The evening world., 1912-12-19
Sport Now Ranks With Base
ball and Has Glass
of 500.

r. you think that boxing 10 barbarous
and injurious, just take . trip over
q to Brooklyn one Of these days and
see over i've hundred Poly Prep. stu.
dents engage In sparring contests and
you'll quickly realise that Il u one OF
the greatest sports IN the world for the
city's youths. They have made boxing
a part OF the curriculum Of the Brook
Ign school. and the idea has already
reached the High school Of Commerce.
and In the opinion Of public school
authorities II 10 only q question OF time
before all tho schools In tho city will be
teaching the manly art of self-defense.
They have been having boxing tour
naments for nearly . year at Poly Prep.
and now the sport ranks with base
ball. football and athletics. In the opin-
ion OF Physical Instructor Claude Allen.
the Inauguration Of boxing was one Of
the schools greatest achlevsments.
THE boys simply love H." replied
Coach Allen. telling how the youngsters
take to the sport we have about Ave
hundred students here. and the only
absentees from the tri-weekly boxing
lessons. which are compulsory. are those
suffering from teeth or nose complaints.
''Only eight ounce gloves are used,'
said Mr.. Allen, pointing to long lines
OF mltts dangling from the gymnasium
walls.
because the gloves are oas and soft
the boys hardly ever hurt themselves.
although the milling 10 pretty strenuous
at times"
After q years experimenting II was dis
covered that the boys enjoyed boxing a.
we'll as any other sport and we oonss-
auen,iy made II one OF the regular
pastimes.
The idea originated with the boyv
themselves. During the time that bog
ing contests have been In vogue hers
we have only received one complaint
from parents. and that was about a
younGster who was afflicted with noss
trouble, In fact. 1t Is noihns unusual
for fathers of many Of the boys to
como Gown here and don the gloves for
some spirited exercise.
BOYS TAUGHT TO BOX A CLASS
AT A TIME.
whole classes are taught 70 bog. {"
went on the SCHOOLS ms .ructor, ex.
planning how the students are instructet
to protect themselves. For instance
Wen have an entire class down In the
gym to-day and divide the boys into
sides. One 10 called gray and the otheI
blue. A hundred and twenty a ve-pound
boy will take on ono about his owr
weight, the boxing master calls tim,
while the boys shake hands, for tn.
Idea OF good craftsmanship 10 drilled
into the students before anything else
Then FOR three rounds they 20 at 4
hammer and tongs. The winner is de
cided on points for very. very seldom
does a knockout occur. In that way IN,
boys indulge In a sort of elimina tioi
process during the year.
In March. after the swimming con
tests are out OF tho way. tho boys par
ticipate IN the yearly boxing tourname en-
for a medal presented by no alumni,
Then the strongest In the bantam
featherwelght. lightweight and middle
weight division meet, and for severa
nights some OF the best boxing bout
you'll ever want to see take place. Ate
some hard nghiing tho best man Is de
velOped and he In just an much OF
hero as any star the gridiron or dla
mond produces.
There isn't a boy TO my kno led e
continued the coach, who has ever ex
pressed the desire 70 take up boxing, q
prize fighting, ~ you may call II as
profession. The youngsters are salts
ina q ehow their sypsrierity while 4
~ VIVA ~ VsyfrsHs-