New-York tribune., 1912-02-03
MANY DEFEND ATHLETICS
Reply to UnfavorabIe Report Of
Government Authority.
OPINIONS DIFFER GREATLY
One Physical Director Declares
System in Vogue in Colleges
Is Absolutely Wrong.

Times to collect the Views of number
OF we'll known physicians and surgeons
and athletic directors on this subject
Surgeon General Stokes says in his re-
port:
Tho bureau is Of the opinion that COM
pettive and spectacular athletics are un-
desirable in the service, especially among
midshipmen, who are prone to overtraih
for or hazard too much In contest While
/ football may be somewhat hazardous as
played. II is the disabling after effects that,
IL my opinion. make II questionable as
snort 10 be encouraged where future naval
officers are being trained.
The prolonged, rigorous course OF phys
ical exercises necessary TO excellence IN
physical sports IL believed to be dangerous
in its after effects upon those who indulge
In athletic sports sufficiently to excel
therein.
When. under the conditions OF service at
sea, IL becomes impossible 10 continue
rigorous exercise. the individual easily falls
prey 10 degenerative changes, tends 10 be-
| come obese, to lose physical stamina and
in the end he fails 10 render as many years
Of efficient service under service conditions
! as does his less athletic but symmctrically
! developed classmate.
The opinion that long distance crew or
! foot racing is not beneficial. bat productive
Of serious harm is one not held alone by
! the naval medical officer. but by those IN
evil life best qualified to judge, and II iS
believed that II needs but decided stand
on the part Of an institution OF the stand
! ing Of Annapolis for the adoption OF a
! safe and sane" standard In these and
other endurance contests TO initiate sim
! liar movement I'm the athletic world, making
success dependent more upon skill and less
upon brute force.
! Most OF those who have given their views
on this report have considered it particu-
larly on the question OF the effect OF foot
ball, but some have considered the effects
| of athletics in general. DIR. w. g. Ander-
son, director OF the Yale gymnasium. takes
up the whole subject % athletics. and uses
the records of Yale athletes for fifty years,
from 1876 to 1905. TO illustrate his argu-
ment. He says:
Comparison Of the mortality Of specialized
athletes with the general graduate VINO
has not distinguished himself I'm athletics
| to the extent of winning the \ sull SHOWS
| I'm favor Of the athlete.
| The Yale athlete does not die young nor
( is heart disease leading cause OF death.
| Lung trouble is the cause or the greatest
| number OF deaths. but the percentage or
men dying from these causes is not greater
/ than the expected deaths among non-ath-
letes from similar causes.
! My conclusions showed that the athlete
| is not short lived. but ! do not state that
! he owed his longevity TO athletics.
| Dr Dudley 4. Sargent, director Of Hem
enway Gymnasium. Harvard, says:
! have no hesitation in saying that. In my
opinion. a considerable number OF the stu
dents I'm our colleges who participate in
| athletics do njure themselves, but ] should
hardly attribute this injury to the same
cause az the surgeon general does. !:
! The number OF men permanently injured
! compared with the number permanently
benefited by playing football Is exceed
inEly small.
| The number Of distinguished athletes who
die from the infectious diseases. more par
, tiCularly tuberculosis. pneumonia and ty-
phod. will always raise tho question as TO
! whether the prolonged strain 10 which they
] have frequently been subjected has not les
| seued IN some measur" their powers OF re-
! sistance against disease. IL is possible TO
| overdo in athletics as IL business. but that
| f. no reason why We should do away with
| athletics any more than We should do away
with the strenuous occupations.
The remedy that 7 would suggest. there
J fore. is not less athletics. but more. less NJ
! the Intensive mario Nly constructed and
highly laborious forms OF athletics, moro
! OF tho dlfTusive. widely extended and much
moro enjoyable forms " sports and phys
I lea exercises.
/ Dr Paul 9. Phillips. physical director at
Amherst, says:
J An intimat" acquaintance of som" thirty
years with competitive athletics convinces
me that. as practsed to-day in our Amer
can colleges, they are. I'm general, \ physi-
cal benefit 10 the participant
! pr \ II. Sharpe. physical director at
| William Penn Charter School saws:
! ~ all the athletes hayo known, mono
| Of them has had any after results. eNCeD'
good health unless II was from some ana
tomical lesion, such as torn ligamcnts How
any organic lesion could bo traced back
md definitely assigned to that period "a
| lifc when the person was actively engaged
in athletics H. beyond me. All our teach
! ing has beer that exercise f. good for the
human body. Now. IL the exercise a man
| takes is not going to be shown 10 he in
! furious by the immediate results 10 tho
person actively engaged. how are We goinG
TO say he is overindulginS?
pr w. l., Estes. of LehiGh. believes IN
athletics, but thinks that II boy goes 10
college 10 become an athlete he should not
try TO become intellectually proficient also.
He says:
Systematic. regular and graduated cxcr-
else as "A part OF course in college ] be-
lieve 10 be good. What I object To is the
strenuous tests without proper training. and
the necessity Of man continuing his mus
cular exercise after college life, IL he has
trained himself to the condition Of an attn
letc. In short, the history OF college ath-
letes and our physiologlc knowledge indi-
cate that athletes should belong TO class.
0r.d that mental training and training for
intellectual pursuits cannot go on stimuli
tareously with excessive athletic training
without injury to any young man.
According to Or. James A. BabbItt of
Haverford football I'm its hygienic require
ments definitely contributes to improve
the physical standard" And Dr. Dudley
T. Reed. Of the University OF Chicago
says:
Without doubt, a smaller percentage Of
athletes goes wrong physically than Of
nothing since the majority Of athletes
comes i'm the first place. from among the
strongest and healthiest In my eX-
uerience. the Injurious after effects are
more liable TO be due 10 track, basketball
or tennis than TO football or baseball.
DR.. J. A. Gwathmey, who was for several
wears medical and physical director Of the
Vanderbilt University. disapproves OF mod
ern college athletics. 81 wish to say most
cmphaticaIly," he declares. that the physi-
cal training as indulgcd IN by all of the
colleges and universities Of the United
States Is absolutely wrong. Every
man in the institution should be trained
moderately instead OF few iacn who do not
need the training being trained to the limit
OF their physical powers"
Dr. Maurice n. Richardson, OF Harvard |
is inclined to think that, n any bad results
follow modern athletic competitions. these
evil results are due to other causes than
strenuous and prolonged efforts to put the
body into state OF physical excellence"
DR.. John a. Wycth. OF tho New York
Polytechnic Medical School and Hospital
says:
| cannot approve of the game of football
az played now in intercollegiate contests. |
| am strongly In favor OF steady and |
vigorous physical exercise, and In my opin- |
ion II would be better In every way If our |
Young men develop their muscles by work |
ing with the axe, hoe or other implements |