New-York tribune., 1911-09-16

, Athletics
shipman's life at Annapolis. They also play
more or less important Part in the lie Oh al
officer out in the service. The Navy Depart
ment encourages athletics at Annapois' anu II
encourages line officers to encourage athietics
among the enlisted men on board snip, on the
theory that it gives the latter healthful inter-
est something to think about and something
with which to occupy their minds. Annapolis
graduates do not drop athletics upon gradua-
tion. They go through a course Of what may be
called applied athletics" out in the service
That is, they coach, play on and manage the
various teams Of the ships to which they are
assigned, and the Navy Department desires
chem to do this and approves of the practice
! When the midshipman first enters Annapolis
he finds a carefully prepared schedule Of drills
and physical exercises arranged for him, which
schedule he must follow whether he likes 1t
or not. These exercises are designed with
view to the all around physical development OF
Che body. They very often tax to the limit the
strength and endurance of the soft and physi-
cally undeveloped new midshipman-in fact in
some instances it seems that they are too siren
uous to do him good. This, however, is not So
the general belief of the perspiring midship-
man on the drill ground to the contrary. The
the exercises prescribed are not too .evere but
are really about what are needed.
The new midshipman enters the academy in
June. His whole time is so taken up with drills
setting I'D exercises and studies that he has
little time to devote to athletics or even to the
thought Of them. Toward the end of SUMMER
however. track and field meet is announced
and the men in the different companies are en-
nnrv, y,nv.O RI
yalry being stimulated and trainer being pro-
yided to supervise the work OF the competitors
This enables the officer in charge OF track atm
letics to get line the new materials Tor
the next track team The men who show abii-
fly in this meet are encouraged to enter the
ross-couptry runs during the following fall
and to do such other work as may be necessary
for the particular development Of the muscles
upon which track work causes great strain
Interest Always Stimulated.
Then, too in "plebe" summer there is another
event of an athletic nature which arouses the
most intense interest and rivalry. This is the
cutter race between crews representing the dlf-
ferent companies. Ii Is hard for an outsider to
realize how intense the interest is in this race
All summer long the new mdshipman has been
required to do a large amount Of rowing. Tow
ard the end Of the summer the best men from
each company are selected and allowed to row
together. In some way interest In the race has
been stimulated to boiling point, and
when the crews take their place on the start
ing line the whole academy turns out to cheer
them on. These then, are the two athletic
comptitons OF summer. The work required by
the latter event Is particularly helpful In the
general physical development of the midship-
men.
About September l a call for candidates for
the football team is issued. This Is really the
beginning Of the athletic year. About the mid
die Of the same month members OF the upper
classes who are candidates for the eleven report
b. * to th@ academy for practice, and Oc-