a
boy Of school age in all this city OF
vicinity, and there are some $4,000 OF
them, has not been affected by the in
terest we have aroused in football
Everywhere one would turn, in the
streets, in the plazas, in alleys. in va
cant lots, everywhere, were to be seen
hoys kicking a football, a yarn ball. &
cap. bundle Of rags, any old thing.
We are not combining our athletic
activities to football. We are making
some Roadway at present in introduce
ing basket ball and indoor baseball
which we don't play indoors at all. but
| in the patios, or court yard. For that
reason we have changed the name OF
the latter game to baseball lde patio
Neither one of these sports was known
here before. 1t is true. a few games
of straight baseball had been played
by Americans-once by teams from
the fleet on their round the oric
trip-but to say that the game was