Omaha daily bee., 1911-11-12
HIGHBROWS TOSS PIGSKIN
Prof. Fisher of Omaha High Wants
No Foot Ball in His.
DENOUNCEs THE GAME AS DIOrIc
Coach Stiehm of the Cornh uslxers
Gets Into the Contest and
Tries Hard 20 Kick
Goal.

ohcli OF York college and Prof. G.. r.
Teach, superintendent Of the University
Place schools, at the meeting OF the
physical culture section OF the Nebraska
state Teachers association Friday after
noon
Prof. Fisher went so far as to accuse
loot ball players and rooters OF lack of
consideration for others and to describe
their yells and antics as 'ldlotc."
Prof. Teach cited an instance Of rowdy-
Ism BY schooimates Of losing team and
denounced It as a poor kind Of school
spirit
Prof. o. r. stehm. coach OF the Uni
versity Of Nebraska foot ball team, and
Superintendent Of Schools c. ~ Walton
OF Wahoo precipitated the attack. Mr..
Stiehm read paper on High School
Foot Ball." in which he eulogized the
gamo as Of inestimable value in fitting
young men for the battles Of life. in
culcatlng I'm the players wonderful
strength Of character, high moral sensl-
bilities, fine Ideals OF honors and noble
ambitions.
Other sports to considerable extent
have this effecti but, according to Coach
Suehm' there is no game or sport that Is
so powerful and efficient factor ia the
making OF college youth into a success
ful business or professional man.
Admitting foot ball is a rough game.
Coach Suehm said its rough and tumble
qualities appeal to the sturdy manllness
OF the youth and the idea of hard knocks
and bruises appeals to the best In boys.
As proof Of this he quoted no less a per-
son than Theodore Roosevelt to the ef-
feet that broken leg or arm or collar
quenco when strength and physical
prowess are to be conserved.
walton with COnch stIehm.
Mr.. Walton formally discussed Coach
Stiehm's paper, approving his remarks
and TO some extent celebrating upon
them. He favored strict study aualifica-
lions for foot ball athletes and said
teachers should insist that boys play no
foot ball unless they are up in their
studies and should not sacrifice the school
standards for the sake of winning games.
Prof. Fisher in his opening remarks
apologlzed for what he was about TO say
remarRing that he was about to express
an unpopular thought
Il think we are laying too much str.ss
upon the physical education of our bows
and girls. / believe they should be edu-
should allow the tide OF physical hero
worship to carry us along with it.. we
are permitting ourselves too much 10 be
the creatures OF mania over foot bali
ana athletic sports when we should be-
governing II and keeping it In its normal
place. We are catering to and fostering
the tendency 20 let such things as this
force into the background the higher and
finer and nobler things OF life, The things
OF life that really are important. I he
leve in physical culture, but whom Won
tell mo that foot ball Is wonderful in its
effects OF inspiring boys with all the
manly virtues, believe you must be
wrong. don't see where 1t gives them
moral strength. They run around the
streets yelling idiotic yells, their support
ers with them. totally dlsregardinE and
ignoring other people. don't see how
that Is building character. creating moral
courage, fitting them for llfe's battle.
you speak of the school spirit ana the
applause Of the rooters. 1t always has
been my idea that aormal coui age Is
displayed when one Stands alone and
fights perhaps a losing fight with no
one TO help and no one to cnplarde and
cheer. What hin1 Of courage is Il that
|
behind to back one up and cheer and
drive him on?
For Physical Culture.
"As ! say, believe in physical culture
but I don't believe In carrying athletic
sport to the point where sight is lost
OF the finer and more important pur-
poses OF our educational institutions.
Speaking OF the hard knocks and broken
arms and collar comes, ! don't believe
and think ! never shall believe that
God ever made the human body to he
subjected 20 the strains OF a foot ball
game"
Prof. Teach endorsed rrof. Fishers re-
marks. praislng for having the courage
to take an attitude that he supposed was
an unpopular one. lie said he liked foot
ball II II were the right kind OF foot
ball and wa9tsd II in his school; but he
did not want the kind OF foot ball that
most foot BAD Is. He deplored the ex-
aggeration OF the Importance of the
game and the rowdyism that 81 so FIRE.
auently breeds ~ Ike friendly ssyairy;'
he said, "but I don't want the rivalry
have seen too often. want fra.
ternallsm and game that Is clean.
"When ! took my boys 20 a neighbor-
lng town to play and we won the game
We were practically mobbed, Bricks were
thrown at us and the ribs OF one OF my
boys were broken. That is one kind OF
school spirit I suppose but we ought
to work for the elimination OF all school
spirit OF that sort"
she'll DenOunccs Rugby.
President Shell denounced rugby foot
ball. urging the adoption OF soccer or
association foot ball, He said that his
college has not suffered, but has gained
by the substitution for rugby Of soccer.
which possesses all the advantages OF
rugby, but lacks its brutalising and dan
gerous qualities, He said there is no
use denying that ordinary foot ball Is
too dangerous and should not be played
that deaths and injuries from It's playing
are altogether too common,
County Superintendent Alice Florer OF
York, discussed the value OF physical
training In rural schools, telling OF the
wonderful results accomplished in schools
In her own county aud declaring that
what can be done there can be done else
where.
Miss Bess !, DumOnt, director OF physi-
cal culture for girls In the Omaha High
school. gave a highly appreciated model