Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-02-10
H. B. HAYDEN FOR
MORE ATHLETICS
Superintendent of Schools Has
Good Plan Under Con-
sideration.
WOULD ORGANIZE BOYS
Let Them Handle Their Own Activ-
tiles and Attend TO Their Own
Physical Development.

Superintendent H. B. Hayden of the
Rock Island public schools of the city
has under consideration a plan for
the physical development Of all the
bows enrolled in the different schools
of the city and it is one which appar-
entity will meet with general and
hearty approval Mr.. Hayden has Civ
en- the subject much thought and sew
eral years ago he started movement
along similar lines, but it was mere
~ a spasmodic effort because ne had
TO turn his attention to other things
and the scheme was allowed TO fall
through. His idea is to organize :he
boys of the grammer schools and to so
supervise their athletic activities that
they VIII be Of some use TO the boys
In a physical way. At present every
school playground is the scene of a
hundred different kinds of sports with
no organization, and the result in most
cases is that the strong boys get the
benefits and the weaker ones are com
PEELED to get their exercise mainly IN
keeping out of the way Of the others.
WANTS ORGANIZATION.
ThA HQQ6I 1uGbS
stste6 are as follows Select a COM
mttsee OF from five to ten boys from
the seventh and eighth grades of each
of the gremmer schools OF the city.
LIST these boys, under proper super
vision, organize the rest Of the boys in
the school into what would really be
a class IN physical culture. Let them
DESIGNATE certain games for certain
boys on specified days, mixing them up
so that there would be no monotony
and so that interest would constantly
increase instead Of decrease. Let the
sport be organized TO such an extent
that the weak boys can take part in
games which will build them up ply
sically without exposing them to risks
such as they would be subject TO in
the games which are played now. BY
this it is not meant that all athletic
activities will be tanned and toned
down so that they are fit only
for the girls, but that strong boys
Will be matched against strong boys,
weak ones against weak ones, and not
the strong against the weak for it is
such matchings that result in harm to
the weaker ones.
WOULD BETTER DISCIPLINE.
Mr.. Hayden's plans if put into eXecu-
ton would undoubtedly have an excel
lent effect upon the school life of the
boys Of the city. Athletics are dear
to the heart of the average boy and
they tend to hold him in school. With
out athletics it does not take him long
to get the idea into his head that
school is a nursery and a place for
young children and not the proper
sphere for a youth who expects to be
a man. At present there are no or
ganized athletics until the students get
into high school and the result is that
when they arrive there, only a few
have been fitted for strenuous activit-
les such as football, basketball and
track work There can be no argu-
ment against better physical develop
ment and If proper exercises were TAX
en- by the boys when they are in the
grade school It would have a whole
some effect on their physiques and in
their temperament, for the busy ath
letic boy does not cause the mischief
that the indolent non-athletic boy does.